15 most profitable tips for youtube seo strategy

YouTube is designed to be a video search engine and not a social media site. As such, it follows different rules when it comes to optimizing content. If you want your videos to rank higher on search engines, here are 15 tips that will help you get there in no time:

#1 Choose the right keywords

This is the most important step in your video SEO strategy. You want to choose keywords that are relevant to your video, specific to that video, and long-tail (i.e., search terms with three or more words). These are also keywords that don't have too much competition because if they do, it'll be harder for your videos to rank on them because there's already a lot of content in those SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages) competing with you.

#2 Use the description box wisely

The second tip is to use the description box wisely. Take advantage of this space by including links to your other videos on YouTube and elsewhere, especially if they are relevant. It's also a good idea to include a call-to-action in your video descriptions so that viewers can find out more about you or subscribe to your channel.

Annotations are little pieces of text that appear on whatever is happening in the video at the time they're added, rather than staying constant throughout its length. They're great for adding links and context for what's being shown in the video without interrupting it with stand-alone text or images (which could be distracting).

#3 Use the matching tags

When you add a video to YouTube, the platform automatically pulls up a list of suggested keywords for you to fill out. You can also add your own tags manually. While many marketers are tempted to use broad terms like “digital marketing” or “content marketing” as their tags, this may not be the best approach. Instead, consider more specific terms like “Google Analytics dashboard report template” or “Pinterest buyer persona template.” The goal is to send people who are searching for specific topics directly from their searches into your video by using relevant and targeted tags that match what they're looking for exactly—a strategy known as keyword targeting (more details below).

#4 Make the video title more appealing

When it comes to SEO, you don’t want to make your title too long or complicated. You just need to include a few words that describe what your video is about, and that will be enough. Make sure the keywords in your YouTube channel are in line with those in your title so they can be found easily by search engines. If possible, use a catchy phrase instead of just keywords and include relevant keywords for maximum success.

#5 Create a nice custom thumbnail

The thumbnail is the first thing viewers see when they visit your video in search results, so it's important to make it count. This can mean using an image of the product you're talking about in the video, or perhaps something else that relates to the content and helps viewers understand what they'll get out of watching. If you use stock footage from Shutterstock or any other source—make sure it's relevant to your video topic! Also, keep in mind:

Make sure the image isn't too big (it will look stretched) or too small (it will look pixelated). You can do this by checking the width of your image on a desktop computer before uploading it via YouTube's advanced editor interface.
Don't use blurry images because they're distracting and make people feel unwell—not cool!
Use editing software like Photoshop if possible; this way you can practice good composition skills while making sure everything aligns properly on-screen (for example: if there are words in one corner of an image but subtitles take up most of another corner, those words might not be readable).

#6 Add subtitles and transcriptions to your content

This section is for people who can't hear audio, or who don't understand English.

If you make videos in a language other than American English, it's important to add subtitles so that others can understand what you are saying.
If your accent is thick enough that people have trouble understanding the basic idea of what you're saying, then adding subtitles will help them out immensely.
If someone is deaf and wants to watch your video, having a transcript of all the words will allow them to follow along in real-time instead of having their computer read all the words out loud (which takes time).

#7 Optimize your playlists to make it easier for people to find your content

Now, it's time to make your playlists searchable. You can do this by:

Create a playlist for each of your videos, and add a title and description for each one. A great example would be something simple like "My Favorite Videos."
Adding a thumbnail image that matches the content of the video. This isn't required, but it will help YouTube recognize your videos (and thus make them easier to find), which can mean more views.
Adding links to each playlist from both your channel homepage (click on “Playlists” in the menu) and individual video descriptions (you'll see an option at the bottom).

#8 Use annotations to create interactions with your audience

Annotations are a great way to engage with your audience and let them know about other videos, content, and products you have online.

You can place annotations on certain parts of a video that highlight something important or useful. You could also use them to ask questions or get feedback from viewers, which can help you learn what they like about your videos and what they would like to see more of in the future.

You can use annotations for links that go to another part of YouTube or external websites. If there are any helpful resources available online related to your video topic, include them here! This is also a great time for links that lead back directly into the video (for example links that allow viewers access to special features such as behind-the-scenes footage).

#9 Create teaser videos on different platforms and link them to your YouTube channel

Did you know that teaser videos can be used to promote a new channel or a new video?

Teaser videos are short clips that give a taste of what's to come. They don't have to be long; in fact, they're best when they're not too long because the purpose is to build anticipation and get people excited about what you're going to release next.

You can use teaser videos in these ways:

To promote your YouTube channel across social media platforms
To increase subscriptions to your YouTube channel

#10 Feature other channels in your videos and ask them to feature you in return.

Feature other channels in your videos and ask them to feature you in return. This is a great way to expand your reach and grow a community around your channel because YouTube's algorithm favors channels that have many collaborations with other channels.

You can also use the same strategy when you're featured by another channel, so long as they are related to your niche or industry—for example, if you're an online marketing company specializing in SEO, then a video from Moz would be valuable (and vice versa).

#11 Promote the videos via social media sites like Facebook, LinkedIn…etc.

Another great way to promote your videos is through social media. Use Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other social media sites to spread the word about your videos.

By creating an account on YouTube and posting videos there, you can create a channel that will allow you to promote your brand and business online. If someone checks out your channel regularly they may want to check out what else you have going on in terms of products or services offered by your company or organization. Social media is also a great way for people who are interested in what you have to say about certain topics such as travel tips or fashion advice etc.

#12 Use cards to promote external links and related videos while they are playing (that works best with mobile devices).

One of the most effective ways to promote your videos is using cards. Cards are a new way to promote your videos on YouTube, and they can show up while the video is playing or after it has finished. This is a great tool for promoting external links, related videos, and your website.

You can add cards by clicking on “Advanced Settings” under the video manager in your dashboard (if you're not sure what this means or where it is—don't worry! We'll walk you through it below). Once there, click on “Add card” at the top of this page and choose from any of these options:

Related Videos - Use this if you have other videos that would be helpful for people who are watching this one (and don't forget to include them when uploading!).
External Link - If there's an external site that supports what was discussed in this video (like another blog post), add them here!

#13 Create a video that is helpful, useful, resourceful, and solves problems. (No sales pitches)

You want to create content that helps your audience solve their problems. Remember: You are not selling anything here! If someone is looking for a solution to their problem, they will usually look for the best way to solve it—and if you can help them out by providing them with valuable information or resources on how to fix their issue in the quickest and most efficient way possible? They’re going to come back again and again because they know you’re giving them quality content that actually works!

Section:#14 Encourage comments on every video possible

Encouraging comments on your videos is one of the best things you can do for SEO. Google indexes comments on YouTube videos, and they help show that people are interested in what you're saying.

If someone leaves a question or comment on your video, use it as an opportunity to answer their question and further promote your channel or content. You can also use comments to respond to criticism so that viewers know that their thoughts have been heard by the creator of the video itself.

You may be wondering what other ways there are to use comments for SEO purposes? Well...you could...actually just thank them for watching! Or point out something specific about their comment that makes sense, like how it relates back to something else which might interest them too (or even help solve some problems). This way people feel appreciated as well as informed.

Section:#15 Have a clear call-to-action in your video description box and annotations.

If you want your viewers to leave a comment, subscribe, or click on any kind of link in the description box, it's important to include a clear call-to-action (CTA). A CTA is just a request for the viewer to do something in response to what they've just seen.

For example: "Comment below if you've ever had trouble getting started with SEO." Or "Subscribe now and get my latest SEO tips delivered straight to your inbox." Or "Click here for more information about how I can help you rank higher on page 1 of Google."

The CTA should be clear and concise if it’s going into the video description box. It should also be relevant to the video topic so that viewers will know why it might be useful for them.