Did you know that you can improve your YouTube video SEO for even more views? Here is how to make your video descriptions pop.
Did you know that YouTube has over 500 hours of content uploaded every minute? It’s no wonder that influencers and online creators flock to YouTube hoping to grow their audience. If you’re looking to stand out amongst the other creators, you’ll need to learn video SEO.
You likely already know the importance of video editing but having a great description can make a huge difference in your channel’s popularity. This guide will help you understand the power of a good description and how you can take your content to the next level.
Ready to learn more? Let’s get started.
Why Is a Good Description Necessary?
There is a lot involved in creating video content, from the initial idea to the finishing touches. It’s easy to forget the importance of knowing how to optimize your channel to appear at the top of a YouTube search. Once you understand the power of utilizing YouTube metadata, you’re sure to see an increase in views and subscribers.
Part of making a great YouTube video is having a good description. Along with the title of your video and tags, YouTube uses your description to understand the content and context of your content. This leads to a spike in your audience’s interest as well as longer watch times, new subscribers, and better view counts.
Properly utilizing YouTube SEO allows the algorithm to analyze your content and suggest it to new users which helps boost your stats.
Planning and Writing Consistent Meta Descriptions
Now that you know the power of YouTube SEO, it’s time to start planning. You’ll need to know how to break down a YouTube description so it not only gives your audience a clear idea of what the content is about but it’ll help with the algorithm. Luckily, it’s quite simple to get started.
Introduction
The most important part of the YouTube description is the introduction. These first few lines are the first thing to appear in the search results and it’s what gives people an idea of what your video is about. If it’s captivating and relevant, it will get viewed.
Good introductions describe what’s in the video, why people should watch it and it includes your keyword. It should be straightforward, nothing secretive or convoluted.
You might be wondering what your keyword is, these are words in your description that help YouTube’s algorithm understand, categorize, and promote your content. The more specific the keywords, the better.
Keywords should correspond with whatever describes your video accurately and the words that users enter in the YouTube search bar to find content like yours.
Body
After your introduction, you’ll want to keep your audience engaged with the body of your description. This is where you go into detail about the content of your video. You can also include your mission statement or anything to give insight into who you are and what your brand is all about.
Keep things light and conversational, it can scare people away if your content is hard to read. Small paragraphs and bullet points will get your points across and keep viewers engaged.
Call To Action
You started with a bang and now you’ll want to end with a bang as well. The call to action is an opportunity to direct people to download an app, visit your website, or take some other type of relevant action. You can inform people about what your YouTube channel is all about and get them excited about future content.
For an increase in click-through rates, be sure to include a call to action that references the subject of the video. The goal is to create a captivating video that leaves users wanting more and they can find that in your call to action.
The Golden Rules of Video Descriptions
Knowing the layout of a solid YouTube video description is one thing but it’s the golden rules that are the most helpful in increasing your YouTube rankings. These are the tips that will help pull your channel out of obscurity and into the limelight. Remember that this is only the tip of the iceberg, there is a lot to learn about how to use SEO properly.
Use Relevant Text
As mentioned earlier, any word or keyword you include in your description helps boost your video ranking in the suggested videos and search. As one of the largest search engines in the world, keywords can help viewers find relevant videos more easily. You’ll need a so-called focus keyword which is the main phrase you want to rank for.
Before you even begin to shoot your video, you’ll want to have this focus keyword in mind. This way, you’ll be able to mention the keyword in your video’s spoken text as well. Try to repeat this text at least 2-3 times in the description so there’s a clear signal of what your video is all about.
Include Hashtags
Although this may seem obvious, a lot of people make the mistake of not including hashtags in their videos. YouTube hashtags make it easier for viewers to seek related videos. You’re allowed to include up to 15 hashtags in the description but the first three you enter will be displayed above the video’s title.
Timestamps
If you plan on making longer videos, it’s handy to link to specific points in the video. You enter timestamps in the format hour:minute: seconds. When this link is clicked and the video is opened, it will start at that specific time.
Timestamps help your audience find important segments of your content which is convenient, it establishes a sense of consideration that is sure to keep viewers coming back for more.
Making YouTube videos may feel intimidating but anyone with ambition is capable of creating a successful channel. You don’t need any money to start but you’ll be able to make some money if you play your cards right. Use a free video editor to get creative and then finish off strong with the right video SEO.
Video SEO Tips for Online Creators
From clear video captions to solid video editing, the top influencers know what it takes to create a successful online presence. Understanding the importance of video SEO is sure to give you a huge boost in views and subscribers.
Although it may seem like a significant amount of information, it’s easy to grasp once you got the basics. Get ready to make it to the top of the YouTube rankings!