YouTube SEO: How to Optimize Videos for YouTube Search

Today, there are more and more places that a business can post their content, including numerous social media sites like LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. One platform for posting content that can help a company gain traction is YouTube. 

But in order for posted content to have the impact that’s intended, it takes more than merely posting; it requires optimization. Optimization, or search engine optimization (SEO), refers to specific strategies that help search engines like Google — and therefore users — find your content. Here are some tips for optimizing your videos for YouTube search. 

Name with Keywords

The first thing that you should focus on when optimizing your YouTube video for search engine optimization is just your video’s title. As you go to name your upload, be sure to choose a title that is keyword-centric. 

Optimize Your Video Description

The second way to optimize your video for YouTube is to make sure that your video description is thoughtful and incorporates best practices for SEO. Some best practices for video descriptions include:

• Keep it short. You want to be descriptive, but succinct. Remember, the user came to watch the video, not read about what happens.
• Consider a transcript. If you have the time and resources, it can be useful to add a transcript of the video. This is a great option for people who want to watch without the volume or who are hearing-impaired.
• Use keywords. Just like you did in the video’s title, be sure to use keywords in the video’s description, too.

Use Tags & Categories

For most people who aren’t well-versed in digital marketing, the use of tags can be confusing. What is a tag, anyway?

A tag is just a keyword term that’s assigned to a piece of digital information; when content is tagged, it allows for the content to be found again by a search engine when a user looks for that term. For example, if you tag your video with “wedding cake,” then if a user searches that term, the search engine can find your video. 

Using tags is a great way to make sure that a search engine knows what it’s looking for and can find your content. In addition to tags, don’t forget to categorize your video. The option to categorize is under ‘advanced settings.’ 

Consider Subtitles and Closed Captions

Subtitles and closed captions serve a variety of purposes, including making your videos more informative to an audience and, in some cases, more accessible, too. One way that subtitles and closed captions can help with your SEO efforts, though, is by highlighting important keywords. That being said, adding subtitles and closed captions can be a big process that might be too time-intensive or expensive.

Call NUVEW for Help

To learn more about the best practices for social media marketing and YouTube optimization, call NUVEW today. Our digital marketing professionals are happy to provide you with the guidance you need.