YouTube Optimization: 3 Ways to Optimize Your Videos

YouTube Optimization: 3 Ways to Optimize Your Videos

Whether it’s your first video or your 400th, it’s just as important to optimize your videos as it is to optimize your website.

Keyword Research

Before you even create your video, start with keyword research. It may give you some inspiration into what direction you want to go with your subject matter. Try using Google AdWords Keyword Planner; it’s free, afterall!

Start with a broad search and then sharpen your keywords up slowly. Be sure to look for terms with low competition and high search volume.

seo keyword search

YouTube Suggest

Now that you have the right keywords in mind, it’s time to get a better idea of how to phrase your subject matter.

Similar to Google Suggest, YouTube’s search suggest will recommend search options when you start typing in a query to YouTube.com. The search suggest will help you hone in on how to phrase or title your post.

For example, we chose “how to.”

how to youtube search

(Now, it’s time to create your video!)

Optimize in the right places

Once you’ve created your video, it’s time to optimize. Last, but certainly not least, we want to put keywords in the right places.

youtube seo

  • Video file name: Make sure you incorporate your keywords into the movie file name. (e.g. instead of “1093.mov”, use “search-engine-optimization-tips.mov”)
  • Title: Use your keywords in the title and be sure to use them in an interesting way. Instead of “Search Engine Optimization Tips,” how about “How to Use Search Engine Optimization On YouTube Videos.”
  • Description: Describe your video, but don’t forget to incorporate the keywords you discovered. Also, try adding a written transcript to your description. This will help YouTube (and the search engines) understand what your video is about.
  • Category: Assign a category that makes sense to your video.
  • Tags: Tags on YouTube, unlike on a blog, are still used in helping YouTube understand your videos. Be specific and use your keywords, but don’t overdo your tags.

Optimizing your videos can be the key to your YouTube success. What are your keys for success on YouTube?

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