Depending on what you are looking for, YouTube can act as a useful video library. Watching someone do something (like fixing a car or pulling off a complicated workout) makes more sense for some people rather than reading about it. With this in mind, if you present yourself as a reliable source of information, it can generate a significant amount of traffic to your YouTube channel. For some business owners, those same views can convert into paying leads. It is not enough, however, to just upload videos. Uploading videos on YouTube is easy. Standing out, that’s going to take more work. Luckily, with some knowledge of how YouTube SEO operates you can climb your way up to the top much like you can on Google.

The YouTube Ranking Algorithm Cannot Decipher Your Video

YouTube search engine bots are similar to Google crawl bots in that the code of a page determines how your video ranks. If you’re familiar with how SEO for your website works, you know that robots can’t understand images. You have to include some context to the image within the alt-tags or the file name. Videos on YouTube are very much the same. You can have a five-minute video explaining what a burpee is, but if the word “burpee” isn’t anywhere in the video title, description, tag, or filename, then you’re putting yourself at a disadvantage.

Treat each video you upload like you would a page on your website: research the keywords that relate to what you want to focus on, find out how people search for those keywords, and make your page as detailed as possible. For example, if you work in auto repair and aim to show viewers how to fix something, it would be better to title the video “How to replace coolant in your 2008 Nissan Altima” rather than “Replace coolant in car.”

Sharing is Caring

You uploaded your video. It has the best title, description, and tags this side of the internet. Now what? Well, you’re probably not the only one putting effort into your video pages. YouTube SEO is notably different in that you are not competing with local businesses as you would through standard SEO. With YouTube, you face global competition. Using the auto repair example again, Heinrich in Vienna is a hobbyist video maker and happens to know a lot about engines. He may even know more than you do! How can you compete?

The answer, simply put, is sharing your videos. Share your videos with friends and family, ask them to show the video to others who may need it. Link your video on your website, your Facebook account, your LinkedIn, and wherever else may be an appropriate channel. Take care not to come off as if you are posting links solely for the sake of spamming. When internet users feel like content is stuffed down their throat, they tend to react negatively.

Don’t Underestimate Video Quality

Most people have a smartphone, and most of those smartphones can upload to YouTube right after recording a video. Anyone can hold a camera in one hand while muttering about how a poor quality tire can be a detriment to their Ford Focus. Some awareness of video quality standards can help you stand out, but does that mean you need an entire production team? That can be fun, but it’s not necessary.

Making sure your voice comes through clearly in the video, having a steady camera, and making video edits so that the video isn’t too long can go a long way. Take some time to think about why someone is watching your content and structure your video around the need. Do you need a minute long intro explaining your background as a mechanic?

High-quality content tends to attract higher user engagement, more comments, more video sharing, and more views. These actions make your video appear as a more credible source of information to YouTube, thus increasing your ranking in search results. It is important to note that we’re not just talking about search results on YouTube; Google also has videos at the top of their results list if the search query is relevant!

The odds may feel stacked against you when you start working on your YouTube videos, but once the ball gets rolling, it rolls fast. A digital marketing strategy usually consists of more than one marketing channel. At Market My Market we can help you build an SEO strategy for YouTube, Google, and other directories that may be relevant to your business. Our team is built of highly qualified individuals that know what it takes to give you SEO success. Contact us today at (800) 954-9441 for a free quote!