What is YouTube SEO? How to SEO YouTube Videos?

If you’re not familiar with YouTube SEO, think of it as the secret ingredient that can make your YouTube videos and channel more popular. It’s like adding salt to curry – it makes all the difference!

YouTube SEO is a fascinating topic that can help you get more views and subscribers for your YouTube channel or videos. When your videos get lots of views and your channel gains many subscribers, you’re on the path to YouTube success.

If you dream of becoming a successful YouTuber and want to thrive in the YouTube world, understanding YouTube SEO is a must.

In this article, I’ll break down YouTube SEO in simple terms, so that by the end of it, you can proudly call yourself a YouTube SEO Expert. Let’s get started!

What is SEO?

Before diving into YouTube SEO, let’s break down the basics of SEO. It’s essential to understand what SEO means.

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. Right now, there are several search engines like Google, Yahoo, Bing, and Duckduckgo. But the one that most people use is Google. SEO is the process of making your content better for these search engines. This process is called SEO for short.

What is YouTube SEO?

YouTube, even though it’s part of Google, has its own search engine. It’s pretty amazing that YouTube comes right after Google when it comes to the number of searches made online.

When you take steps to make your videos better for YouTube’s search engine, that’s called YouTube SEO. In other words, it’s like giving your videos a boost to help more people find and watch them.

Why do YouTube SEO?

In easy terms, you do YouTube SEO to make sure people watch and subscribe to your videos on YouTube. Think about it: you’ve put a lot of effort into making your video and uploaded it to your YouTube channel.

But if no one watches it, all that hard work goes to waste.

But when you do SEO right, your videos get lots of views. That means you can build a big community on YouTube. And you can only do that when you know all about YouTube SEO. So, let’s dive into it!

How to do YouTube SEO?

Let’s get to the main topic now. But before we dive into YouTube SEO, there are two things you need to understand:

1. What is YouTube’s Search Engine?
2. How Does YouTube’s Search Work?

When you open YouTube, you’ll see a search box at the top. That’s YouTube’s search engine. Even though it may seem like a regular search box, the real SEO magic happens right here. Think about it – when you type something in that box, why do certain videos show up? For example, if you search for “New Song,” you’ll see newly uploaded songs. But if you search for “Bangla Natok,” you’ll only see a list of dramas. Why is that? Why don’t you see movies or songs when you search for dramas?

There are reasons for this, and it has to do with something called YouTube Crawler & Indexer. Explaining Google Bot or Crawl Index in great detail would make this article too long. So, I’ll break it down in simple terms.

What are YouTube Crawlers and Indexers?

Ever wonder why some videos pop up when you search on YouTube? Well, it’s not magic; it’s the work of YouTube’s robots called crawlers and indexers. These smart bots pay attention to what’s in your video title, description, and the tags you use.

They gather all this info and store it in their big data center, which they call an ‘INDEX.’ Later, when someone looks for something related to your video, YouTube can show your video to them.

But to make sure these YouTube robots understand your video well, you need something called YouTube SEO.

I’ve split YouTube video SEO into two easy steps:

• YT SEO Online
• YT SEO Offline

Let’s start our journey into YouTube SEO!

What is Offline YouTube SEO?

Offline YouTube SEO is all the stuff you need to do before you even upload your video. These steps make your video look better and more appealing to viewers.

Here’s what you need to do:

• Make Eye-Catching Thumbnails
• Plan How Your Video Starts
• Ensure Clear and Crisp Audio
• Create Informative Content
• Edit Your Video
• Use Intros and Outros
• Make Your Video a Bit Longer
• Give Your Video a Good Name
• Stick to a Schedule
• Be Engaging in Comments
• Ask Viewers to Subscribe and Like (You can request this in your video)

Each of these points is super important, so don’t skip any of them. Let’s dive into each one!

Create Attractive Thumbnails

Let’s start by thinking about what you do when you open up YouTube. Usually, you scroll through all the videos on your feed, right? And when one video thumbnail stands out, you stop and take a closer look.

When a thumbnail grabs your attention, you’re more likely to click on that video. Did you know that a good thumbnail is like a superpower for YouTube SEO? It’s responsible for about half of the magic!

How to create attractive thumbnails? 

If you want to create thumbnails that catch people’s attention, here’s what you need to do. Start by picking the right background color. Remember, it’s best to choose from two colors:

• Dark Color
• Light Color

Once you’ve got your background color sorted, it’s time to add TEXT to your thumbnail. But here’s the trick: make sure the text color is the opposite of your thumbnail’s background color.

For instance, if your background is dark, go for a light text color. And if your background is light, choose a dark text color. This simple contrast can make your thumbnails pop!

Clickbait Thumbnail Ideas

Before we dive in, let’s get one thing straight: when I talk about ‘clickbait’ thumbnails, I’m not talking about using any 18+ images or text. I’m here to show you how to create thumbnails that genuinely spark curiosity.

Point 1: A common mistake is trying to cram the entire video’s content into the thumbnail. That’s not a good idea. When you add text to your thumbnails, make it intriguing. Make the audience wonder and ask questions about your video. If you can do that, your YouTube video will get more clicks and views.

If you’re creating thumbnails on a mobile device, you can use apps like Pixlab or PicsArt. And if you’re working on a computer, you can use powerful software like Photoshop or Illustrator.

Alternatively, there are plenty of online tools, like Canva, that make it easy to create high-quality thumbnails.

Video Stating Points

Here’s a surprising fact: the first 15 seconds of your video are super important. If viewers quickly skip through those initial 15 seconds, YouTube might assume your video isn’t very interesting. So, it’s crucial to make those first 15 seconds count.

One effective strategy is to share something valuable right at the start of your video. Think about the most exciting parts of your entire video. Trim them and speed them up, then place them right at the beginning. This way, even if viewers try to skip ahead, they won’t miss those crucial first 15 seconds.

Providing Crystal Clear Voice

Here’s a well-known part of YouTube SEO: having a clear voice in your videos is crucial. It’s something we all understand. To capture your viewers’ attention on YouTube, you can’t compromise on clear audio.

If your visitors can’t hear what you’re saying clearly, they might quickly move on to other videos. So, it’s essential to make sure your video’s audio is crystal clear.

The good news is, that there are many software and apps available online that can help you edit your voice. For computer users, programs like Audacity or Camtasia are great options. If you’re using a mobile device, you can try Lexis Audio Editor or AudioLab Editor for voice editing.

[Pro Tips: If it fits your video, consider adding background music. YouTube’s audio library and NCS have plenty of copyright-free background music options you can use.]

Creating Informative Content

Here’s the deal: none of your YouTube SEO efforts will pay off if your video isn’t informative. You can have amazing thumbnails and crystal-clear audio, but if your video doesn’t provide value to your viewers, it’s all in vain.

Imagine this: you’ve optimized your video with SEO, and people start clicking on it. But once they start watching, they realize there’s nothing much to learn or enjoy. In that case, they’ll quickly move on to something else, and your SEO efforts won’t matter.

Let’s say you’ve made a 5-minute video, but viewers leave after just 30 seconds. YouTube will think your video lacks valuable information. If this keeps happening, your video’s ranking in the YouTube system will drop.

Eventually, your video might stop showing up in your viewers’ feeds. So, in addition to video SEO, always aim to create content that’s truly informative and engaging.

Video Editing

While making videos, sometimes we end up with words or moments we don’t want to keep. That’s where video editing comes in. It’s like giving your video a makeover before you share it with the world.

Have you ever watched a video where the sound quality drops or the picture gets blurry? It can be a big turn-off. That’s why it’s essential to edit your video before uploading it to YouTube.

When you edit your video, it becomes more interesting to watch. Plus, it keeps your subscribers happy. People love fresh and engaging content, and good editing can make your videos just that.

If you use a mobile device, check out an app called Kinemaster from the app store. It’s a great tool for editing videos, and you can even find free tutorials on YouTube to help you get started.

And if you’re using a laptop or PC, you can edit your videos with professional quality using a program like Camtasia.

Extend Video

Here’s a surprising fact: on YouTube, longer videos tend to do better in the algorithm. A 3-minute video can make a good impact on YouTube SEO, but a 10-minute video can do even better.

But hold on, this doesn’t mean you should just add extra stuff to make your video longer. That would actually hurt your video.

Instead, if you can, try to make your video longer with valuable information. If that’s not possible, it’s okay to stick to a shorter format. Quality always matters more than quantity.

Rename the File Name

When you make a video or a thumbnail, the files are often saved with names like (video_265514.mp4) or (img_6268.jpg). But these names don’t really tell anyone what’s inside.

Imagine if the YouTube robot looked at your video’s file name and couldn’t figure out what it meant. That wouldn’t be good at all.

So, it’s a good idea to give your files a name that makes sense. Rename them using keywords related to your content. For instance, you could name your video file as ‘Youtube-seo-bangla-tutorial.mp4’.

Maintaining the Schedule

Even though it doesn’t impact YouTube SEO much, it’s a good idea to stick to a schedule.

For instance, if you upload videos regularly, viewers should know when to expect them. If you make videos about YouTube updates, viewers can anticipate when you’ll have new info on your channel.

Consider creating a monthly or weekly schedule, and make a list of the days you’ll upload videos. It helps keep things organized and predictable for your audience.

Comment Charisma

This might sound a little strange, but it’s quite crucial. When viewers leave comments on your video, it sends a good signal to the YouTube algorithm.

So, you should try to encourage viewers to comment on your videos. But how do you do that?

There are some tricks to get more comments on YouTube videos. For instance, you can ask viewers what they’d like to see in future videos. You can also ask about their interests and what they want to learn more about. Encourage them to share their thoughts in the comments.

Begging to Subscribe and Like

You might find this funny, but it’s something every YouTuber does, and you should too, with your own unique twist because you’re a YouTuber, right?

So, bring out your creativity and find a special way to ask viewers to subscribe, like, and share your videos. You’ll be surprised that when 100 people watch your video, at least 10 of them, after hearing your request, will hit the ‘like’ button.

Now that you’ve got the basics down, let’s dive into the world of online YouTube SEO. You probably know a bit already, but I’ll show you some cool tricks to boost your video’s performance.

How to Do YouTube SEO Online

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of YouTube video SEO, let’s talk about Online SEO, which is a key part of the process.

One of the most critical aspects of Online SEO is something called ‘Keyword Research.’ Keyword research is like the secret sauce that helps your YouTube video climb the ranks.

So, if you’re wondering what topic or subject to choose for your video, keyword research is your best friend. It’ll guide you in the right direction.

How to Do Keyword Research?

Keyword research can be done in two ways: using YouTube/Google or using specialized tools.

Let’s say you make videos about ‘online income.’ Your goal is to find related keywords that people are searching for.

Here’s how you can do it on YouTube: Start by searching ‘Online Income’ on YouTube. Look at what people are typing and searching for. You might find things like ‘Free money income,’ ‘Online Income Development Payments,’ and ‘Online Income for Students.’ These are all related keywords.

You can also do this on Google. Just search ‘Online Income’ and see what comes up.

Remember, you need to pick a focus keyword, like ‘online income,’ and supporting keywords, like ‘Payment by BKash,’ ‘by mobile,’ ‘for students,’ etc.

If you want to take your keyword research to the next level, you can use different tools. There are plenty available, both free and paid, such as Google Keyword Planner (Free), Ahrefs (Paid), and SEMrush (Paid). These tools can tell you how often people search for a keyword, which can help you pick the best ones.

[Pro Tip: Choose keywords with a high search volume for your videos.]

Optimize Video Title and Description

Video titles are like the VIPs of YouTube video SEO. When your video appears in someone’s YouTube feed, here’s what happens: first, they notice your thumbnail. Then, they check out your video title. If the title is interesting, they’ll click to watch your video.

But if your video title isn’t well-optimized, even if it pops up in people’s feeds, they might just skip right past it.

How to Optimize the video title?

When it comes to your video title, aim for a sweet spot of around 45-50 words. Some folks write really long titles, but if you stuff them with unnecessary words, your video’s Click-Through Rate (CTR) can drop over time.

Use of Keywords in titles

Your video title should include the main keyword you’re focusing on. For instance, if you’re making videos about ‘online income,’ your title should start with that main keyword, and then you can add supporting keywords.

For example, you can use a title like ‘Earn Online Easily with Payment by BKash,’ where ‘online income’ is the main keyword, and ‘Payment by BKash’ is a supporting keyword.

Video Description Optimization

The video description is a small but important part of YouTube video SEO, contributing about 1%-5%. To optimize it, make sure to include your main or focus keyword in the first 25 words of the video description.

Additionally, you can also add links to your previous videos in the description. This can encourage viewers to watch more of your content after they finish one of your videos.

Use of Proper Tags in the Video

Many people believe that tags play a huge role in YouTube SEO, accounting for about 50%. Because of this, some YouTubers try to copy tags from viral or highly-ranked videos, hoping to get more views for their own videos. But let’s be clear: this strategy usually doesn’t work.

If you copy tags from a viral video and use them on your own, it won’t magically boost your video’s ranking. If it were that easy, everyone would be YouTube stars.

The real purpose of using tags is to help the YouTube robot understand what your video is about. Tags should accurately represent the topic of your video.

However, if you do manage to use tags effectively, your video might start appearing in the ‘Suggested Videos’ section at some point.

[Important Note: Never copy someone else’s tags for your own video. It can lead to issues with misleading metadata, and that’s not good for your channel.]

How to Optimize Video Tags?

Just like finding the perfect YouTube tag, knowing how to use tags correctly is important. When it comes to tags, less is often more.

Try to keep your YouTube tags short, preferably between 2-4 words each. For example, if your video is about ‘Online Income,’ your tags could include:

#Online Income #online income bd #online income site #online income Bikash payment

[Pro Tip: Some people put the entire video title as a tag, but that can actually hurt your YouTube SEO, so avoid doing that.]

Share YouTube Videos on Social Media

Sharing your video on social media can have a big positive impact on YouTube SEO. When your video gets shared across different social platforms, it tells YouTube’s Bot/Crawler that your video must be something special since it’s getting so much social attention.

Here’s what you should do: After you upload your video, copy the video link and share it on various social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Quora, Linkedin, Tumblr, and more.

But here’s a word of caution: Some folks use this social media sharing strategy incorrectly. If you don’t use these tips properly, it could actually harm your YouTube SEO.

For instance, there are people who share their video links in unrelated groups or on random Facebook pages, hoping to get more views. This kind of activity is considered spamming, not social sharing. If you engage in such spammy behavior, it will hurt your YouTube SEO rather than help it.

Lazy Tuber and YouTube SEO

If you’re a bit lazy like me but still want to succeed on YouTube, I’ve got some handy shortcuts for YouTube SEO that can help you become an SEO expert with minimal effort. Let’s dive into these quick and easy tips.

YouTube Shortcut SEO Techniques

If you’re a bit lazy but still want to succeed on YouTube, I’ve got some shortcuts for you. These tips will help you become an SEO expert without the hassle of extensive keyword research.

First, find popular YouTube channels in your niche. Go to their ‘Videos’ section and select ‘Most Viewed.’ Watch those videos with the highest views.

Voila! You’ve discovered high-ranking keywords without breaking a sweat.

Now, let’s tackle tags. Copy the link of a popular video in your niche and head to Google. Search for ‘YouTube video link to find tags,’ and you’ll find several websites. Pick one and paste the video link there. It will generate a list of tags used in that video. Copy these tags and paste them into a Notepad. But don’t use them directly in your video; that could backfire. Instead, edit them slightly before adding them to your video.

For hassle-free thumbnail creation, visit canva.com in your browser. Choose a template, create attractive thumbnails, and you’re good to go.

Now, sit back and watch your video’s views grow. You’ve got all the answers to your YouTube questions, from YouTube video SEO to earning rules, channel settings, and more.

Frequently Asked Questions on YouTube SEO

Our last words

It’s important to understand that SEO doesn’t bring instant results. When you work in the SEO field, you’ll realize how much patience it requires.

And when it comes to YouTube SEO, you’ll need even more patience. You might spend late nights creating a video and meticulously following all the YouTube SEO rules, hoping for a big breakthrough.

But the reality is, as I mentioned earlier, YouTube is run by algorithms, not magic. It may take some time for the algorithms to notice and reward your efforts.

So, don’t get discouraged. Stay patient and persistent. Success will come your way eventually. Remember, the darkest hour is just before dawn.