Video SEO: The Definitive Guide

This works just like Google Suggest.

Type a keyword into the search field. Get a list of suggestions:

Don’t underestimate the power of this technique. YouTube is literally telling you the exact keywords people search for. HUGE.

VidIQ is a powerful freemium tool that with a focus on YouTube keyword research. And it’s one of my favorite ways to uncover amazing keyword and topic ideas for my videos.

Here’s how to use it:

I saved the best for last.

If your channel has at least some traction, YouTube Studio will be your BEST source of awesome keywords.

Why? Because YouTube Studio shows you keywords that you already rank for.

Let me show you how it’s done:

Thing #1: Optimize an Existing Video Around That Keyword

If you have a video that ranks for a keyword — but it’s not well optimized for that specific keyword — optimize your video for that term.

With some video on-page SEO, you can usually blast your way to the top of the search results.

For example, this video of mine ranks #7 for “Google SEO”

But this video isn’t well optimized around that keyword.

Thing #2: Create a New Video For That Keyword

This is pretty straightforward:

Instead of optimizing an old video around a keyword, create a whole new video.

This way, your video is laser-targeted for that keyword. Which means it’s likely to rank better than a video that’s only partially optimized around that term

OK, so you have a list of keywords in-hand. Nice work.

What’s next?

It’s time to create an awesome video. And that’s exactly what I’ll show you how to do in Chapter 2.

The first 15 seconds of your video is HUGE.

In fact, YouTube recommends focusing on this critical part of your video.

Why?

Because their data has found that if you hook someone in the first 15 seconds, you’ve hooked them for good.

(The opposite is also true. If you lose someone in the first 15 seconds, they’re not going to stick around).

Pattern interrupts are moments in your video where you change things up.

And sprinkling in one or two Pattern Interrupts per video can make a BIG difference in your audience retention.

I always add 1-2 pattern interrupts per video (usually me doing something silly):

These brief funny moments reset people’s attention. And instead of clicking away, they keep watching.

Now it’s time for another key video ranking signal: User Engagement.

YouTube doesn’t want their users to passively sit back and watch your video.

Instead, they want to see that people actively engage with your video.

Specifically they measure how many people:

• Like
• Comment
• Subscribe
• Share
• Add your video to a playlist

The more of these signals YouTube sees, the more they know that your video is keeping their users engaged on the platform.

Here are 3 tips to maximize user engagement signals:

#1: Ask People to Comment on Your Videos

People LOVE giving their opinions.

But people HATE thinking.

So to increase the odds that people comment on your video, give your viewers something specific to comment on.

#2: Add a Clear “Subscribe” CTA To Your Script

Don’t be afraid to ask people to subscribe to your channel.

In fact, I recommend adding a clear call-to-action at the end of every video, like this:

(Yes, I realize that I look crazy in that shot 🙂 )

#3: Reply to Comments

Now that you have an awesome video, it’s time to keyword-optimize it.

That’s what Chapter 3 will show you how to do.

You have two goals with your video title:

Goal #1: Include your target keyword.

Goal #2: Maximize click-through-rate (CTR).

I’ll show you everything you need to know about CTR later in this chapter.

But for now, let’s focus on keyword-optimizing your title.

All you need to do here is include your target keyword ONCE in your title.

A transcript helps YouTube fully understand your video’s topic.

In my experience, this helps your video show up in more suggested videos.

Make sure to include your channel’s slogan here.

Here’s an example from my channel:

Don’t forget to include your slogan early in your channel’s about page:

Do channels with more subscribers get a built-in rankings boost?

It’s hard to say.

After all, popular channels get more views every time they publish a new video.

So it’s impossible to know whether your subscriber count is a direct — or indirect — ranking factor.

Either way, the more subscribers you have, the better your videos will perform in YouTube.

Here’s how to get more subscribers:

#1: Channel Trailer

Your trailer is your channel’s pitch.

Besides your header, it’s the first thing someone sees when they visit your channel:

You have about a minute to answer these questions from potential subscribers:

• Who are you?
• Why should I care?
• What makes your channel unique?
• Why should I subscribe?

But if you can answer these questions, you can turn your viewers into loyal subs.

#2: Ask People To Subscribe At The End of Every Video

I mentioned this in chapter 2, but it bears repeating here.

Ask viewers to subscribe to your channel…at the end of every video.

If someone made it all the way to the end of your video, they’re primed to subscribe. And sometimes all they need is a little nudge.

Your “subscribe to my channel” CTA is that nudge.

I mean, even the Star Wars YouTube channel does it.

(Consider your subscription CTA a Jedi Mind Trick. At least that’s what I do ;-D )

#3: Link to Your Channel From Your Site

Make sure to add a YouTube link to your list of social media profiles.

Here’s the deal:

Google earmarks certain keywords for video results.

I call these “Video Keywords”.

And the secret to ranking your videos in Google is to target Video Keywords.

In my experience, if you optimize your video around a keyword that doesn’t already have a video in Google, it’s going to be VERY hard for it to rank.

For example, “how to clean an iphone” is a video keyword:

Now that you’ve created a YouTube video around a Video Keyword, how do you get it to show up in Google?

The “secret” is to create an awesome video (which covered Chapter 2) and then optimize that video (which is what Chapter 3 is all about).

Other than that, it’s all about getting backlinks to your video. Like any page on the internet, the more high-quality backlinks you build, the higher you’ll rank.

I show you how to promote your videos in the next chapter.

This is simple…but darn effective.

Whenever you publish a new video, let your email subscribers know about it:

This is a win-win.

Your subscribers get access to premium video content. And your video generates lots of high-quality views.

This view spike can push your video to people’s YouTube homepages…

…which leads to more views.

You can easily see if your video shows up on people’s homepages. Go to your YouTube Studio Analytics. Click on “Reach Viewers”—>”Traffic Source Types”—>“Browse Features”:

If your video is high-quality and well optimized, it should pop up in the homepage after a few days of promo.

And if your video is up to snuff, it’ll rank in YouTube’s search results in no time.

Embeds help your videos rank for two reasons:

1. Embeds are a YouTube ranking signal
2. Embeds create a backlink to your video

So don’t be afraid to embed your best videos in your blog content.

These embeds can make a HUGE dent in your video views (especially if you don’t have a lot of subscribers yet).

And it’s a subtle way of letting your readers know that you have an awesome YouTube channel.

First, keep an eye out for a question that your video could help answer.

Then, provide a full answer in text form.

Finally, link to your video as a way for people to find more info on that topic.