All About YouTube SEO Strategy

Spin Creative • December 8, 2022

Most brands don’t realize YouTube is more than just a video streaming platform—it’s actually a powerful search engine that relies on a complex algorithm to show viewers content that matches their interests. 

Close up hand holding phone with youtube logo on it

That means if you want your brand to rank higher on YouTube, you need to follow the latest SEO best practices.


How can you boost your SEO ranking on YouTube? Here are the key components of a complete YouTube SEO strategy, so you can get eyes on your content and push your brand further.


Focus on keywords


Many digital marketers are familiar with SEO practices on search engines like Google and other platforms. Luckily, SEO on YouTube works much the same way. By understanding which keywords rank best for your brand, you can improve your SEO efforts and better connect with your target audience. Use trusted keyword planning resources like AHREFS or SEMrush to determine which target keywords work best with your audience. Once you’ve discovered your relevant keywords, you can move on to the next step.


Optimize video titles


After determining the keywords that work best for your content, you can start optimizing your videos to help them rank higher. There’s tons of content on YouTube, with more added by the minute, so you have to entice your audience to watch your video. Let them know what your video is all about by optimizing your video titles. For example, use the title to explain what your audience will learn if you’re posting a how-to video. If you’re making a travel video, detail where it takes place in the title. Be creative—and have fun—to sell your video to your audience and drive your message home.


Optimize video descriptions


You can also use your target keywords to optimize video descriptions. Right now, YouTube displays the first 125 characters of every video description. By placing your target keywords near the beginning of your description, you’ll improve your video’s SEO and further entice viewers to take a closer look.


Use tags


When it comes to YouTube SEO, every effort you make can improve the algorithm’s perception of your content. Even though no one sees these tags, they’re still important. Use tags that align with the description of your video. Need help finding the best tags for your content? Consider relying on easy-to-use apps and extensions like VidIQ and Tube Buddy for expert insight.


Engage with your audience


YouTube pays attention to how much you engage with your audience. Ask questions in your videos that can start discussions among your viewers, and you should be sure to check the comments and respond as much as possible. 


Add captions


Captions not only make your videos more accessible, they’re also great for SEO. Captions are like a written script, telling YouTube’s algorithm—word-for-word—what your video’s all about. You can rely on AI services to generate time-coded captions for your videos, but it’s often better to do it manually to avoid simple spelling and grammar errors.


Boost your YouTube presence with SEO


SEO is important across all online platforms, especially YouTube. If you want more eyes on your content, a little extra SEO effort goes a long way. Need help making sense of YouTube’s SEO algorithm? Say hello to Spin Creative and start making video content that gets your brand noticed—on YouTube and beyond!



About Us

Spin Creative is a video production company and creative agency helping marketers create winning video and creative strategies that engage, inspire and activate targeted audiences. Spin is headquartered in Seattle with offices in San Francisco and London, serving brands around the globe.


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