Video Search Engine Optimization (SEO) or shortly termed as Video SEO are a set of techniques used to make your videos reach a good position on the search results page.
To do this, we use tools that, through metrics and statistics, provide us with information about the terms used by our competition and the words most searched by the user.
How does YouTube (Video search) Work?
The information in the images and videos that we upload to YouTube cannot be interpreted by the search engines.
As a result, YouTube relies on SEO to decipher the information in our content, as well as all of the data in the title, such as the tag, description, and file name, among other things.
For this reason, SEO is very important since it gives us the opportunity to grow fast, and even if we have few followers we can climb to the top positions. But how do we start to position our videos?
4 Simple Steps to Improve the Positioning of your Videos on YouTube
Here are the 4 essential steps for you to grow on YouTube!
Step # 1: Video Title
Keep in mind that one of the most important factors is the title. This allows viewers and your content to interact directly. The more precise and relevant it is to the user’s search, the higher your video will rank on YouTube.
Step # 2: Tags
These are terms or phrases that may be added to the description of your YouTube videos to help viewers and the platform understand what they’re about.
It will display earlier in search results and identify you with comparable material, allowing you to reach a wider audience with relevant videos.
The tags are not available to the general public, so you won’t see them if you search for a YouTube video.
You may have simple access to YouTube using the Tags for YouTube extension, which is accessible in search engines like Google Chrome and Firefox. We’ll go through what these tools are and how to use them later.
Step # 3: Hashtags
A hashtag is still making waves! Hashtags will be critical to position in 2021 and for many years to come. Like labels, hashtags are composed of words or phrases; however, hashtags are distinguished by the presence of a symbol (#) before each sentence.
They are quite useful since they allow you to search for videos on popular themes immediately, and they will be more successful during particular events or seasons because they function according to the trend.
Step # 4: Thumbnails
The thumbnail for your YouTube videos, in addition to the title, is an essential pillar inside each video since it may capture the viewer’s attention through its design.
Crucial Tips for Improving YouTube Video Thumbnails
We’ll leave you with a few of the most crucial tips for improving your YouTube video thumbnails.
Place Yourself in the Place of the Bystander
They have a lot of things to look at on the Internet but not enough time. So they don’t want to have to click on it or read a lot to figure out what your video is about.
Our YouTube thumbnail must be able to convey a narrative. At the very least, it should represent the first 30 seconds of the video.
Add Text to your Thumbnails
This way, you can see at a glance what the video is about. But don’t go overboard; 5 words will suffice. Also, keep in mind that the colour of your text should stand out against the background. It will be difficult to read if not.
YouTube Thumbnails Showing a Person works best
People close-ups always yield positive results. It’s been proven that having a person in the image looking directly into the eyes of the viewer, or looking at the text on the thumbnail, works even better.
Use High Definition Images
Uploading a blurry image is never a good idea. Your thumbnail should be a JPG, GIF, or PNG, according to the concept. With a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels or 1920 x 1080 pixels (ie 16: 9), and a file size of fewer than 2 megabytes.
Add your Logo to the Thumbnails of your Videos
This makes it easy for people to identify your video. Even if it’s not on YouTube.
Always work with the Same Style of Thumbnails
Allow it to be repeated throughout all of your videos so that viewers can easily recognise them. Obviously, each header must be unique, but you can unify the look by defining colours or design standards.
If you make various types of videos, defining a different style for each type of video is another excellent option: All of your videos will have a thumbnail with a black and white background, but the video clips will have green text on that background and the video lyrics will have a blue background.
So that when a viewer is browsing the channel, they are always aware of the type of content that each video contains.
Do not use Images that are not Related to the Content of the Video
Attempting to deceive the viewer will only result in negative feedback and a loss of credibility with the audience.
It’s critical that your YouTube headers look good on both large-screen and mobile devices. That the colours contrast with each other and that the text is legible when viewed on a small screen.