5 Simple Ways to Optimize YouTube Videos and Get More Views

People watch 5 billion videos on YouTube every day, and the platform has evolved to become the #2 search engine (behind Google, of course) in the world.

If you’re reading this you already know you need to be doing video marketing, and odds are you’ve already created at least some video content for your business. But how do you make sure the videos you’ve published actually get views?

The key is optimization, aka video SEO.

Optimizing YouTube videos is pretty straightforward. You just need to know some tricks. Here are 5 ways to boost views.

1. Optimize Your Video Titles

‘Extra, extra—read all about it!’ Your video title is your headline, and your headline is crucial. Sure, there are plenty of elements that draw viewers in and keep them watching—well-produced content that’s interesting, funny, enlightening, educational, or visual.

But the headline is what they’ll see first, and it needs to be optimized for search.

That means making the title compelling, using keywords, and keeping it short—60 characters or fewer is ideal.

Use emotional terms that draw in the viewer—words like “guaranteed,” “powerful,” and “truth.”

Make sure to drop at least one keyword into the title. If possible, use a keyword that closely matches what the viewer is searching for. It doesn’t need to be exact (although titles with an exact keyword match have a slight advantage over those that don’t).

Keep the title short (60 characters or fewer) to keep it from getting cut off in search results.

Spend time on your title—go through a dozen iterations if necessary. A headline analyzer tool can help you know if you’re hitting the mark.

2. Make the Most of Video Descriptions and Linking

Writing a keyword-optimized video description is an easy but all-too-often-overlooked task. An optimized description will increase the chances your video will show up in the sidebar, boosting exposure.

The official character limit for video descriptions is 1,000, but technically you can write more. And it might not be a bad idea to include a video transcript for hearing impaired viewers.

The most important part of your video description, though, is the first two or three lines. Call it the ‘above the fold’ section YouTube displays before viewers have to click “show more.”

Make the first 100 characters count by packing the first two or three sentences with the most crucial information, including your call to action and important links.

3. Get Strategic with Video Tags

Tags are another crucial but often overlooked element of video marketing. It’s easy to rush through them when you’re trying to get a video published, but tags not only inform viewers, they also help YouTube properly categorize your video by revealing information about its content.

There are different types of tags, and they can all help you rack up views.

• Specific tags: These are single keywords that describe the video. If your video is about how to bake the perfect chocolate chip cookies, your specific tags would be things like “cookies,” “chocolate,” and “baking.”
• Compound tags: These are long-tail keywords that describe the video. Things like “how to bake the perfect chocolate chip cookies” (which might also be your video title), “step-by-step guide to baking cookies,” and “perfect chocolate chip cookies.” Also include your YouTube name (e.g., “Cookie Baking Guru”)
• Generic tags: These are general words that describe the video. Things like “how-to guide,” “educational,” “informative,” and “fun.”

Don’t intentionally use irrelevant tags. First, because you want to reach your target audience, and second, because Google might penalize you for it.

4. Use Closed Captions and Subtitles

Adding closed captions and subtitles instantly opens up your video to a wider audience. Adding captions/subtitles is pretty straightforward, but you want to make sure they’re properly synced up to the narration (YouTube typically doesn’t do the best job of this).

Here’s an easy way to add captions/subtitles.

• Click your channel logo/profile pic at the top right and choose “YouTube Studio (beta).”
• Click “Videos” from the menu on the left-hand side.
• Select the video you want to add captions/subtitles to from the list.
• Click on the “Advanced” tab at the top of the screen.
• In the center of the screen you’ll see “Subtitles and CC for original video language.”
• Now you have two options:

1. Upload a professional captions file to the video if you had one made (e.g., from rev.com).
2. Download the captions file automatically created by YouTube; once you’ve downloaded the file, open it in notepad or a similar program, make sure everything is correct, and reupload the enhanced file to your video.

5. Add Your Videos to Playlists

When you add your video to a playlist your viewers are encouraged to keep watching your content when the current video ends.

Here’s how to do it:

• Click your channel logo/profile pic at the top right and choose “YouTube Studio (beta).”
• Click “Videos” from the menu on the left-hand side.
• Highlight the appropriate video and click “Add to Playlist” near the top of the screen.
• Select which playlist you want to add the video to and click “Save.”

Easy peasy!

Get Help from the Pros

No time to optimize your catalog of YouTube vids? The experts at National Positions can help. We have a proven track record of successfully boosting content searchability and views for our clients. It’s what we do.

We’re constantly researching and finding new ways to empower your campaign with the most innovative technology. Check out our new YouTube advertising eBook and give us a call today at (818) 918-5188 to step up your YouTube marketing game.