Powerful SEO For Your YouTube Channel

Published by Andrew Noll at January 28, 2016
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When YouTube started out there weren’t many people posting videos. It was easier to get viewers because there was less content. As YouTube has grown, channels have exploded in subscriber volume. Many of the main search terms have been monopolized by the channels with the highest views. SEO For Your Youtube Channel is an important
How does a new creator get noticed on YouTube? What do popular channels do to get so many views?
There are several important factors affecting higher views, including video, sound and thumbnail quality but the most important is SEO. SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization and it is the practice of making your content show up higher on search engines. Although, YouTube is mostly an established platform and there are many large channels, it is still relatively easy to get views on your videos. It all starts with positioning them so they show up as top results in searches. The more easily people find your videos, the more views you’ll get. Simple right?
TagsOne of the most important elements of SEO for your YouTube channel is tagging. On a website, you would need to use html or a WordPress plugin to create the tags. On YouTube, they have done all of the coding for you and you only need to enter it in the tag section of the video.
To get to the video editor, go to the video manager and click the edit button. If you have just uploaded a video the video editor should open automatically. Scroll down to tags (under the description) and enter the appropriate tags. You know a tag is right for your video, if you can enter it as a search on YouTube and similar videos show up to the one you are posting.


Utilize the Video DescriptionYour video description is also indexed by bots that decide your search engine rankings. Make sure to describe the content of your video, including any major points addressed in your video. Some creators also like to post a transcript of what is said in their videos for the bots to sort through. This is an effective way to cover all your bases but may not be ideal for all types of videos.
CategoryMake sure to set a category for your video. This is how YouTube indexes your video on the site and will affect where it shows up in related videos and in searches. To do this from the Video Editor, click on the Advanced Settings Tab and select a Category from the drop down.
LocationSelect a location for your video. Your videos will start out only playing in your location’s country until you garner enough views to be shared internationally.
This is one of the reasons famous youtuber PewDiePie became so successful. He has posted videos in Sweden, Italy, and then gained a following in English speaking countries. Posting in other countries and locations increases your visibility. It can be limiting when you have to scale a larger market, but it is also necessary for YouTube indexing, so make sure to include a location on your videos.
LanguageSelect a language for your YouTube videos. This may seem arbitrary, especially if the video is in English (like most of YouTube) but search engines show results logically and try to provide only relevant results to a given search. If your video does not have a specified language, it will affect its appearance on search results.


About QualityOnce you have implemented these SEO best practices, your YouTube videos will generate significantly more views. Other than SEO, make sure to focus on quality of your thumbnails and the video itself. The more time you invest into a quality video, the better people will perceive it and the more shares you will get. It is also highly advisable to create other social media channels and post or embed your videos externally. This will help increase your views as well.
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