How to Optimize Your YouTube Channel for Search

Have you heard about YouTube’s latest feature called Search Insights?

It’s a feature that allows content creators to see what their target audience and channel viewers have been searching for on YouTube for the last 28 days.  

You can use it to discover what topics your audience is interested in and if there are any “content gaps” for a particular search term. This way, you can create more relevant videos that your ideal viewers want or are looking for but can’t find any results.  

If you’re in the process of content planning and are wondering what types of videos your viewers want from you, this new feature is definitely the solution.

Knowing which topics to focus on provides you the opportunity to produce more content that’s tailored to your audience’s interests, and, in the process, optimize your YouTube channel for search.  

In this article, we are going to give you some tips on how you can use Search Insights to boost your SEO in Fort Lauderdale and increase your visibility for search!  

Without any more delays, let’s get started.  

YouTube SEO Tips to Boost Your Ranking

1. Do Your Research‍

Many businesses are fighting for the top positions on the search engine results pages, which means you’re going to have to get creative to remain competitive.  

You want to diversify your approach by using long-tail keywords instead of the usual phrases most people use when looking stuff up online.  

Although long-tail keywords tend to generate lesser search volume compared to generic ones, they have less competition. In other words, you have better chances of ranking on top.  

Additionally, people who are closer to a point of purchase also use more specific key terms.  

The point is, using the right long-tail keywords boosts your ranking for search and attracts high-quality leads to your YouTube channel.  

How exactly can you do that?

• Search Insights provide you with data about what your target audience and channel viewers are searching for on the platform. You’ll get an idea of what keywords you should use to boost the visibility of your videos and attract the right people to your channel.  
• Since this feature allows you to gather information on what the general YouTube audience is looking for on the platform, you can use it to generate ideas on what other topics you should cover on your channel to extend your reach and appeal to a wider audience.  
• The feature also gives you data on which search terms have “content gaps”, which are gaps between what users are seeking out on YouTube, and the results they get. You can fill this void and attract more users to your channel.  

2. Add Keywords to Your Video Title

Once you know what keywords to use and the topics you need to cover on your channel, you may now start making content that fulfills your audience’s search intent.

However, it's not enough to publish high-quality content that matches your customers' intent. You should also tell them that by including your keywords in your video titles.  

The most usual types of search intent are:

• Informational
• Commercial

• Navigational
• Transactional

For example, if you want to educate people about your specific product, then consider making a product review. In the title of the video, include your product’s name and the term “product review”. Some of you might say that this is common sense, but a lot of creators actually fail to do this, leading their videos to end up at the bottom of the search results.  

Using the right keywords that are optimized for SEO in Fort Lauderdale in your video title will not only boost your ranking on SERPs, but also on YouTube search results.  

3. Use Your Key Phrase as Your Video File

Although YouTube didn’t mention that a video’s file name is one of its ranking factors when it comes to showing your video in the search results, we believe that it does help YouTube and search engines figure out what your video is about.  

If your file name matches your video title, and at the same time, you also include your keywords in your tags, YouTube will find it easier to understand the subject of your video and can better serve it in the search results.  

Before you upload a video on YouTube, optimize its file name first to boost its visibility.  

4. Write a Short and Sweet Description of Your Video

Along with your file name, video title, and tags, YouTube also uses your description to determine the relevance of your video content to a query.  

YouTube recommends that you incorporate your keywords at the beginning of your description - ideally in the first sentence. However, make sure that your keywords blend in with your sentence naturally to prevent it from looking spammy.  

Optimize the length of your description by limiting it up to 200 words only. Although your word count is limited, you should keep your description as useful as possible. It should tell a user the summary of what they can expect from watching your video.  

By writing well-optimized descriptions about the context and topic of your videos, you can boost their ranking and visibility in YouTube search - including in suggested videos.  

5. Use Hashtags

Hashtags play a crucial role in helping YouTube and search engines determine your videos' relevance to certain queries.  

They're also great to use with trending content, such as challenges, upcoming events, or a trending influencer or celebrity. Using relevant hashtags helps ensure that users looking for videos about the trending topic will find your content too.  

There are two things you want to take note of when using hashtags:

• Do not use irrelevant or unrelated hashtags to falsely drive clicks and increase views. When users find out that they got tricked into clicking your video, they’ll get disappointed and dislike your video. This can lead to poorer rankings.  
• Do not use more than 15 hashtags on a video. If you do, YouTube will ignore all the tags in your description section.  

6. Use Subtitles and Closed Captions

Subtitles and closed captions are necessary because they help communicate video dialogue for viewers who either can’t understand the video language or those who can’t hear the audio.  

Subtitles and closed captions offer many benefits. Aside from the fact that it provides a more inclusive experience, putting transcripts in your videos also help:

• Provide clarity in sound-sensitive environments
• Maintain concentration for a longer time
• Allow viewers to follow along

• Aid comprehension

Both subtitles and closed captions also allow search engines to “read” through your video, just like it would with blogs. As a result, search engines can now identify the subject of your video and its context so they can index and serve them in front of the right users.  

7. Make Your Thumbnail Image Clickable

Your thumbnails can either grab people's attention or drive them away. That's why you must customize them according to what your target audience will most likely respond to.

Using highly engaging visuals that give your audience a hint of what’s going to happen in your video or how it will benefit them results in higher watch time and better click-through rate, which can positively influence your ranking on YouTube.  

For the best outcome, apply the following best practices:

• Title text to deliver context and to allow search engines to “read” and determine the relevance of your video.  
• Optimize your thumbnails for small screens.

• Use a legible font style.
• Make sure your text is well-contrasted against its background.  

8. Contextualize Your Video with Categories

Some people like to use advanced options when searching for a particular video on YouTube, as it helps filter out irrelevant content and show videos only from their selected categories.  

So that your videos show up when users do use this advanced setting, you must contextualize your video with categories.  

When uploading your videos, YouTube will show you a variety of category options. Pick one that suits your video.  

9. Include a Strong Call to Action

If you want to drive more users to your channel or encourage them to watch another one of your videos, you need to tastefully include a CTA in the middle or at the end of your video.  

This helps increase your watch time, drive more people to your channel, and boost audience retention, which is great for your rankings! You can also use it to get them to visit your website and even convert.  

Here are some powerful CTAs to include in your next video:

• Tell people to subscribe and hit the notification bell at the beginning of your video.  
• Remind people to give your video a thumbs up if they want more content similar to what you’ve published.  
• Create a series of organically connected videos and make sure you suggest these related videos to get your viewers hooked.  
• Make sure you tell your viewers to follow you on social media.

• Promote your best lead generation content.
• Use your description box to encourage your viewers to convert.
• Ask your audience to share your video on social media.  

Want to Skyrocket Your YouTube Channel to Success?

Search Insights is a great tool you can use to improve the value your videos provide to their viewers.  

The more consistent you are at delivering high-quality content, filling content gaps, and discussing the right topics, the more people are going to watch your videos, share them online, and recommend you to people they know.  

By doing keyword research and using them in your video title, file name, description, and hashtags, as well as including closed captions and subtitles, customizing your thumbnails, and inserting a compelling CTA, you can boost your visibility for search and skyrocket your YouTube channel to success.

At Digital Resource, we can help your YouTube channel gain traction through effective SEO in Fort Lauderdale tactics. Our team of SEO specialists and social media marketing experts can help you build a strong content strategy that will not only drive more clicks, but also grow a community of loyal viewers on your channel.  

Want to skyrocket your YouTube channel to success? Contact us today to get started!  

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