Sustainable expansion of your visibility
YouTube offers companies the opportunity to be present with their own products and services in the second largest search engine in the world (after Google). It is also important to know that YouTube videos are always also displayed directly in Google search. Thus, the videos in your own YouTube channel are not only represented on the video platform, your videos also increase the presence in the search results of Google search and thus sustainably expand your visibility.
Why is YouTube important for businesses in general?
Of course, videos have a big advantage over the text on the website: In moving images, customers can better recognize and get an explanation of added value in the product, which can significantly influence the purchase decision. Likewise, frequent customer questions can be answered directly in videos, so that support requests decrease and the customer is more satisfied.
Classic commercials (like those on TV) really can't keep up with YouTube: YouTube offers the possibility to bring a potential customer directly to interaction and thus tranksaction (e.g., purchase, conclusion, contact, etc.), for example, via a link to subscribe to the channel for further customer loyalty. Already with this step, you achieve a first important customer loyalty and can thus build a successful relationship with their (potential) customers even before purchase or conclusion!
How do I improve my visibility with YouTube SEO?
YouTube is primarily used by companies as a video platform and video streaming enabler. For example, to integrate a video file on a website, the original video file is uploaded to YouTube and then displayed on the company's own site using the embed code provided by the platform. This saves a lot of time, work effort with video encoding, streaming ready and playing your content at the desired location.
But YouTube is not just a technological provider. YouTube is a living community with very active viewers and a high engagement rate. If you now "just upload" your expensive and elaborately produced video to YouTube to get an embed code for integration on your site, you are giving away enormously valuable potential: your videos will simply disappear between umpteen irrelevant results in YouTube and Google search...
YouTube should therefore not be seen as just a "video repository" on its own. It is therefore very important to upload videos to YouTube in such a way that they are set up correctly as well as SEO optimized. This way, not only can viewers find your video within YouTube, it can also be displayed directly in Google search with the ideal keyword combination and description. Especially important news from your company can be communicated directly to the outside world if they are uploaded to YouTube and optimally keyworded and described.
Which ranking factors are relevant for YouTube at all?
How well the findability of videos actually works depends on several factors that influence the YouTube algorithm. The ranking factors can be divided into three categories: YouTube settings, video content and OffPage traffic.
YouTube settings
Here, all optimizations are made that help the algorithm rank the video for the appropriate keyword and attract as many users as possible to the video, which strengthens the CTR. Especially the thumbnail influences the click-through rate, as this is the largest and most conspicuously placed and visually decides whether a user clicks on the video or not.
If your video thumbnail contains text elements, it is important to make sure that this is also easy to read on smartphones. Thumbnails are often created on the desktop, but the testing on the smartphone is often overlooked. The result is sometimes illegible thumbnail text on mobile.
The correct setup of video title, file name, video description, video tags and jump marks help the algorithm to better position the video for the appropriate search term. Particular attention must also be paid to the length of video titles, as titles that are too long will be cut off in search results.
Video content
Already during the scripting of the video it is extremely important to pay attention to the longest possible viewer engagement. To achieve this, pauses should not be too long, camera views should not be too static, and the viewer's attention should be maintained again and again within a video with further interesting topics and aspects.
Since YouTube now understands the spoken word very well (and automatically uses this in the subtitles), care should be taken to ensure that the main keyword and other secondary keywords in the video are pronounced clearly and understandably, so that the algorithm can understand the content of the video as well as possible.
CTAs for leaving a comment, a "thumbs up" for the video and a subscription to the YouTube channel should also be included in the planning. It is important not to place this at the end of the video in any case - here most viewers have mentally closed with the current video or are already mentally looking for the next video, so that an intercation is missing.
Better yet, tie these CTAs to a reason for the action in question. Below are a few examples:
"What's your opinion on this topic?", "What questions do you have about this product?" etc. are good reasons to leave a comment.
"If you want to see more videos on this and other interesting topics, subscribe to this channel NOW!" is much better than a crude "Please subscribe to this channel".
"If this video helped you, we'd really appreciate a thumbs up." And if not, tell us in the comments what we could do better!" is also an idea on how to activate the viewer to (hopefully) leave a Like or suggestions for improvement in the comments.
When it comes to video length, the video should be as long as the topic needs it to be. Topics that can be explained quickly should not be unnecessarily drawn out. Conversely, topics that require a lot of explanation should not be kept unnecessarily short so that users can get the best possible benefit from the video.
When planning the content, it should be planned to produce new content for YouTube on a regular basis. Ideally, a new upload to YouTube should take place at least once a week. This keeps the channel relevant for the algorithm and interesting for viewers.
OffPage Traffic
Immediately after the upload, YouTube attaches great importance to the number of viewers. If this grows quickly, the probability that the video is positioned higher and has a better findability increases.
Helpful for this is a distribution of the YouTube link of your video over all social media channels (e.g. Facebook, LinkedIn, newsletter etc.) as well as embedding the video on the website. The more often the video is set up on a website through an embed, the higher the probability that more people will see the video, which ideally ensures more viewers and has a positive effect on the YouTube ranking.
Difference SEO for YouTube and for search engines
How does YouTube SEO actually differ from "classic" Google SEO? For easier understanding, we look at the respective aspects grouped into content creation, OnPage SEO and OffPage SEO:
Differences in content creation
Google SEO
Keyword analysis including search volume and intention for maximum success.
Selection of suitable image material including search engine optimization (file name, alt tag).
Write texts in an appealing way, keep conversion in mind, think of suitable links to further articles
YouTube SEO
Keyword analysis, paying attention to keywords that also trigger video content in search results.
Write script so that CTAs can be scheduled and viewer remains engaged
Include the main keyword and secondary keywords in the script
Edit video with visual CTAs that support the spoken word
Important: Texts can be edited easily - recorded videos and audio tracks, on the other hand, only with a lot of effort!
Differences in OnPage SEO:
Google SEO
Ensure that Google can read the page (crawlability)
Implementation of links in the content, headings in the headlines, image alt tags in the images as well as meta title and meta description
Integration of structured data
YouTube SEO
Create thumbnail that attracts attention and is kept in CI design
Set up video title that creates curiosity and contains main keyword
Create video description that also contains the main keyword and secondary keywords, call-to-actions from the video expanded, integrate links to from the video or links to further information.
Use chapter jump tags in the description, paying attention to an SEO optimized title.
Set up video tags that confirm and extend the spoken word
Correctly set up call-to-action features from YouTube to increase subscriptions and conversions.
Differences in OffPage SEO:
Google SEO
Observe link building and pay attention to optimized anchor texts
Detox from link spam and penalties
YouTube SEO
YouTube Embeds on the website help to generate more viewers
Social media channels as well as newsletters should be included in the distribution of the videos
YouTube SEO: How to optimize videos for search?
With YouTube SEO your videos become much more visible after a keyword analysis. With a suitable thumbnail (which we are happy to create), the videos become much more attractive and thus ensure a much higher number of clicks. By optimizing the video title, description, tags and playlists, the videos will also be encountered and clicked more often in Google search.
Particular emphasis is placed on in-depth and detailed keyword research, as this is not only responsible for good rankings in YouTube search, but also ensures good rankings in Google search when used correctly. In combination with a short, meaningful and concise summary of the video content, rankings as well as clicks can be promoted.
In order for the top positioning to bear fruit in a high CTR, an attention-grabbing thumbnail must be created. For this, arrows or other elements with high color contrast or even a person looking directly into the viewer's eyes can be used.
Once the viewer watches the video, the playback time is very crucial for the algorithm: does the viewer drop out right at the beginning, or does the viewer watch the video until the end? Videos that achieve a viewer retention of at least 60% of the video length often have much better rankings than comparable videos with only 20-40% of the total playback time - and this in both YouTube and Google search!
The longest possible viewer engagement is always achieved when the viewer's synapses are frequently fired. A long (and boring) intro, a boring voiceover, static images and few camera changes guarantee short viewer retention and resulting poor rankings. Equally harmful are video titles that promise something other than what is presented in the video. Therefore, always pay attention to a high entertainment value and an interesting and binding structure of the video.
More revenue with YouTube - for B2B and B2C YouTube channels
In order to generate more sales with YouTube videos, important work must be done as early as the scripting stage. The type of video doesn't matter: whether it's a pretty image video, an animated product video or a screencast, there must always be elements that encourage the viewer to act or interact.
Ideally, this should be a click on a link, which in turn leads to a lead generation form or directly to a purchase or transaction. The landing page must work hand in hand with the YouTube video and pick up on elements that have already been mentioned in the video. The success of this should be monitored with common tracking tools in order to be able to make any necessary optimizations.
It is important that the person in the video appears as authentic as possible. If it is an animated video, it is the voice that should generate trust. A prior casting with exact matching in terms of statement as well as target group is therefore essential.
If the content is well structured, the CTA should be inserted at a point where it is most likely that the viewer will follow the CTA. If a person can be seen in the video, they should gesture with their hands and gaze in the direction of the later position of the CTA. In animated videos, this can be represented by arrows or flashing elements.
More revenue with YouTube - with permanent subscribers
In order for customers to stay on the channel not just once, but permanently, they must become subscribers. Subscribers can then immediately find out about news and thus be the first to learn about new products (and in combination with an optimized CTA then also buy better).
Subscribed users see videos from subscribed channels more often, which helps the company name and channel to be remembered again and again. If the "bell" is also activated when subscribing, the user receives an immediate notification when the subscribed channel uploads a new video, even on the smartphone if the YouTube app is installed. Therefore, CTAs with the hint to subscribe to the channel and activate the bell should be well planned into the script and reinforced by visual triggers such as arrows or hand gestures.
Our top 10 tips for your YouTube SEO
Tip 1: Careful keyword analysis that not only takes into account the search volume, but also checks the appropriate intent, which preferably also triggers the video feature in the SERPs. Tools like ahrefs can be helpful to get a quick overview of the SERPs.
Tip 2: Write a script that includes the main keyword and secondary keywords as well as appropriately timed CTAs for the most important YouTube features (subscribe, comment, thumbs up) as well as CTAs for the desired conversion (call, click on link in info card/description/comment).
Tip 3: Think about playback time: an exciting script with interesting news, insights and information that keeps the viewer in the video for a long time are essential and a crucial ranking factor.
Tip 4: Create thumbnails for each video that are very eye-catching and draw the eye. Adhere to CI design so that each video has a recognizable value.
Tip 5: The video title must contain the main keyword and be supported by a text that continues to arouse curiosity after looking at the thumbnail.
Tip 6: In the description, the main keyword should be repeated and other secondary keywords should be accommodated. This can include links that are mentioned in the VIdeo and other destinations links that might be interesting.
Tip 7: Upload the video in the highest possible quality, but at least in Full HD 1080p. Also implement the main keyword in the filename to help the algorithm.
Tip 8: YouTube creates automatic subtitles from the spoken word, which saves a lot of work. Edit the automatically created subtitles to correct errors from the automatically created transcript.
Tip 9: Build in the CTAs already planned in the script into YouTube with info cards, and at the end of the runtime, add more YouTube elements to your video in an engaging end card, such as more interesting videos and/or the channel subscription feature, etc.
Tip 10: If you have less than 1000 subscribers and less than 4000 hours of playback time, links to external websites cannot be integrated in the info cards. Therefore, your first KPI goal for YouTube videos should become a fastest possible expansion of subscribers and playback time!
And so it goes on ...
Talk to us about your options in the area of YouTube SEO. We will be happy to advise you on measures and implementation. Free of charge, of course.
Benjamin Szturmaj is looking forward to your call or e-mail.