Search Engine Optimization doesn't only happen in Google. Just because Google is the most powerful search engine, doesn't mean it's the only search engine. With this in mind, it's important to recognize each search engine has its own degree of importance which can't be ignored.
Although YouTube doesn't FEEL like a search engine, it's exactly that. While Google is a search engine for website pages, images, videos and more, YouTube is a search engine for videos. With the importance of videos being at the top of marketing in 2019 this creates an urgency to learn how to rank within the powerhouse video platform.
Like Google compared to Bing and other search engines, YouTube has its own SEO practices to follow and because it's different than regular search engine optimization, it might take awhile to get adjusted.
Here are some tips to help you get found within YouTube in 2019.
VIDEO VIEWS + WATCH TIME
This comes down to great content and video and audio quality. Focusing on a content strategy to provide content that people want to actually view is important because YouTube takes into consideration how long your video is viewed for as well as the amount of views your video has. If Zack creates a video on how to market a business, and Mike creates a similar video but doesn't have as many views or the watch time isn't as great as Zack's then Zack should rank ahead of Mike.
Easier said than done but creating engaging graphics or music to go with your video is going to help your view time and there's nothing worse than poor audio so ensure you invest in these sort of things before hitting publish.
PROPER TITLES
Having a short title is ideal in YouTube.
Weird, right?
In the last few years we have seen a shift to long-tailed keywords in Google and how its important to have your site rank to what people are searching regularly with this technique, but with YouTube it's different. Having shorter titles in YouTube with 50 characters or less is preferred. You can get your keywords in within the description of the video.
KEYWORD RESEARCH
Just like any other search engine, keyword research and analysis should be at the forefront of your digital strategy. So, how do you find this?
If you are creating a video on baking chocolate chip cookies, you can go to YouTube and start to type in what you think people would search and you will find the top search results before selecting an item. Another option would be using Google's Keyword Research Tool.
KEYWORD TAGS
Not sure what a tag is? Keyword tags allow you to apply keywords that relate to your video. These tags are then used for people to find your video for keywords that might not be in your title or description but related to it. These keyword tags won't have a big impact on your ranking but they will have a huge impact on recommended videos. Recommended videos are the videos you will see on the right hand side of the video you are watching or below the video when viewing on mobile.
THE TAKEAWAY
YouTube is a search engine just like Google or Bing, with that in mind there are protocols you should follow to get ranked in their search results. Steer clear of long-tailed keywords for titles and focus on short direct titles under 50 characters. In order to find the right title, use the search feature in YouTube to find the most popular keywords or Google's keyword planner. Don't put out a video unless you are happy with the quality of the video and content. Getting found in recommended videos is just as important as getting found in the search results. Use tags to get the placement you want!
Other Sources:
SEO Isn't Dead, It's Evolved.
6 Marketing Trends To Look For In 2019
Inbound Marketing, Explained.
