5 Tips on How to Improve Your YouTube Search Rank

More than 50 percent of the data volume on mobile devices is used for videos. According to YouTube, mobile video consumption doubles every year. In fact, more than 70 hours of material are uploaded to YouTube every minute.

Online video presence offers companies numerous opportunities to attract and retain customers, as well as strengthen their brand. That being said, the competition is fierce.

We’ve identified 5 tips that will let you still rank high in search results on YouTube. Let’s get started.

1. Engagement is Key

YouTube is not only a search engine but also a social media platform – and therefore, views, likes, shares, and comments are the critical success factors. A study by the SEO blog Backlinko, in which 65,000 search results and 1.3 million videos were examined, confirms that high engagement rates increase the chances to rank more than anything else.

Some of the ways viewers can engage with your content include:

• Views: Views are one of the most important success factors for videos on YouTube.
• Comments: The data from the study clearly shows that comment-rich videos can be found higher in the search results.
• Shares: The study found that videos that were often shared are higher up than videos with fewer shares.
• Likes: There is also a clear correlation between likes and rankings.

To get your viewers to interact, you should make sure you include calls to action in your video – simply ask viewers to comment, subscribe, or share the video. 

2. YouTube Prefers Longer Videos

According to the Backlinko study, the average length of the videos on the first page of search results on YouTube is slightly over 14 minutes.

It is understandable that YouTube prefers long videos – after all, these increase dwell time – the length of time users spend on the platform as well as allow to put an ad in the middle of the video.

That being said, you shouldn’t stretch the video length at all costs – the video should keep viewers entertained to the very last second. Many formats are not suitable for long videos, so remember that the content determines the length and not the other way round!

3. Keyword Optimization is a Must

Like Google, YouTube needs some information about your video to classify your content appropriately on the platform. In order to increase the odds of ranking high, you can optimize your video title, description, and tags with specific keywords. To identify the best keyword, you should conduct a keyword analysis using free keyword research tools such as Google Keyword Planner.

4. Integrate the Keyword Into the Video

Ideally, it would be best if you had done your keyword analysis before producing the video because then you can insert the keyword into the video. Some placement ideas include:

• Integrate it into the soundtrack. YouTube recognizes spoken language.
• If you have text panels or text overlays in the video, your keyword should also appear there.
• Name the video file descriptively and insert the search term here as well.
• Integrate it into the preview image. The thumbnail should be relevant and eye-catchy to encourage the user to click on it.

Also, don’t forget that the resolution of your video also plays a role in the ranking. It’s estimated that almost 70 percent of the videos on the first page of YouTube search results have at least an HD resolution.

5. Find a Niche and Show Personality

If you want to succeed on YouTube, you must find a niche that either no one else has occupied, or where the existing content is not as detailed, original, and entertaining as you may offer. Once you have found a topic that resonates with viewers, stick to it!

YouTubers are one of the most recognizable celebrities today. With the combination of a topic that you implement better than everyone else and an exciting personality, you have a good chance of success on YouTube.

Conclusion: Target Your Niche and Optimize for It

If you’re original and offer your target audience precisely the content they want to see, that’s half the battle. Once you have the loyal fans, ask them to like, share, and comment on your videos to spread the word. Lastly, add a pinch of keyword optimization and video SEO – and nothing can stop you!