YouTube’s algorithm is not able to read images or videos, it only understands text and code. Therefore, one of the strategies you can adopt to understand the topic being discussed is to make transcripts and add subtitles.
Transcription is the transformation into text of what is said in the video. You can do this transcription manually, on your own, or use the YouTube tool that makes this job easier .
By adding time stamps to the transcript, you can also turn it into subtitles.
In this way, they help users to follow the video without audio and function as an accessibility tool for people with hearing impairments.
In addition to adding subtitles, you can use transcript text in your video description to give viewers more information.
8. Make longer videos
The Briggsby study, which we cited earlier, also shop came to two findings about the relationship between positioning and video length:
- Videos under 2 minutes tend to not rank well.
- The average duration of the top 5 positions is 11 minutes and 44 seconds.
Therefore, it is worth starting to invest in longer videos, around 10 minutes. They will probably meet the expectations of those looking for more complete and in-depth content. On the other hand, videos under 2 minutes tend to be more superficial.
We’re not saying you should learn these numbers. These observations are just for guidance. However, it’s worth noting that relevance is more important than video length. So if you’re investing in quality content, don’t worry so much about time.
9. Increase CTR in search results
CTR (Click Through Rate) represents their existence, use and proper design are very important because they lead the visitor to the desired action, which is booking the room the rate at which users click on your video among search results.
Having a high click-through rate means, in the eyes of the YouTube algorithm, that your video is relevant to the keyword that the user searched for. That’s why CTR is also an important ranking factor .
But of course, you have no direct influence on that rate. What you can do is increase the chances of users clicking on your video.
To do this, the summary that appears in the search results must be attractive and relevant to the user.
So, let’s break down everything you can edit to help with YouTube SEO in this summary:
- The title, which should include the main keyword.
- The beginning of the description, which should be persuasive from the first words.
- The video thumbnail , which should be attractive and contain some information that complements the other elements.
This increases the chances of the user clicking on your video.
10. Increase engagement
Making an analogy with SEO for Google, we list of real mobile phone numbers can say that the tips we have given so far refer to On Page SEO , that is, everything that is within the reach of the editor himself.
On the other side of the strategies, there is Off Page SEO , which covers factors that are not under the control of the website. In the case of Google, it mainly refers to link building, that is, links to other websites and the links received from them.
In the case of YouTube, link building is not among the ranking factors. Even if a video is shared on other websites, the algorithm does not take that data into account to rank it, even if it helps generate more views.
On the video platform, it can be said that Off Page SEO refers to audience engagement.
After all, receiving comments and likes, as well as increasing the viewing time of the video, are not under the control of the channel, which can only encourage users to interact more. And that has a lot of weight for the algorithm!
Therefore, always encourage your viewers to interact with your video in some way:
- Give a like
- Comment
- Subscribe to the channel
- Share the video
All of these factors play a significant role in YouTube rankings, as they indicate whether your video met, or exceeded, user expectations.
Regarding comments, it is worth noting that one of the best ways to encourage them is by responding to them. This way, users feel valued and come back to comment again and again.
Additionally, it is also important to adopt strategies to keep the user engaged with the video until the end . This is an important factor for Google to evaluate if you are offering something that really interests the audience.
Otherwise, the audience will quickly abandon the video, which will have a negative impact on your ranking. You can, for example, promise a bonus for those who watch the content to the end.
11. Spread the word about your channel and videos
We’ve already given you some tips on how to increase audience engagement with your videos. However, to get there, you first need to drive your audience to your channel!
By optimizing the title, description and tags of your videos, you will increase visibility within YouTube itself.
However, there are other marketing channels that can be used to promote videos outside of YouTube and increase views .
Let’s now list some tips to do this:
- Embed videos in blog posts that have related topics.
- Produces institutional videos and product demonstrations to display on the website.
- Promote your channel in your email marketing content and email signature.
- Share your videos on social media.
- Respond to user messages and comments with videos.
- Participate in groups, forums, question and answer sites (like Quora) and respond to users with videos from your channel.
In any of these actions, remember one essential word: relevance . Only place videos in contexts where they are relevant and add value to the user.
You can’t force it, okay? That will only be frustrating for the user, who will access your video and then abandon it immediately because it’s not what they were looking for.
Now that you’ve read the whole article, let’s remember something we mentioned at the beginning: user experience. Remember that this is YouTube’s and Google’s goal, and it should be yours too.