At a Glance
Video SEO combines discoverable, accurately described videos with content that gives viewers a reason to click and keep watching.
TL;DR
- Match topics, titles and descriptions to the questions your audience asks.
- Use clear thumbnails, strong openings and accurate captions.
- Treat retention and publishing consistency as audience signals, not guaranteed ranking shortcuts.
Archive note: Originally published 2020-07-21. This archived article retains its original perspective; referenced tools, interfaces and offers may have changed.
The script is written, graphics are designed, music is chosen, filming is complete, and editing is done. Time to hit publish on your shiny new video and watch the views roll in!
And then...crickets .
Video content takes more time and energy than almost any other type. So watching those views sit at a standstill day after day is maddening!
To be successful with video, creators need to take a different approach to most other types of content.
So here are some tips you can use to get the most out of your video and start seeing results.
Video Content & Posting
Before you consider how to promote and optimize your content, you have to create it! Keep these tips in mind when making your next video to start off on the right foot.
Content Tips
Just because a video appears in a search result, that doesn’t mean you’re going to get the view. You need a great thumbnail image to increase the chances that viewers will hit play. As many as 90% of the best performing videos on YouTube have custom thumbnails!
A good thumbnail entices your viewers and makes your video look appealing. If you just use a still frame from the video, you may end up with a blurry or low-resolution image.
Instead, take a few still photos during the filming process so you’ll have good clear images for your thumbnail. You can also add some text over the image to tease the video content.
Once they’ve hit play, people make up their minds about your video content very quickly. Most lost viewers abandon a video within the first 30 seconds, so you need to make those first seconds amazing. Don’t save the good stuff for later in the video.
Audience retention helps you understand whether a video holds attention. YouTube uses performance and relevance signals in discovery, but better retention does not guarantee higher rankings, and retention on your website is not a direct Google ranking shortcut.
Posting Tips
Whether your videos are part of a YouTube channel or are posted on your own website, it’s important to release them consistently — just like blog posts.
Strive for consistency: aim to post the same number of videos each week preferably on the same day.
A consistent schedule helps viewers know what to expect. Choose a publishing rhythm you can sustain without sacrificing relevance or quality.
When you publish a video on your website, try to add it to the top of your page. Otherwise, some of your site visitors will bounce before they ever reach it. Posting it in a prominent position can improve your video’s play rate.
Subtitles and Transcripts
As many as 83% of online videos are watched without sound. And that number jumps to 92% when videos are watched on mobile.
That’s one of the reasons why subtitles should always be included in your videos. Without them, you’ll lose a huge number of viewers who are trying to watch in a quiet place.
You should also include a video transcript . Some people may want the content but don’t want to spend the time watching a video. A transcript that they can skim will keep them on your site longer, even if you don’t get the video play.
An accurate transcript makes the information easier to access and gives search engines readable context. Add it for usefulness and clarity, rather than repeating keywords to increase word count.
Don’t worry — you don’t have to type out your subtitles and transcripts manually. You can use a service like Kapwing to auto-generate your subtitles, and then just check them for accuracy before you upload them.
Tips for YouTube
YouTube is its own animal with specific best practices to follow for visibility and engagement. If you like to cross post your videos to YouTube as well as on your own website, here are some things to keep in mind.
Keyword Research
To start, you’ll need to do YouTube keyword research, rather than general keyword research because people search for different things on YouTube than on a search engine.
If you want a quick way to get an idea of what people are looking for on YouTube, type a basic keyword into the search field, and you'll see a list of topic suggestions.
Keyword tools can help you investigate topics and language your audience uses. Prioritize an accurate title, description and useful video content; copying competitors’ tags does not guarantee search or suggested-video visibility.
Add Cards and End Screens
Cards and end screens can encourage engagement with your YouTube videos as well as promote your other video content.
YouTube cards can feature a video, playlist or channel. External website links are available to eligible YouTube Partner Program channels. Use cards and end screens to suggest a relevant next step; polls are no longer a card type.
End screens appear in the last seconds of your videos, and they can send viewers to your other videos or show a big “Subscribe” button.
Use these tools to keep your viewers engaged and encourage them to watch more of your helpful videos or make a purchase on your website.
YouTube Search Optimization
Just like videos posted elsewhere, you’ll want to release videos regularly and include an interesting custom thumbnail. And when you upload your video, make sure to fill out the fields entirely, with a focus on your keyword:
- Start with a keyword-optimized video title
- Choose some applicable tags ️ ️ ️ - including your keyword and keyword variations
- Choose the most appropriate category
In the description box, write a few hundred words to help YouTube understand the purpose of your video.
If you have links or a CTA you want users to see, keep them “above the fold” — that is, before viewers have to click the “See More” button to expand your description.
Upload accurate captions and, where useful, a transcript. Review automatic captions for errors so viewers can follow your content reliably.
Video Sharing Tips
Once your videos are completed and uploaded to your website or YouTube, it’s time to promote them. The most obvious way is to share them on social media, especially Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. But there are more places you can and should promote your video content.
Send a simple email newsletter out promoting your video. It doesn’t need to be overly complicated — just some enthusiastic text explaining what your new video is about. Don’t forget to explain how the video content will help the viewer! It’s all about them, not about you.
You can also embed your videos in relevant blog posts. This will help your blogs to perform better, and create backlinks to your videos.
Another good option is to share your video on Quora as an answer to a relevant question. The more places you can find viewers, the better!
Give Your Video A Chance!
Well-optimized video content can perform incredibly well, but there is more competition than ever. If you’re going to invest the time and effort into video marketing, give your videos the best chance of getting results by following these tips.