This slideshow will show you exactly how to make every one of your videos rank on the first page of YouTube search results.

1. 17 YouTube
SEO Optimization Tips
That Work Like Magic

2. Before I amaze you with my YouTube SEO tips, let me share a stat with you that will
make your eyes open even wider.
YouTube is the world’s second largest search engine, and it has
the least competition for eyeballs across all social platforms.
To put this in contrast, here is the number of pages competing for the term
“search engine marketing” on Google and YouTube.

3. You guessed it. YouTube.
You may ask… Why aren’t more people creating videos to go after YouTube rankings? It’s
a combination of a fear of looking bad on video, the unwillingness to spend a day figuring
out how to create a decent video, and wanting to hide in anonymity through a web page.
Guess which one is easier to get a first page ranking on?

4. What most people do not realize is that you can remain anonymous behind a slideshow
or screencast, and it takes half the time to create a video as it does a blog post.
You probably already knew that, though.
So… let’s move on and begin revealing the 17 secrets to mastering YouTube SEO.

5. When you are doing your keyword research try to aim for words that have a
minimum of 300 monthly searches. Although YouTube is the second largest search
engine, it pales in comparison to Google.
Going after lesser searched long tailed phrases is
usually a waste of time and resources.
#1 Target Keyword Phrases With Over 300 Monthly
Searches

6. #2 Use The Keyword Phrase Directly In The File Name
When saving the file name for your video, be sure to include the keywords separated
by hyphens. This file name is read by YouTube’s algorithm, and it can increase your
chances of ranking higher.
If you were trying to show up for the keyword phrase “Best SEO
Techniques,” then these are some good and bad examples of file names.
Bad File Name
videotake5.mp4
Good File Name
bestseotechniques.mp4
Best File Name
Best-SEO-Techniques.mp4

7. #3 Know What Types Of Searches Google
Automatically Uses Videos For
There are certain types of Google searches that will always pull up video results first.
The two big ones are:
How to’s
“How to Surf”
By creating videos with these keywords, you have a better chance of
ranking on Google’s front page in addition to YouTube.
Tutorials
”Adobe Photoshop
Tutorial for Beginners”

8. #3 Know What Types Of Searches Google
Automatically Uses Videos For

9. #4 Use Your Keyword Phrase in The Title Of Your Video
When it comes to your title, you absolutely must include the keyword. The best practice is to
have the keyword phrase be at the very beginning of the title.
“9 Video Marketing Techniques That Pull Crazy Views”
Target Phrase = Video Marketing :
“7 Beginner SEO Tips to Increase Your Google Rankings”
Target Phrase = Beginner SEO Tips :
Here are a couple of good examples:

10. #4 Use Your Keyword Phrase in The Title Of Your Video

11. #5 Add “Video” to Your Title To Come Up On the First
Page of Google
Google’s algorithm consistently uses YouTube videos for the top results for
keyword phrases that have “video” in them.
“YouTube SEO Tutorial”
Title Without Video Keyword
“YouTube SEO Tutorial Video“
Title With Video Keyword
By adding “video” to your titles, it can give you a consistent flow of Google traffic to all of
your YouTube videos. I added “video” to my title about search engine marketing, and I have
had the #2 ranking on Google for “search engine marketing video” for over three years.
Here is an example title to convey this strategy.

12. #5 Add “Video” to Your Title To Come Up On the First
Page of Google

13. #6 Create a Keyword Rich Description with Over 250
Words
Your video descriptions are just
as important as your titles
when it comes to YouTube SEO.
It is vital to make your
description at least 250
words long and include the
keyword 2-4 times.

14. #7 Link to A Related Blog Post in the First 15 Words of
the Description
A big mistake most people make is just sending them to their home page. If
your video has Pinterest tips, then create a link to a list of Pinterest tools.
Create Targeted Content
Create a call to action annotation within the bottom part of the video that
points to the link. For example you can write, “Click the url below to see
my list of 9 Vital Pinterest Tools.”
Use an Annotation Call to Action
Over 40% of people that watch the entire video will click on the link in the first part of the
description. Here are three ways to double that number:
At the end of each video ask them to click on the link in the description
to see the great related content in your blog post.
Ask Them to Click

15. #7 Link to A Related Blog Post in the First 15 Words of
the Description
YouTube keeps track from the moment they start watching your video until they hit the
back button. If viewers go to your blog post after they watch the video, then it increases
the average time on video.
This is another key factor in determining YouTube rankings.
If they stay on your video page longer than the competition, then you will outrank them.

16. If your content stinks, then it does not matter how well your video is optimized for
YouTube SEO. Take your time to go one step further than the competition.
Tell the audience how they well benefit from watching the entire
video in the first five seconds.
Start Strong
Get right into delivering the most valuable tip or piece of information
within the first twenty seconds.
Deliver Value Fast
Focus on what the audience wants and needs, do not spend time
discussing your opinions.
Eliminate Fluff
#8 Deliver Value Fast To Increase Your Video’s Average
View Time

17. Just like long form articles perform better, the same rule applies to videos on
YouTube. Long videos retain viewers for a longer period of time, which increases
the likelihood of then engaging, commenting, and liking that video. The majority
of top ranked videos are ten to fifteen minutes long.
#9 Make Longer Videos To Do Better In The Rankings
SocialBakers did a cross section study on the length of videos on YouTube.
They found that videos that were over 10 minutes long are rarely
uploaded to YouTube. Even though 1-2 minute videos had 18 times the
number of uploads, the 10 minute plus videos had nearly the same
amount of total views.

18. #9 Make Longer Videos To Do Better In The Rankings

19. YouTube also weighs into account the total number of inbound links to videos within a
specific channel. If one video has several quality websites linking to it, then it can boost the
rankings of all the videos within your channel.
#10Make Videos on Statistics to Increase Inbound Links
An easy way to get links is to create a video that covers key stats related
to a hot topic in the news. Reporters will typically search for statistics
using Google and YouTube. When they find a stat to use from your video,
then they will link back to the YouTube video as the source.

20. The thumbnail is the image that is displayed to people before they click on your video. In essence,
it is a mini banner to draw people in. Be sure to use the most colorful and vivid shot from your
video to gain the biggest audience possible. Here are some key tips for YouTube thumbnails:
#11
Create Awesome Thumbnails To Draw In A Wider
Audience
Choose a thumbnail that looks sharp and stands out from the
rest of the results.
Make It Recognizable
Create a custom thumbnail that has an image paired with the title of
the video.
Create Title Cards
You need a higher resolution image because the thumbnail will
also be used for the preview image in the embeddable video.
Use 1280 x 780 pixels

21. #11
Create Awesome Thumbnails To Draw In A Wider
Audience

22. YouTube allows you to include tags to describe your video. This aids in the search process
for viewers and lets YouTube know what your video is about. Put the most important
keyword phrase first and use long tailed variations for the remaining tags.
#12 Use Long Tailed Keyword Variations in Your Tags
For example….
Tag 1
= SEO
Tag 2
= SEO Tips
Tag 1
= SEO Techniques

23. YouTube’s SEO algorithm also includes the amount of subscribers that you have, and how many
you gain from each video. Here are a few effective ways to use an annotation subscribe button to
increase your channel’s subscribers.
#13Use an Annotation Subscribe Button in Every Video
At some point midway through the video, you will most likely have a
piece of content that your audience really needs. This is a great spot
to flash the “subscribe” annotation for about ten seconds.
Midway, After Giving Great Value
In the last ten seconds of every video, ask them to “click the subscribe
button to get more great videos like this one.” Place the button in a
prominent location of the video for about 15 seconds.
Ask for the Subscribe at the End

24. #13Use an Annotation Subscribe Button in Every Video

25. All YouTube viewers are preconditioned to look at and click on the related videos that
show up at the end of a video.
#14Create Custom Related Videos With Annotations
Try and make it look as similar as possible to the default related videos that YouTube
uses. Add an extra 20 seconds to each video that will show your custom related videos.
This increases your video views and average time on video.
A simple way to leverage this is to create thumbnail image
annotations that link to your own videos.

26. #14Create Custom Related Videos With Annotations

27. Comments are another key factor in the YouTube SEO algorithm. Here are the best ways to
increase the number of comments on each video.
Simply ask, “How did I do? Please give me some feedback in
the comments.”
Ask a Question at the End
Most people watching your video will think you are an expert on
the topic. Offer to answer any questions they have in the
comments section. You can take this a step further by offering a
freebie to the person that asks the best question.
Offer to Answer Questions
By asking your commentators questions, it can create a discussion
that can lead to more comments and new clients.
Respond to Comments With Questions
#15 Engage Your Audience to Increase Your Comments
Make a point to respond to all YouTube comments within a
24 hour period. This will keep the momentum going.

28. #16 Use Quora To Increase Your Video Views
Quora is a question and answer
site that you can use to
organically promote your video.
Find the questions that your video
can answer or enhance, and embed
the video to be watched directly
into your answer.
This will increase your total views and
promote yourself as the expert at the
same time.

29. #17
Embed Your Videos Into Your Most Visited Blog
Posts
Before you create your next video, look at your analytics to identify the blog posts that get
the most traffic. Identify a topic that you could cover in a video that will make your most
visited blog post even better.
This will allow you to consistently create videos that add value to existing
posts. In addition, each video placed on these highly trafficked posts will
get new quality views every single day. YouTube will recognize this
engagement and bump up the rest of the videos in that channel.

30. #17
Embed Your Videos Into Your Most Visited Blog
Posts
So there you have it… All seventeen YouTube SEO strategies that the pros use are now part
of your YouTube arsenal. Make a plan right now to incorporate them into your video
production process.
Thank you for taking the time to mentally download my YouTube SEO
strategies. Please take a quick moment to share this knowledge filled
post with your social contacts on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.