Top 11 YouTube SEO Tips To Boost Search Rankings

7. Include accurate closed captions

The automatic caption feature provided by YouTube transcribes videos but with only a 70% accuracy level, resulting in unmanageable and potentially humiliating captions.

Google provides incentives for useful search outcomes and imposes penalties for spam. Spam comprises of “automated gibberish,” which accurately characterizes most auto-generated subtitles. Using inaccurate subtitles can result in the classification of spam and a decline in search position for your YouTube account.

Text can be analyzed by search engines, but they cannot analyze videos. In order to ensure that your content is crawled and ranked appropriately by Google, your captions should include pertinent keywords that describe the content of your video.

There are several ways to include captions in YouTube videos. A few content creators rely on the initial automated transcript and enhance it by correcting errors. Alternatively, there are various do-it-yourself transcription possibilities that are inexpensive but take a lot of time and effort.

To easily address the task, it’s best to forward your videos to an expert video transcription company that ensures top-notch transcriptions within a short period. Aside from enhancing search engine optimization, subtitles offer various advantages such as:

According to a study conducted by Digital Discovery Networks, incorporating captions in YouTube videos can improve SEO rankings. The study revealed an initial 13.48% increase in views within the first 2 weeks of using captions, and an overall increase of 7.32%.

In order to verify this, they investigated a keyword phrase that exclusively appeared in the captions of their videos and not in the title, explanation, tags, or metadata. The videos with captions were given a high ranking for the phrase as the search engines could examine the text in the captions.

Closed captions improve engagement and user experience by enabling viewers to stay engaged even without audio, thus increasing viewership. This is particularly crucial for mobile users who may not have audio access.

With mobile devices accounting for over 70% of YouTube watch time, it is crucial to have precise captions. Videos on YouTube that have closed captions have been found to enhance user interaction, leading to more likes, shares, and comments compared to those without captions.

Higher engagement, in turn, boosts video search ranking factors, which translates to more views. In addition, higher engagement leads to increased watch time, a critical metric for determining search rank on YouTube. Longer watch times correlate directly with higher SERP ranks.

Closed captions not only boost SEO, but also make YouTube videos accessible to individuals with hearing disabilities. They allow those who can hear to view the video in noisy environments or with the sound turned off in a library. Essentially, captions enhance the ability for a wider audience to view, comprehend, and enjoy your video.

8. Add a transcript to your video description

To showcase your transcript on YouTube, the most suitable choice is the video description. The description area offers sufficient space for up to 5,000 characters, which generally meets the requirement for a transcript of a 10-minute dialogue-filled video.

If your transcript is too long or there is additional important information you would like to include, such as a call-to-action, you have the option to create a condensed version with a link to the full transcript on a separate webpage.

Generally, there is no connection between optimized descriptions for a specific keyword and the rankings for that keyword. However, it’s still advisable to use keyword-rich descriptions as they can aid in the ranking of your video for related terms and increase visibility in the “suggested video” section. Additionally, transcripts can enhance engagement by allowing content to be easily scanned.

Pro tip: Make video transcripts your content marketing shortcut

Although numerous brands are successfully engaging with their audience using videos, marketers frequently overlook the potential of transcripts. By utilizing video transcripts and related content, videos can serve as a catalyst for generating content and improving targeted inbound marketing efforts.

Boosting your SEO by creating valuable and shareable content can be achieved through the use of video transcripts. You can utilize video transcripts in several ways such as:

• Blogs
• Infographics
• Whitepapers
• Fact sheets
• Website copy

9. Offer subtitles in multiple languages

Adding translations to your videos can not only make them more accessible to a wider audience but also aid in increasing your YouTube SEO. The platform has a vast worldwide reach, with only a small percentage of traffic originating from the U.S. In fact, over two billion logged-in users from across the globe watch YouTube every month.

By including subtitles in foreign languages, individuals who speak English as a second language or who are from different countries are able to watch and appreciate your videos. Additionally, translating your captions can greatly assist your YouTube SEO plan since search engines will index your files and incorporate them into results for those specific languages. This is particularly advantageous as it enhances the likelihood of ranking higher for non-English keywords, as there is less competition.

10. Use a compelling thumbnail

Opting for a suitable video thumbnail can significantly impact the rate of clicks. It is advisable to select high-quality images with a 16:9 aspect ratio and high contrast, preferably facial close-ups. Users have the option of choosing the frame to showcase as the video thumbnail. YouTube provides three screenshots for selection, but the user can also opt for an image from a different moment in the video or upload a custom image.

If you need ideas for images, try using sites such as Canva, which has thumbnail templates just for YouTube videos.

Take note that the video duration is displayed on the thumbnail’s lower corner by YouTube. Be mindful that it does not block any crucial elements in your thumbnail. Additionally, remember that Google applies image recognition to exclude specific visuals, like the YouTube logo.

For optimal results, aim for an image that effectively embodies your intended keyword, as this will enhance your visibility in relevant search listings.

11. Track your analytics

Tracking your analytics is the sole means of determining the effectiveness of your YouTube SEO plan. Assessing metrics enables you to identify areas where your videos excel and where they require improvement. YouTube has various analytics reports at your disposal to monitor your progress.

These metrics are crucial for every YouTuber to know, despite the numerous analytics available for tracking.

The total number of minutes that viewers spent watching your videos is known as watch time. This metric is important because YouTube gives a higher ranking to videos and channels with greater watch times in their search results, since watch time is a reliable measure of engagement.

The Click-Through Rate of Impressions refers to the frequency with which individuals are viewing your video after coming across it on their homepage, recommendation section, or trending section. Although the rates of impression click-through may initially increase upon the release of your video, their frequency will typically decrease over time. However, monitoring this metric closely remains vital as it enables you to improve the attractiveness of your thumbnails.

The rate at which cards are clicked on can be used to improve the timing, duration, placement, and calls to action of preformatted notifications that prompt viewers to take action during video playback.

The number of unique viewers represents the approximate count of people who view your videos during a particular timeframe. This measure enables you to ascertain the size of your audience and may aid in analyzing their level of involvement.

The report on Traffic Sources presents information on the various means through which your videos were discovered, as well as the sources that generated the most interaction. Utilizing this data can enable you to enhance your promotional approach for your videos by determining the optimal platforms to distribute your content.

The YouTube Subscribers Report enables you to track your subscriber growth and determine what content, locations, and time frames contributed to gaining or losing subscribers. Using this information, you can identify the types of content that appeal to your subscribers and pinpoint areas to focus on for attracting new subscribers.

By keeping track of these metrics, you can determine which videos are most interactive and what elements may have contributed to their success. Observe the distinct features that distinguish these videos from those that have not achieved the same level of success—patterns relating to the subject matter, video type, duration, or posting frequency may become evident.