YouTube is the number one place to watch videos online. It’s the second biggest search engine after Google, with over 2 million users around the world. Whether people are looking to relax, learn new information or solve a problem, YouTube videos are a first stop.
Because of how popular YouTube is, there’s a lot of competition on this channel for marketers. So how can you make sure that your YouTube videos stand out? While there are hundreds of ranking factors, below are five of the most important. When you optimize your marketing videos for these factors, you can reach customers when and where they’re buying.
Keyword Optimization
Keywords matter on YouTube. Pick your keywords wisely and use them in your video title, video description and video file. A few other ways to optimize your videos include choosing a category, customizing your thumbnail image and using hashtags. It’s also helpful to add subtitles and closed captions for viewers who can’t hear or understand the video language.
Click-Through Optimization
Some of the SEO strategies you use will also improve click-through rates, such as compelling thumbnail images and interesting video titles. We also recommend testing various elements on your videos – message, call to action button, offer – so that you can see what influences users to click through your ads.
Retention Optimization
If you can get people to return to your videos, you’ll automatically see increased click-through rates, as well as have an easier time building a loyal following. Refer to YouTube’s Audience Retention Report to keep track of retention rates. You’ll then need to find ways to retain viewers such as by:
- Linking your videos together (i.e., creating a how-to series)
- Grabbing your audience’s attention within the first six seconds
- Including highly engaging visuals like graphics, raw footage and pop-up text
- Trying shorter videos – around three minutes or less
- Using an excellent video editor
Engagement Optimization
Engagement rates help you understand how much time people spend watching your videos. High quality videos with compelling introductions, enticing thumbnails and lots of video cues are more likely to have high engagement rates. Shorter videos also tend to see more engagement, but if you have a longer topic to cover, make sure it’s formatted correctly.
Audience Optimization
Audience optimization helps publishers reach and engage their audiences on social media. To be successful, you’ll need to use segmentation to target the right people. While this does mean that fewer people will see your videos, the ones who are watching are more likely to follow through with your desired action.
These five strategies will help your videos rank higher on YouTube. To learn more about publishing successful videos on one of the world’s largest social networks, contact WSI Internet Partners today.