YouTube SEO services

What is the video title?

The header that users see when they see a video within YouTube.

The video title is a direct ranking factor within YouTube search and can impact:

• Relevancy – The title can have a huge impact on how a video is ranked for relevant search terms.
• Click-through Rate (CTR) – A highly relevant title can increase how likely a user clicks on the video.

Best Practices:

• Keyword targeted.
• Relevant and succinct to video topic.
• Maximum 860 pixels (approx. 70 characters).
• The title may also be used for Google Search so the most important words should be within the first 580 pixels (60 characters).
• Use ‘|’ to separate keywords.
• End with the brand name at the end.

What is the video description?

Found directly under the video title which gives users a better understanding of the video’s content on top of the video’s title.

The video description is a direct ranking factor within YouTube search and can impact:

• Relevancy – The description can have a huge impact on how a video is ranked for relevant search terms.
• Click-through Rate (CTR) – A highly relevant description can increase how likely a user clicks on the video.

Best Practices:

• Keyword targeted.
• Relevant and succinct to video topic.
• Aim for more than 150 characters.
• the first 120 characters can be shown in search engines so the most important words should be here.
• Internally link back to ENO or relevant site.

What is the video thumbnail?

The image used to represent the video.

The video thumbnail can impact:

• Click-through Rate (CTR) – An engaging or striking thumbnail can encourage users to take notice of content and click into the video.

Best Practices:

• Visually appealing.
• Pleasantly representative of the video.
• Use noticeable colours to attract the eye.
• Consider the colour contrasts used.
• Avoid thumbnails that use only grey/washed out colours.
• Follows the thumbnail policy.

What are transcripts & CCs?

The written translation of the video which is typically word-for-word. If this is provided (rather than autogenerated), a label will appear to indicate to users that subtitles are available.

Transcripts and CCs can impact:

• Accessibility – Both visually impaired users, users who would prefer to read than listen, and crawlers can understand the video.
• Relevancy – Written content can be used for SEO.

Best Practices:

• A word-for-word transcript available within the video that is not hardcoded.
• Provide a word-for-word transcript within the video.
• YouTube’s autogenerated CC feature is highly accurate but is subject to some errors in its speech detection.

What are Playlists?

A list of grouped together videos which can be auto-played exclusively for this list.

Playlists may impact:

• Engagement and UX – Users can easily access other relevant content from your channel.

Best Practices:

• Videos in a playlist are relevant to each other and show a clear theme for why it’s been created.
• Highly relevant playlist names.

What are Chapters?

Breaks in a video that indicate a topic where users can jump to within the video.

Chapters can impact:

• Engagement and UX – Users can more easily understand the top-level topics.
• Relevancy – Chapters can be used within Google Search to suggest a chapter rather than the overall video to relevant search terms.

Best Practices:

• Keyword targeted.
• Chapters can be added manually or autogenerated.
• Autogenerated chapter accuracy is unknown. When using this feature, it is recommended to review the autogenerated chapters and their timestamps.
• Steps on how to implement these can be found on support.google.com.

What is the Video Location?

Where the video was recorded.

Video Locations may impact:

• Relevancy – Users may be shown content based on their location.

Best Practices:

• Disclose the video’s recorded location as accurately as possible.
• Specific instructions can be found on support.google.com.

What are Tags?

YouTube tags are words and phrases used to give YouTube context about a video.

Tags may be an important ranking factor and can impact:

• Relevancy

Best Practices:

• Keyword targeted.
• Highly relevant to video’s topic.
• The most important keywords/phrases should be mentioned first. The first tag provides the most weight.
• Avoid tag overstuffing. Stick to 5-8 tags per video.

What are Cards?

Cards are interactive links that let creators share links to relevant content and can appear at any point during a video.

Cards can impact:

• Conversions & Traffic – For the link the creator refers their audience to.
• Engagement – Refer the viewer to other video content to continue their journey.

Best Practices:

• Space cards out so users don’t feel bombarded and can react appropriately to whether they want to interact with a card.
• Information on implementing cards can be found on support.google.com.

What are End Screens?

The screen that is shown to viewers at the very end of a video.

End Screens can impact:

• Visibility – Viewers are recommended videos within ENO’s control.
• Channel Subscribes – If linked within the End Screen.
• Video Plays for the videos being linked to.

Best Practices:

• Consider leaving space the end of the video for an end screen to appear.
• Recommend highly relevant videos
• Consider adding actions to complete any channel goals.
• If the video is part of a playlist, end screens are not needed as viewers will be lead to another video automatically.