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How To Optimize YouTube Videos - YouTube Optimization Tips

  |  2 years ago   |  
How To Optimize YouTube Videos YouTube Optimization Tips

Last week I had the privilege of speaking, along with Lane Shackleton of YouTube, at the Dallas Fort Worth Search Marketing Association. The topic was YouTube - why YouTube, and how to market YouTube videos, optimize YouTube videos, and advertise video content on YouTube so as to take full advantage of the opportunity that exists within YouTube. The following is my complete presentation from the event.

YouTube Optimization = Quality + SEO + Community

The best piece of advice that I can give for optimizing video on YouTube, is that, it is NOT about metadata and text alone. It is no longer enough to rely on titles, descriptions, and tags for getting videos ranked. This may still work for very long-tail keyword queries, but there are now many different YouTube ranking factors, both on-page and off-site.

YouTube optimization, especially for competitive keyword phrases - it is about a combination of 1) creating quality, compelling video content 2) publishing using SEO best practices, and 3) engaging with the community, both within as well as outside of YouTube.

How to Optimize and Market YouTube Videos - My Presentation

In the presentation slides below (also see outline below the slides), I walk through, in detail:

  • Making the case for online video and for YouTube in particular
  • How to publish and optimize YouTube videos (the gist of which starts on slide 8. )
  • YouTube ranking factors and things to consider
  • Promoting and marketing YouTube videos
  • Driving conversions with YouTube videos
  • Customizing YouTube embed
  • etc...

Please let me know your feedback in the comments below and I hope that my presentation helps you better maximize your YouTube efforts.

Click Here to Expand Presentation Outline

You can download this presentation on SlideShare, here.

Posted in Video SEO, Youtube Marketing
2013 Video Marketing Summit
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About the Author -
Mark Robertson is the Founder and Publisher of ReelSEO, an online information resource dedicated to the fusion of video, technology, social media, search, and internet marketing. He is a professional online video marketing consultant and video marketing expert, popular speaker, and considered to be a passionate leader within the online video and search marketing industries. View All Posts By -

What do you think? ▼
  • http://reelseo.com/about/grant Grant Crowell

    What's unusual is that when you Google search "optimize youtube videos", Mark's article is in the News results, but the graphic icon to the left of it is from Search Engine Watch. Check it out at: http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=optimize+youtube+videos&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8

    • http://www.reelseo.com/ Mark Robertson

      I saw that - WTF

  • http://www.VideoLeadsOnline.com/ Ronnie Bincer

    You mention on slide 13 to put your keywords FIRST in the titles, descriptions, and tags... Do you think that makes much difference? Especially in the Tags area? I thought that YouTube seemed to give equal weight to ALL the tags, but that it was always wise to group your "long tail keyword phrase" in quotes as well as not in quotes.

    Your thoughts are appreciated since I was not there listening to your wise words of wisdom as you did your presentation.

    Hound... Out!

  • lorrainegrula

    Thanks Mark. You Tube has always been the 800 lb. gorilla so learning how to rank well on You Tube is a valuable skill. You give excellent suggestions on creating an effective strategy.

  • http://KyleClouse.com/ Kyle Clouse

    Mark, this is great content. I was at a Utah Technology Council networking event on video marketing and we were talking specifically about this. Someone mentioned that they follow reelseo.com and so here I am and I am glad I checked it out. Thanks again!

    • http://www.reelseo.com/ Mark Robertson

      Thanks Kyle. We certainly try and love the kind words.

  • Max

    Hi Mark,
    I was looking for information on how to generate HD format for Youtube with Powerpoint presentations and came across your presentation. Thanks for condensing so much information about Youtube marketing into such a compact package. It really is a compendium of what to do now.

    • http://www.reelseo.com/ Mark Robertson

      Thanks Max - I hope it was helpful for you.

  • http://www.greatwolfspirit.com/ Mike

    When promoting a business. Should you allow comments and video responses or not? If you do, doesn't it pave the way for spammers, unrelated stuff and negative comments? What's the advantage to allowing comments and video responses?

    • http://www.reelseo.com/ Mark Robertson

      In my opinion, absolutely you should allow comments (video responses as well
      but not as crucial). It does open the way for spammers and
      unrelated/negative comments but there are 2 ways to handle this. 1) you can
      set it up so that you have to approve any and all comments before they are
      posted. and 2) you can remove negative comments after they are posted and 3)
      You can leave them as is and respond to each one, which is a good idea in
      my opinion because you remain engaged with the user. To answer your last
      question - the advantage of allowing comments is that it engages with the
      YouTube community and many engagement factors are being used by YouTube to
      rank videos. IE - if your video has more engagement, comments, ratings,
      subscriptions, favorites, views, etc.... it will rank better than those
      that do not, given all other things equal. Hope that helps.

      • http://www.greatwolfspirit.com/ Mike

        Very helpful!

        • http://www.reelseo.com/ Mark Robertson

          Thanks Mike - Good luck

  • Hope

    This presentation is amazing and sums up so much information so clearly. I've been lurking awhile here and first just thanks so much for this invaluable resource (your site)!

    A quick question: You mention age as a factor for YouTube rankings. My company is currently running testing on videos (embeds, transcripts etc.) that we uploaded as "unlisted". Would you recommend reloading those videos when listing as public? They will have been up for about 2 weeks before we launch with press release etc.

    Could it hurt us in terms of initial views, momentum, etc. if we just switch our 2-week old videos from "unlisted" to public? I've seen the TubeMogul statistics showing a huge drop off in views after 14 days, so it made me think!

    Thanks in advance!

    • http://www.reelseo.com/ Mark Robertson

      Hope - that is an interesting question indeed. At the same time, it does
      seem that youtube gives some weight to established videos - IE, older....
      My guess is that the drop off occurs more for reasons of subscriber alerts
      and content owners own social media pushes which likely subside after a few
      weeks. If it were me, Id merely change em from unlisted to public.

      • Hope

        Thanks much for responding, Mark. What you've said makes sense, I was wondering what a huge dropoff like that could be attributable to. Much appreciated and we'll keep reading over here!

  • http://www.marketrumbawebvideo.com Marketrumba

    Mark,
    I just found this post. As a internet video marketer for local businesses I stay on top of what is happening with video SEO.
    You gave me some YouTube information I didn't know.
    Thanks!

    • http://www.reelseo.com/ Mark Robertson

      Marketrumba - Glad to hear and thanks for the comment.

  • LaTonya

    Wow Mark, this is excellent material. I just started creating videos, and I'm on # 11 now. I really enjoy it, yet if it doesn't generate traffic then what's the use:-/

    I am definitely take your advise, as well as subscribe to your site.

    God bless;-)

    LaTonya @ http://LaTonyaRecommends.com

    • http://www.reelseo.com/ Mark Robertson

      sweet - glad to hear it - God bless you as well.

  • Nicole

    If we have video(s) on our site and the same video(s) on our YouTube channel which will come up higher in search if they have the same keywords, etc. I'm finding that YouTube takes precedence over all other videos which is a bummer since our focus is on selling products. The higher-ups are thinking of pulling the YouTube channel all together... what are you thoughts on this?

    • http://www.reelseo.com/ Mark Robertson

      take a look at this and then let me know your thoughts -
      http://www.reelseo.com/youtube-cannibalization-ecommerce/ I think this will
      help with your question specifically.

  • mooersrealty

    Thanks for the A-Z on video handling, adjusting the sails to work with the 30 frames per second caused wind. Local community videos are huge for someone that has never been to your zip code. That knows diddly and is hungry for helpful, time saving local information, not needing a Hollywood spun Oscar winning performance to entertain.

  • http://profiles.google.com/nitgreenseo nitgreen seo

    Great Tips,One of the most recent trends today in building backlinks and driving traffic to a website is video submission.The main idea behind video submission is that search engines assign more weightage to pages containing videos

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=693681930 Jason Laffan

    Is there a link to download the audio? The slides are great but I am only left to wonder what you actually said.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=693681930 Jason Laffan

    Is there a link to download the audio? The slides are great but I am only left to wonder what you actually said.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000949152982 Rrabbi Khan

    nice post very informative.

    from http://timesnewstoday.com/

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000949152982 Rrabbi Khan

    nice post very informative.

    from http://timesnewstoday.com/

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=717025319 Andrew Monu

    Mark, thank you! I work on providing video marketing services to SMEs and there is loads of great info in here.

    When you mention driving video views, is running seeding campaigns (i.e. sending videos to users that fit with your target market) an effective way of getting views? For example, a hairdresser video is sent to YouTube subscribers that fit the category of 'women based in London'. My business has been approached by a few companies pitching seeding campaigns, but I'm concerned this may be a weak method because the users are probably not be in the frame of mind to buy your product at that moment.

    Thoughts?

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=572705760 John Walsh

    great article and very relavant!

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=572705760 John Walsh

    great article and very relavant!

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=745714619 Douglass M. Doggett Sr.

    thanks lots! just put up our first couple of videos on youtube and it seems that I instinctively followed some of your best practices. I'm still learning and this input is fantastic. thanks, doug

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=745714619 Douglass M. Doggett Sr.

    thanks lots! just put up our first couple of videos on youtube and it seems that I instinctively followed some of your best practices. I'm still learning and this input is fantastic. thanks, doug

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=808053127 Andrew Mooers

    Real video utilizing the audio channel as 40% of the experience is one memorable way to connect, engage, relate with your audience.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=808053127 Andrew Mooers

    Real video utilizing the audio channel as 40% of the experience is one memorable way to connect, engage, relate with your audience.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=625331287 Yura Bar

    Just wondering if there is technique to get your video as related video to highly popular videos?

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=625331287 Yura Bar

    Just wondering if there is technique to get your video as related video to highly popular videos?

  • hktemplegate

    Is there any program that can optimize all search engine with one click.?  We provide Hong Kong company formation services and I believe everybody need our service. I am in vain to optimize my website 

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