Jul 25, 20223 min read

Optimize Your YouTube Videos for Higher Rankings and Better Conversions: A YouTube SEO Checklist

Updated: Aug 6

If you're looking to rank your YouTube videos higher in the search engine results pages (SERPs), then you need to optimize them for YouTube SEO. Just like with regular SEO, there are a number of things you can do to make sure your videos are as high-ranking as possible. Here's a YouTube SEO checklist from eCommerce SEO experts you can use to optimize your YouTube videos and rank well. After all, if you rank well, your videos will be viewed more often and will in turn drive interest and conversions. Anything you do online must tie into performance and growth otherwise there’s no point in doing it at all.

Before Starting Before you begin to optimize your videos, there are a few things you need to do first: Make sure you have a business YouTube channel: This will help you convey the reputability of your business and send that signal to YouTube algorithms. Create a content plan: What kind of videos do you want to make? Who is your target audience? What kind of messaging are you trying to get across? Answering these questions will help you create better videos that rank higher. Figure out your audience: YouTube is a global platform with users of all ages, genders, and interests. Knowing who your target audience is will help you make videos they're more likely to watch and engage with. Set goals for your channel (KPIs): What do you want your YouTube channel to achieve? Do you want more views, subscribers, or engagement? Having specific goals will help you track your success and adjust your strategy as needed.

The YouTube SEO Checklist Now that you've got the basics down, it's time to start optimizing your YouTube videos for SEO.

Narrow Down Keyword Targeting Before you can write the perfect title and description, you need to know what keywords you're targeting. YouTube allows you to target up to three primary keywords and five secondary keywords per video. Do your research to figure out which keywords will be most effective for ranking your videos.

Write the Perfect Title Your title is one of the first things potential viewers will see, so it needs to be eye-catching and accurate. Keep your titles short, descriptive, and to the point. Include your primary keyword in the title if possible.

Write a Great Description Your video's description is another important ranking factor. Again, include your primary keyword as well as any secondary keywords you're targeting. You should also include a call-to-action (CTA) in your description.

Create an Eye-Catching Thumbnail Your thumbnail is what will show up on YouTube when someone searches for one of your keywords. Make sure it's high-resolution and accurately represents the content of your video. YouTube recommends using a 1280x720 pixel image for your thumbnail.

CTA With Cards on the Video Cards are small pieces of information that appear on your videos to promote other videos, playlists, or websites. You can use cards to encourage viewers to take further action, such as subscribing to your channel or visiting your website.

Add Watermarks Watermarks are small images that appear in the bottom right corner of your videos. They're a great way to promote your brand and make sure viewers know who made the video.

Optimize Your Playlist (relevant keyword-targets titles and descriptions) Playlists are a great way to keep viewers engaged with your channel. But they can also help you rank higher in YouTube search results. Make sure to include relevant keywords in the title and description of your playlist.

Optimize Your Videos With WSI, the eCommerce SEO Experts WSI can help you optimize your entire YouTube channel and all your content. Our team of eCommerce SEO experts can help you create and implement a YouTube optimization strategy that will get your videos ranking higher and converting better in no time. Contact us today and book a consultation!