Though few people know it, YouTube constitutes a form of social media. The platform is primarily used for hosting videos yet those same videos present an opportunity to engage in a productive and informative dialogue with viewers. The quality of your YouTube videos matters most yet responding to the comments underneath the videos is also important. The challenge lies in engaging the audience to the point that they are compelled to seek more information.
It is the subtleties of YouTube video production that determine whether the content is properly optimized for maximizing views and hiking engagement. Balance YouTube production components just right and it will lead to the all-important “critical mass” that spurs conversion through this popular platform.
Optimizing YouTube Videos is Easier Than Most Assume
YouTube video optimization is centered on a couple basic strategies yet there are also some covert tricks that will help boost views and engagement all the more. The combination of these two strategic elements facilitates success in the context of the YouTube algorithm.
Piece together the puzzle of the algorithm with nuanced YouTube production elements, present information that is tailored to your audience and you will increase views as well as engagement. Similar to Google, YouTube has idiosyncratic factors that determine how content is ranked. The video platform ranks video content based on:
- Video content quality
- Video relevance in relation to the title
- Quality of the description
- Additional elements
Focus on Keywords
The YouTube algorithm even goes as far as gauging whether the keyword ties into the user’s intent when searching the platform or the web for certain words or phrases. The viewing audience desires to consume videos on the platform that contain specific keywords or key phrases. In short, it is a mistake to upload a video without conducting preliminary keyword research.
Though uploading videos without search engine optimization (SEO) in mind will certainly generate some views, those views won’t be maximized until select keywords are implemented. Do your due diligence in the context of keyword research and you’ll understand the ease or difficulty of ranking for selected keywords. Above all, consider the context in terms of the channel size, your industry and even your niche before focusing video content on a specific keyword, several keywords or key phrases.
The competition is stiff for the hottest keywords such as “exercise”, “diet” and “making money online.” If your business’s YouTube channel is relatively new or if you are in an especially hot niche, create video content that is focused on keywords with less competition. You can gradually enter the foray to compete with the well-established channels after your channel begins to rack up the views, subscribers and overarching engagement.
The bottom line is your channel will struggle to match or outrank competing channels that have more than 100,000 subscribers and extensive engagement if your sole focus is on weaving high competition words and phrases into your content. The search volume for such words and terms is simply too heavy. Start out slow and easy with a focus on keywords that have a comparatively low search volume along with a significantly lower competition score, ease your way into the mix and you’ll gradually gain momentum.
Quality Over Quantity
YouTube video production that optimizes video views and engagement centers on high-quality content as opposed to a high quantity of content. The truth is YouTube’s algorithm is advanced to the point that it can determine if video content is of high quality, informative and helpful to viewers.
The following metrics communicate to YouTube that the target audience obtains meaningful value from the content:
- Comments
- Shares
- Time spent watching
- Number of thumbs up in response to the video
Learn about your target audience, identify their problems, provide solutions and present the answers in video content that intrigues.
Function and Form are Equally Important
Now that we’ve covered the functional component of YouTube videos, let’s shift our attention to the form. The manner in which videos are presented matters just as much as the purpose of the videos. Invest in a high-quality camera, microphone, lighting and video editing software to bring out the best in your videos. There is no shame in leaning on a video editing specialist or using a YouTube video editor online to modify your footage with YouTube viewer engagement squarely in mind.
Add a Video Description and Tags
The video description communicates expectations to your viewing audience as well as YouTube’s algorithm. Optimize the video description for keywords, key phrases and clarity to boost its ranking all the more. At a bare minimum, the video description should be 1,000 characters. Focus on maximizing viewer engagement in the initial 100 characters by providing a cogent summary of the importance of the video, weave in those important and you’ll inspire the audience to view or at least listen to the video.
Don’t forget to add relevant tags to your video. Relevant tags optimize uploaded videos all the more. These brief yet important words and phrases are similar to Twitter tags in that they help the audience and the algorithm learn about the video content. Continue to add relevant tags and your video rankings on the platform will increase as time progresses.
