How does SEO work on YouTube in 2021?

The first thing you have to know before even thinking about the concept of SEO is that YouTube is not a social network, although many refer to it by that name. In fact, it looks much more like a search engine. The comment and subscribe function exists and serves to create engagement, but the fact is that YouTube users use it to search for content. And the platform has its own algorithm, which is what we must seduce through marketing strategies. SEO in YouTube this 2021.

What do we mean when we talk about SEO on YouTube?

As you know, SEO, or content optimization for search engines, is a set of techniques that make up a strategy whose objective is that, given a search, in this case on YouTube, your video appears in the first results.

To handle SEO easily in YouTube you must know how searches work within the platform. And the most important thing that you are going to learn in this article is that the content of the video itself is, at first, secondary. The platform is not capable of interpreting your images or sounds, so its first source of data and pillar of support are descriptions, tags, file names, etc.

Of course, the quality of your videos will be decisive when it comes to attracting users. If you set all the metadata properly, but your videos are of poor quality or have no interest, all the previous positioning work will fall apart due to the lack of views, negative comments, etc.

Steps to improve YouTube SEO in 2021

Title your videos for SEO

The title is the first thing the algorithm and your viewers will see. procure that corresponds to your content (nothing of click bait, please) and with user search. So this one will stay to see it until the end.

But if you write the most attractive and optimized title in the world and the content of your video has nothing to do with it, prepare yourself for failure.

Example of a well-positioned video on YouTube thanks to SEO

Etiquette with YouTube SEO in mind

The tags qualify the content of the video and group with other videos by themes. This makes it easier for them to appear in related searches.

The tags are not visible to viewers, but the algorithm takes them into account. If you want to see your competition's tags, you can do so with the Tags for YouTube extension in both Firefox and Google Chrome.

Use #Hashtags #Adequate

Believe it or not, hashtags are still a trend in YouTube SEO in 2021. And it doesn't seem like they're going to disappear any time soon. Users use them to search content directly, so use them wisely. Again, the important thing is that the ones you use are directly related to your content. Above all, they are useful for events or to relate to certain trends. For example, weddings, awards, sporting events, etc.

Take care of the thumbnails

The thumbnail is the perfect match for the title and should be, above all, attractive. Here the value of the phrase «A picture is worth a thousand words». There is so much content on the internet that attracting users to yours can be hell. Quality images, showing people if possible and with bright colors will help you.

Y in FlitCut We can also help you with your videos, from the moment of their conception. ohContact us!