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"2024 Approved Unleash the Power of Your YouTube Channel with Expert Editing Techniques"
Unleash the Power of Your YouTube Channel with Expert Editing Techniques
How To Edit YouTube Videos
Richard Bennett
Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions
YouTube videos have a certain look and feel that many viewers have come to expect and enjoy. Much of the aesthetics of YouTube videos developed as a result of the biggest YouTubers having to quickly and efficiently edit videos together on a daily basis. Below is our list of some of the most common video editing techniques used by famous YouTubers.
Part 1: Introduction
1. Start Big
“I’m doing something really exciting… within the first ten seconds of this video. That way you stay here.” – Liza Koshy (How To Be A YouTuber 101!! | Lizzza)
In the same way that a teaser or trailer builds anticipation for a full film, many YouTubers start with a preview of the most high-energy part of their video.
In Jake Paul’s prank vlog (above), Jake shows his brother, Logan, chasing and beating him up as Jake screams for help at the top of his lungs. The already high-energy scene is even more intensified by the epic music playing in the background. This seven-second clip, which resurfaces halfway through the video, is enough to entice many viewers to continue watching. It very effectively leaves enough room for viewers to wonder, “How did Logan’s room actually look in the end?” “What was Logan’s initial reaction before he started chasing Jake?” By creating curiosity gaps like these, you can incentivize your viewers to close these gaps by watching longer.
2. Opening Title Introduction
Just as TV episodes begin with opening credits and theme music, quite similarly, some YouTubers start their YouTube videos with an intro.
Greg from “How To Drink” has an effective twenty-second intro (above). In this video, he shows you who he is and what his videos are generally about. Since these two things don’t change so much for him from video to video, he can start many of his videos off with this same intro.
Below is a video tutorial about how to add text and titles to video in Filmora, hope that helps you in creating your own YouTube video texts and titles.
For more information on intros, check out our post on How to Make a YouTube Intro?
Part 2: Cuts
1. Jump Cut
A jump cut is a simple and straightforward type of video editing cutting technique that “jumps” from one section of a clip to a later section of a clip, cutting out whatever happened in the middle. Some of the middle parts you might want to remove may include mistakes, long silent pauses, and filler words (umm, like, etc.).
Although the use of jump cuts to remove these parts had been discouraged for a long time in the film world, its extensive use by so many YouTubers has established it as its own style that many viewers have come to expect and enjoy. The jumpiness that comes from jump cuts can be effective in keeping your audience’s attention in a shock-inducing manner.
Jump cuts can also be used to show a passage of time in a creative way or make objects magically appear on-screen.
Zack King (above) makes a toy taxi magically appear in his hands using this video editing technique. Filmora allows you to do jump cut easily, you can watch the tutorial below and learn more jump cut tips and tricks .
2. Associative Cut
Not everyone in your audience may recognize the cultural or historical references you make in your videos. It can, therefore, be helpful (and also quite enjoyable) to show the original clip of the reference you are making.
In the same vlog that Jake Paul gets chased down by his brother (above), twenty-eight seconds into the video, Jake expresses his desire to go fast in his car. Right after he says “I want to go fast,” Jake cuts into a scene from the movie Talladega Nights. In that scene, Ricky Bobby, Will Ferrell’s character, also says that he wants to go fast.
Part 3: Transform
1. Zoom
Many YouTubers digitally adjust the zoom of their talking head shots in order to create additional emphasis or suspense. When zoom is used very slowly and smoothly, this technique can be effective in building up suspense and drawing a viewer deeper into the speaker’s message. When a drastic zoom is used suddenly, it can be effective in emphasizing a particular spoken line.
RiceGum is one YouTuber who uses zoom video editing effects extensively in his talking head videos. Want to pan and zoom your video footage too? Check our guide to getting Ken Burns Effect on Videos .
2. Camera Shake
Camera shake is a video effect that makes the original clip appear like it was filmed during a violent earthquake. Many YouTubers use this effect to emphasize their voice when they are talking about something erratic or out of control.
3. Color/Level Adjustment
A lot of comedy YouTubers change the color and levels of their videos in order to emphasize different moods. One common thing YouTubers do when they talk about anything slightly sad is to gradually fade out the colors in their talking head shots. In a cheesy way, the black and white look can emphasize a feeling of emptiness. For his “sad” reactions, PewDiePie often jump cuts into a black and white, slowed down clip of his sad face while playing some sad music in the background. To emphasize a darker message, some YouTubers increase the amount of shadows in their video. In the video below, while his daughter is delivering a darker message from 0:32 to 0:50, La Guardia Cross gradually adds more shadows around his daughter’s face through what appears to be a vignette effect.
Part 4: Transitions
1. Wipe
Many YouTubers transition from one scene into the next using a wipe transition. In a wipe transition, the next clip that you want to transition into slides into the frame horizontally or vertically until it completely covers the first clip. For additional wiping effect, many YouTubers also use a fast, high pitched “woosh” sound effect with this transition.
2. Zoom
The zoom transition is quite similar to the wipe transition, except it uses a zoom effect. Many of the top YouTubers combine this transition with a lower-pitched “woosh” sound effect.
Part 5: Visual Elements
In other genres of film, the only appropriate visual elements filmmakers can tastefully add to their footage seem to be clean looking, seamlessly integrated text and motion graphics. YouTube, on the other hand, is another world with much more room to get outrageous. Many of the top YouTubers add a lot of visual elements (emojis , images, filters, explosions) to their videos to emphasize their jokes, play-on-words, historical or cultural references, and mood.
1. Call-To-Action Visuals
Whether they’re prompting you to subscribe, like, comment, or check out their purchasable merchandise, many YouTubers include visuals to strengthen their calls-to-action.
Part 6: Time Manipulation
1. Timelapse
“The staple of any Casey Neistat vlog is the timelapse, which he uses both to further the narrative or set the time of day.” -@omgurheadsgone
A lot of cameras now come with a timelapse/hyperlapse function, requiring no further video editing. To achieve the kind of timelapses that Casey Neistat makes, though, you’ll have to film real-time footage and then manipulate the speed of it in post. Since sped up ambient sound is hardly ever pleasing to the ear, a lot of YouTubers replace the audio with music that enhances the mood of the timelapse.
2. Slow Motion
Slowing down footage is another way YouTubers like to manipulate the passage of time. This technique can draw the audience’s attention into the intricacies of a movement captured on film. But if you stretch your video clip digitally in order to achieve this look, your video may not look so smooth – your software will need to create extra frames of footage based on your existing footage. The solution around this problem is to make sure to record your video at a very high frame rate.
Part 7: Audio
1. Censor
The traditional practice for censoring out explicit language in television has been to replace profanity with a high pitched “bleep” sound effect . YouTubers, however, have popularized the use of animal sound effects to censor out explicit language. Epic Meal Time frequently uses the “caw” of a crow for this purpose.
2. Sound Effects
Whether it is pouring water into a cup or drinking a glass of water, adding louder sound effects can enhance your viewer’s experience of the action that is taking place on camera.
3. Background Music
Music is very effective in helping people feel all kinds of emotions. It is no wonder so many of the top YouTubers make gratuitous use of music in their videos. Some even add background music to every single clip of their entire YouTube video and only drop the music when the following technique (below) is used.
4. Muting Background Music
A lot of YouTubers who talk over background music abruptly mute the music when they want their audience to focus their attention on whatever it is that they have to say at that very moment. Isolating one’s speech in this way can be a very effective way to emphasize something serious or emphasize a punchline to a joke.
5. Voice-Over
Adding additional recorded verbal commentary is another technique used by many of the top YouTubers. This technique can be helpful when the visuals of your footage do not sufficiently communicate the full message you want to get across to your audience.
6. Compressor
A lot of video editing software programs give you the option to add compression to your video’s audio. Compression lessens the dynamic range between the softest and loudest parts of your audio. This technique can help your speech sound more uniform in volume.
For those who want to make their YouTube videos better, I recommend Wondershare Filmora for editing YouTube videos . Filmora video editor allows you to create and edit a YouTube video easily with plentiful templates and effects pre-programmed.
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett
Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions
YouTube videos have a certain look and feel that many viewers have come to expect and enjoy. Much of the aesthetics of YouTube videos developed as a result of the biggest YouTubers having to quickly and efficiently edit videos together on a daily basis. Below is our list of some of the most common video editing techniques used by famous YouTubers.
Part 1: Introduction
1. Start Big
“I’m doing something really exciting… within the first ten seconds of this video. That way you stay here.” – Liza Koshy (How To Be A YouTuber 101!! | Lizzza)
In the same way that a teaser or trailer builds anticipation for a full film, many YouTubers start with a preview of the most high-energy part of their video.
In Jake Paul’s prank vlog (above), Jake shows his brother, Logan, chasing and beating him up as Jake screams for help at the top of his lungs. The already high-energy scene is even more intensified by the epic music playing in the background. This seven-second clip, which resurfaces halfway through the video, is enough to entice many viewers to continue watching. It very effectively leaves enough room for viewers to wonder, “How did Logan’s room actually look in the end?” “What was Logan’s initial reaction before he started chasing Jake?” By creating curiosity gaps like these, you can incentivize your viewers to close these gaps by watching longer.
2. Opening Title Introduction
Just as TV episodes begin with opening credits and theme music, quite similarly, some YouTubers start their YouTube videos with an intro.
Greg from “How To Drink” has an effective twenty-second intro (above). In this video, he shows you who he is and what his videos are generally about. Since these two things don’t change so much for him from video to video, he can start many of his videos off with this same intro.
Below is a video tutorial about how to add text and titles to video in Filmora, hope that helps you in creating your own YouTube video texts and titles.
For more information on intros, check out our post on How to Make a YouTube Intro?
Part 2: Cuts
1. Jump Cut
A jump cut is a simple and straightforward type of video editing cutting technique that “jumps” from one section of a clip to a later section of a clip, cutting out whatever happened in the middle. Some of the middle parts you might want to remove may include mistakes, long silent pauses, and filler words (umm, like, etc.).
Although the use of jump cuts to remove these parts had been discouraged for a long time in the film world, its extensive use by so many YouTubers has established it as its own style that many viewers have come to expect and enjoy. The jumpiness that comes from jump cuts can be effective in keeping your audience’s attention in a shock-inducing manner.
Jump cuts can also be used to show a passage of time in a creative way or make objects magically appear on-screen.
Zack King (above) makes a toy taxi magically appear in his hands using this video editing technique. Filmora allows you to do jump cut easily, you can watch the tutorial below and learn more jump cut tips and tricks .
2. Associative Cut
Not everyone in your audience may recognize the cultural or historical references you make in your videos. It can, therefore, be helpful (and also quite enjoyable) to show the original clip of the reference you are making.
In the same vlog that Jake Paul gets chased down by his brother (above), twenty-eight seconds into the video, Jake expresses his desire to go fast in his car. Right after he says “I want to go fast,” Jake cuts into a scene from the movie Talladega Nights. In that scene, Ricky Bobby, Will Ferrell’s character, also says that he wants to go fast.
Part 3: Transform
1. Zoom
Many YouTubers digitally adjust the zoom of their talking head shots in order to create additional emphasis or suspense. When zoom is used very slowly and smoothly, this technique can be effective in building up suspense and drawing a viewer deeper into the speaker’s message. When a drastic zoom is used suddenly, it can be effective in emphasizing a particular spoken line.
RiceGum is one YouTuber who uses zoom video editing effects extensively in his talking head videos. Want to pan and zoom your video footage too? Check our guide to getting Ken Burns Effect on Videos .
2. Camera Shake
Camera shake is a video effect that makes the original clip appear like it was filmed during a violent earthquake. Many YouTubers use this effect to emphasize their voice when they are talking about something erratic or out of control.
3. Color/Level Adjustment
A lot of comedy YouTubers change the color and levels of their videos in order to emphasize different moods. One common thing YouTubers do when they talk about anything slightly sad is to gradually fade out the colors in their talking head shots. In a cheesy way, the black and white look can emphasize a feeling of emptiness. For his “sad” reactions, PewDiePie often jump cuts into a black and white, slowed down clip of his sad face while playing some sad music in the background. To emphasize a darker message, some YouTubers increase the amount of shadows in their video. In the video below, while his daughter is delivering a darker message from 0:32 to 0:50, La Guardia Cross gradually adds more shadows around his daughter’s face through what appears to be a vignette effect.
Part 4: Transitions
1. Wipe
Many YouTubers transition from one scene into the next using a wipe transition. In a wipe transition, the next clip that you want to transition into slides into the frame horizontally or vertically until it completely covers the first clip. For additional wiping effect, many YouTubers also use a fast, high pitched “woosh” sound effect with this transition.
2. Zoom
The zoom transition is quite similar to the wipe transition, except it uses a zoom effect. Many of the top YouTubers combine this transition with a lower-pitched “woosh” sound effect.
Part 5: Visual Elements
In other genres of film, the only appropriate visual elements filmmakers can tastefully add to their footage seem to be clean looking, seamlessly integrated text and motion graphics. YouTube, on the other hand, is another world with much more room to get outrageous. Many of the top YouTubers add a lot of visual elements (emojis , images, filters, explosions) to their videos to emphasize their jokes, play-on-words, historical or cultural references, and mood.
1. Call-To-Action Visuals
Whether they’re prompting you to subscribe, like, comment, or check out their purchasable merchandise, many YouTubers include visuals to strengthen their calls-to-action.
Part 6: Time Manipulation
1. Timelapse
“The staple of any Casey Neistat vlog is the timelapse, which he uses both to further the narrative or set the time of day.” -@omgurheadsgone
A lot of cameras now come with a timelapse/hyperlapse function, requiring no further video editing. To achieve the kind of timelapses that Casey Neistat makes, though, you’ll have to film real-time footage and then manipulate the speed of it in post. Since sped up ambient sound is hardly ever pleasing to the ear, a lot of YouTubers replace the audio with music that enhances the mood of the timelapse.
2. Slow Motion
Slowing down footage is another way YouTubers like to manipulate the passage of time. This technique can draw the audience’s attention into the intricacies of a movement captured on film. But if you stretch your video clip digitally in order to achieve this look, your video may not look so smooth – your software will need to create extra frames of footage based on your existing footage. The solution around this problem is to make sure to record your video at a very high frame rate.
Part 7: Audio
1. Censor
The traditional practice for censoring out explicit language in television has been to replace profanity with a high pitched “bleep” sound effect . YouTubers, however, have popularized the use of animal sound effects to censor out explicit language. Epic Meal Time frequently uses the “caw” of a crow for this purpose.
2. Sound Effects
Whether it is pouring water into a cup or drinking a glass of water, adding louder sound effects can enhance your viewer’s experience of the action that is taking place on camera.
3. Background Music
Music is very effective in helping people feel all kinds of emotions. It is no wonder so many of the top YouTubers make gratuitous use of music in their videos. Some even add background music to every single clip of their entire YouTube video and only drop the music when the following technique (below) is used.
4. Muting Background Music
A lot of YouTubers who talk over background music abruptly mute the music when they want their audience to focus their attention on whatever it is that they have to say at that very moment. Isolating one’s speech in this way can be a very effective way to emphasize something serious or emphasize a punchline to a joke.
5. Voice-Over
Adding additional recorded verbal commentary is another technique used by many of the top YouTubers. This technique can be helpful when the visuals of your footage do not sufficiently communicate the full message you want to get across to your audience.
6. Compressor
A lot of video editing software programs give you the option to add compression to your video’s audio. Compression lessens the dynamic range between the softest and loudest parts of your audio. This technique can help your speech sound more uniform in volume.
For those who want to make their YouTube videos better, I recommend Wondershare Filmora for editing YouTube videos . Filmora video editor allows you to create and edit a YouTube video easily with plentiful templates and effects pre-programmed.
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett
Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions
YouTube videos have a certain look and feel that many viewers have come to expect and enjoy. Much of the aesthetics of YouTube videos developed as a result of the biggest YouTubers having to quickly and efficiently edit videos together on a daily basis. Below is our list of some of the most common video editing techniques used by famous YouTubers.
Part 1: Introduction
1. Start Big
“I’m doing something really exciting… within the first ten seconds of this video. That way you stay here.” – Liza Koshy (How To Be A YouTuber 101!! | Lizzza)
In the same way that a teaser or trailer builds anticipation for a full film, many YouTubers start with a preview of the most high-energy part of their video.
In Jake Paul’s prank vlog (above), Jake shows his brother, Logan, chasing and beating him up as Jake screams for help at the top of his lungs. The already high-energy scene is even more intensified by the epic music playing in the background. This seven-second clip, which resurfaces halfway through the video, is enough to entice many viewers to continue watching. It very effectively leaves enough room for viewers to wonder, “How did Logan’s room actually look in the end?” “What was Logan’s initial reaction before he started chasing Jake?” By creating curiosity gaps like these, you can incentivize your viewers to close these gaps by watching longer.
2. Opening Title Introduction
Just as TV episodes begin with opening credits and theme music, quite similarly, some YouTubers start their YouTube videos with an intro.
Greg from “How To Drink” has an effective twenty-second intro (above). In this video, he shows you who he is and what his videos are generally about. Since these two things don’t change so much for him from video to video, he can start many of his videos off with this same intro.
Below is a video tutorial about how to add text and titles to video in Filmora, hope that helps you in creating your own YouTube video texts and titles.
For more information on intros, check out our post on How to Make a YouTube Intro?
Part 2: Cuts
1. Jump Cut
A jump cut is a simple and straightforward type of video editing cutting technique that “jumps” from one section of a clip to a later section of a clip, cutting out whatever happened in the middle. Some of the middle parts you might want to remove may include mistakes, long silent pauses, and filler words (umm, like, etc.).
Although the use of jump cuts to remove these parts had been discouraged for a long time in the film world, its extensive use by so many YouTubers has established it as its own style that many viewers have come to expect and enjoy. The jumpiness that comes from jump cuts can be effective in keeping your audience’s attention in a shock-inducing manner.
Jump cuts can also be used to show a passage of time in a creative way or make objects magically appear on-screen.
Zack King (above) makes a toy taxi magically appear in his hands using this video editing technique. Filmora allows you to do jump cut easily, you can watch the tutorial below and learn more jump cut tips and tricks .
2. Associative Cut
Not everyone in your audience may recognize the cultural or historical references you make in your videos. It can, therefore, be helpful (and also quite enjoyable) to show the original clip of the reference you are making.
In the same vlog that Jake Paul gets chased down by his brother (above), twenty-eight seconds into the video, Jake expresses his desire to go fast in his car. Right after he says “I want to go fast,” Jake cuts into a scene from the movie Talladega Nights. In that scene, Ricky Bobby, Will Ferrell’s character, also says that he wants to go fast.
Part 3: Transform
1. Zoom
Many YouTubers digitally adjust the zoom of their talking head shots in order to create additional emphasis or suspense. When zoom is used very slowly and smoothly, this technique can be effective in building up suspense and drawing a viewer deeper into the speaker’s message. When a drastic zoom is used suddenly, it can be effective in emphasizing a particular spoken line.
RiceGum is one YouTuber who uses zoom video editing effects extensively in his talking head videos. Want to pan and zoom your video footage too? Check our guide to getting Ken Burns Effect on Videos .
2. Camera Shake
Camera shake is a video effect that makes the original clip appear like it was filmed during a violent earthquake. Many YouTubers use this effect to emphasize their voice when they are talking about something erratic or out of control.
3. Color/Level Adjustment
A lot of comedy YouTubers change the color and levels of their videos in order to emphasize different moods. One common thing YouTubers do when they talk about anything slightly sad is to gradually fade out the colors in their talking head shots. In a cheesy way, the black and white look can emphasize a feeling of emptiness. For his “sad” reactions, PewDiePie often jump cuts into a black and white, slowed down clip of his sad face while playing some sad music in the background. To emphasize a darker message, some YouTubers increase the amount of shadows in their video. In the video below, while his daughter is delivering a darker message from 0:32 to 0:50, La Guardia Cross gradually adds more shadows around his daughter’s face through what appears to be a vignette effect.
Part 4: Transitions
1. Wipe
Many YouTubers transition from one scene into the next using a wipe transition. In a wipe transition, the next clip that you want to transition into slides into the frame horizontally or vertically until it completely covers the first clip. For additional wiping effect, many YouTubers also use a fast, high pitched “woosh” sound effect with this transition.
2. Zoom
The zoom transition is quite similar to the wipe transition, except it uses a zoom effect. Many of the top YouTubers combine this transition with a lower-pitched “woosh” sound effect.
Part 5: Visual Elements
In other genres of film, the only appropriate visual elements filmmakers can tastefully add to their footage seem to be clean looking, seamlessly integrated text and motion graphics. YouTube, on the other hand, is another world with much more room to get outrageous. Many of the top YouTubers add a lot of visual elements (emojis , images, filters, explosions) to their videos to emphasize their jokes, play-on-words, historical or cultural references, and mood.
1. Call-To-Action Visuals
Whether they’re prompting you to subscribe, like, comment, or check out their purchasable merchandise, many YouTubers include visuals to strengthen their calls-to-action.
Part 6: Time Manipulation
1. Timelapse
“The staple of any Casey Neistat vlog is the timelapse, which he uses both to further the narrative or set the time of day.” -@omgurheadsgone
A lot of cameras now come with a timelapse/hyperlapse function, requiring no further video editing. To achieve the kind of timelapses that Casey Neistat makes, though, you’ll have to film real-time footage and then manipulate the speed of it in post. Since sped up ambient sound is hardly ever pleasing to the ear, a lot of YouTubers replace the audio with music that enhances the mood of the timelapse.
2. Slow Motion
Slowing down footage is another way YouTubers like to manipulate the passage of time. This technique can draw the audience’s attention into the intricacies of a movement captured on film. But if you stretch your video clip digitally in order to achieve this look, your video may not look so smooth – your software will need to create extra frames of footage based on your existing footage. The solution around this problem is to make sure to record your video at a very high frame rate.
Part 7: Audio
1. Censor
The traditional practice for censoring out explicit language in television has been to replace profanity with a high pitched “bleep” sound effect . YouTubers, however, have popularized the use of animal sound effects to censor out explicit language. Epic Meal Time frequently uses the “caw” of a crow for this purpose.
2. Sound Effects
Whether it is pouring water into a cup or drinking a glass of water, adding louder sound effects can enhance your viewer’s experience of the action that is taking place on camera.
3. Background Music
Music is very effective in helping people feel all kinds of emotions. It is no wonder so many of the top YouTubers make gratuitous use of music in their videos. Some even add background music to every single clip of their entire YouTube video and only drop the music when the following technique (below) is used.
4. Muting Background Music
A lot of YouTubers who talk over background music abruptly mute the music when they want their audience to focus their attention on whatever it is that they have to say at that very moment. Isolating one’s speech in this way can be a very effective way to emphasize something serious or emphasize a punchline to a joke.
5. Voice-Over
Adding additional recorded verbal commentary is another technique used by many of the top YouTubers. This technique can be helpful when the visuals of your footage do not sufficiently communicate the full message you want to get across to your audience.
6. Compressor
A lot of video editing software programs give you the option to add compression to your video’s audio. Compression lessens the dynamic range between the softest and loudest parts of your audio. This technique can help your speech sound more uniform in volume.
For those who want to make their YouTube videos better, I recommend Wondershare Filmora for editing YouTube videos . Filmora video editor allows you to create and edit a YouTube video easily with plentiful templates and effects pre-programmed.
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett
Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions
YouTube videos have a certain look and feel that many viewers have come to expect and enjoy. Much of the aesthetics of YouTube videos developed as a result of the biggest YouTubers having to quickly and efficiently edit videos together on a daily basis. Below is our list of some of the most common video editing techniques used by famous YouTubers.
Part 1: Introduction
1. Start Big
“I’m doing something really exciting… within the first ten seconds of this video. That way you stay here.” – Liza Koshy (How To Be A YouTuber 101!! | Lizzza)
In the same way that a teaser or trailer builds anticipation for a full film, many YouTubers start with a preview of the most high-energy part of their video.
In Jake Paul’s prank vlog (above), Jake shows his brother, Logan, chasing and beating him up as Jake screams for help at the top of his lungs. The already high-energy scene is even more intensified by the epic music playing in the background. This seven-second clip, which resurfaces halfway through the video, is enough to entice many viewers to continue watching. It very effectively leaves enough room for viewers to wonder, “How did Logan’s room actually look in the end?” “What was Logan’s initial reaction before he started chasing Jake?” By creating curiosity gaps like these, you can incentivize your viewers to close these gaps by watching longer.
2. Opening Title Introduction
Just as TV episodes begin with opening credits and theme music, quite similarly, some YouTubers start their YouTube videos with an intro.
Greg from “How To Drink” has an effective twenty-second intro (above). In this video, he shows you who he is and what his videos are generally about. Since these two things don’t change so much for him from video to video, he can start many of his videos off with this same intro.
Below is a video tutorial about how to add text and titles to video in Filmora, hope that helps you in creating your own YouTube video texts and titles.
For more information on intros, check out our post on How to Make a YouTube Intro?
Part 2: Cuts
1. Jump Cut
A jump cut is a simple and straightforward type of video editing cutting technique that “jumps” from one section of a clip to a later section of a clip, cutting out whatever happened in the middle. Some of the middle parts you might want to remove may include mistakes, long silent pauses, and filler words (umm, like, etc.).
Although the use of jump cuts to remove these parts had been discouraged for a long time in the film world, its extensive use by so many YouTubers has established it as its own style that many viewers have come to expect and enjoy. The jumpiness that comes from jump cuts can be effective in keeping your audience’s attention in a shock-inducing manner.
Jump cuts can also be used to show a passage of time in a creative way or make objects magically appear on-screen.
Zack King (above) makes a toy taxi magically appear in his hands using this video editing technique. Filmora allows you to do jump cut easily, you can watch the tutorial below and learn more jump cut tips and tricks .
2. Associative Cut
Not everyone in your audience may recognize the cultural or historical references you make in your videos. It can, therefore, be helpful (and also quite enjoyable) to show the original clip of the reference you are making.
In the same vlog that Jake Paul gets chased down by his brother (above), twenty-eight seconds into the video, Jake expresses his desire to go fast in his car. Right after he says “I want to go fast,” Jake cuts into a scene from the movie Talladega Nights. In that scene, Ricky Bobby, Will Ferrell’s character, also says that he wants to go fast.
Part 3: Transform
1. Zoom
Many YouTubers digitally adjust the zoom of their talking head shots in order to create additional emphasis or suspense. When zoom is used very slowly and smoothly, this technique can be effective in building up suspense and drawing a viewer deeper into the speaker’s message. When a drastic zoom is used suddenly, it can be effective in emphasizing a particular spoken line.
RiceGum is one YouTuber who uses zoom video editing effects extensively in his talking head videos. Want to pan and zoom your video footage too? Check our guide to getting Ken Burns Effect on Videos .
2. Camera Shake
Camera shake is a video effect that makes the original clip appear like it was filmed during a violent earthquake. Many YouTubers use this effect to emphasize their voice when they are talking about something erratic or out of control.
3. Color/Level Adjustment
A lot of comedy YouTubers change the color and levels of their videos in order to emphasize different moods. One common thing YouTubers do when they talk about anything slightly sad is to gradually fade out the colors in their talking head shots. In a cheesy way, the black and white look can emphasize a feeling of emptiness. For his “sad” reactions, PewDiePie often jump cuts into a black and white, slowed down clip of his sad face while playing some sad music in the background. To emphasize a darker message, some YouTubers increase the amount of shadows in their video. In the video below, while his daughter is delivering a darker message from 0:32 to 0:50, La Guardia Cross gradually adds more shadows around his daughter’s face through what appears to be a vignette effect.
Part 4: Transitions
1. Wipe
Many YouTubers transition from one scene into the next using a wipe transition. In a wipe transition, the next clip that you want to transition into slides into the frame horizontally or vertically until it completely covers the first clip. For additional wiping effect, many YouTubers also use a fast, high pitched “woosh” sound effect with this transition.
2. Zoom
The zoom transition is quite similar to the wipe transition, except it uses a zoom effect. Many of the top YouTubers combine this transition with a lower-pitched “woosh” sound effect.
Part 5: Visual Elements
In other genres of film, the only appropriate visual elements filmmakers can tastefully add to their footage seem to be clean looking, seamlessly integrated text and motion graphics. YouTube, on the other hand, is another world with much more room to get outrageous. Many of the top YouTubers add a lot of visual elements (emojis , images, filters, explosions) to their videos to emphasize their jokes, play-on-words, historical or cultural references, and mood.
1. Call-To-Action Visuals
Whether they’re prompting you to subscribe, like, comment, or check out their purchasable merchandise, many YouTubers include visuals to strengthen their calls-to-action.
Part 6: Time Manipulation
1. Timelapse
“The staple of any Casey Neistat vlog is the timelapse, which he uses both to further the narrative or set the time of day.” -@omgurheadsgone
A lot of cameras now come with a timelapse/hyperlapse function, requiring no further video editing. To achieve the kind of timelapses that Casey Neistat makes, though, you’ll have to film real-time footage and then manipulate the speed of it in post. Since sped up ambient sound is hardly ever pleasing to the ear, a lot of YouTubers replace the audio with music that enhances the mood of the timelapse.
2. Slow Motion
Slowing down footage is another way YouTubers like to manipulate the passage of time. This technique can draw the audience’s attention into the intricacies of a movement captured on film. But if you stretch your video clip digitally in order to achieve this look, your video may not look so smooth – your software will need to create extra frames of footage based on your existing footage. The solution around this problem is to make sure to record your video at a very high frame rate.
Part 7: Audio
1. Censor
The traditional practice for censoring out explicit language in television has been to replace profanity with a high pitched “bleep” sound effect . YouTubers, however, have popularized the use of animal sound effects to censor out explicit language. Epic Meal Time frequently uses the “caw” of a crow for this purpose.
2. Sound Effects
Whether it is pouring water into a cup or drinking a glass of water, adding louder sound effects can enhance your viewer’s experience of the action that is taking place on camera.
3. Background Music
Music is very effective in helping people feel all kinds of emotions. It is no wonder so many of the top YouTubers make gratuitous use of music in their videos. Some even add background music to every single clip of their entire YouTube video and only drop the music when the following technique (below) is used.
4. Muting Background Music
A lot of YouTubers who talk over background music abruptly mute the music when they want their audience to focus their attention on whatever it is that they have to say at that very moment. Isolating one’s speech in this way can be a very effective way to emphasize something serious or emphasize a punchline to a joke.
5. Voice-Over
Adding additional recorded verbal commentary is another technique used by many of the top YouTubers. This technique can be helpful when the visuals of your footage do not sufficiently communicate the full message you want to get across to your audience.
6. Compressor
A lot of video editing software programs give you the option to add compression to your video’s audio. Compression lessens the dynamic range between the softest and loudest parts of your audio. This technique can help your speech sound more uniform in volume.
For those who want to make their YouTube videos better, I recommend Wondershare Filmora for editing YouTube videos . Filmora video editor allows you to create and edit a YouTube video easily with plentiful templates and effects pre-programmed.
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Skyrocketing Your Content’s View Count: Title & Tag Mastery
How to Optimize YouTube Tags/Title/Description for More Views
Richard Bennett
Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions
Making awesome video content is just the first hurdle to overcome. Getting people to watch them is the next and a much bigger obstacle in your path. Just as a blogger must work hard to get people to read their blog, so a YouTuber needs to find ways to get more views on their videos.
For any piece of content on the internet, discoverability is key to exposure. After all, nobody will watch your video or read your blog if they can’t find it, right? A blogger would do this by lacing their content with SEO - search engine optimization. But how can a YouTuber do the same? The answer lies in something known as YouTube tags optimization. In this article, we will let you know how to add, edit and optimize YouTube tags easily for more views, and some tips on YouTube title and description.
Quick Jump Menu
- What are YouTube tags and why they are so important
- How to come up with YouTube tags and optimize them
- How to Tag YouTube and Add Title, Description
- How to Improve YouTube video Metadata: Tags, Title, Description
- Tips for Tagging YouTube and Writing Title, Description
Before we get started, I want to recommend the best video editing software for YouTubers - Wondershare Filmora , an easy to use while powerful video editor that allows you not only to cut, split, crop, resize, reverse your videos, but also offers you multiple video effects specially designed for Fashion, Beauty, Gaming, Travel, Education, etc. Check the video to know more fantastic features:
Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )
Part 1: What are YouTube tags and why they are so important
YouTube tags are used when you upload a video on YouTube. You need to specify the type of video. In other words, you need to describe your video with keywords. But you might think about why you need to add these words. YouTube can’t figure out what my videos are about? Unfortunately, YouTube can’t though its algorithm is much more advanced than before.
You must know the competition between videos is furious since 500 hours of video per minute are uploaded on YouTube . In this case, it is important to let the YouTube algorithm know your video by adding related tags to have a higher ranking. So the better tags we choose, the higher chance to rank in the top 1, which means you will get more views!
Using YouTube meta tags wisely can broaden your reach and help new people discover your content. However, don’t be tempted to insert irrelevant tags just because you know they are high traffic. You will be found out and penalized as a result. Just as you did with your description, research your keywords, place the most important ones first and use as many as you can.
What are the three YouTube tag types?
YouTube has three different types of tags and each of them has a specific purpose. The tags are-
Specific – The specific tag types are keywords-oriented. These keywords specifically pertain to the content of your video. In this tag type, the particular video is highlighted with the keyword tags. Often while typing the keywords in your mind, YouTube suggests phrases and keywords according to the content of your video. You may apply the suggestions and also add more general or common versions of the same keywords.
Compound – The compound tags are usually using more than two words. Many a time it is seen that users prefer tagging the complete title of the video. If you are using your video title as the compound tag, ensure that you do not include the prepositions like or, as, and, etc. This is because YouTube allows just 500 characters in the title and ignore the prepositions. It is always advised to use all the 500 characters YouTube has allowed without wasting the characters on prepositions as it will automatically be ignored.
Generic – The generic tags are the ones that describe the entire video in one or two words. These tags are used in all the videos of yours. These tags are used across your channel for all the videos you post. It is important to have such general constant tags.
Part 2: How to add YouTube tags and optimize them
The more relevant tags you add, the better it is. The best part is YouTube doesn’t restrict the number of tags but adding all is not possible and adding something irrelevant doesn’t make sense. So, your YouTube video tags must be the smart ones for more views. Educated tagging is what is required.
1. Brand-Specific Tags Addition - Every business wants their brand name to show up in the search results on YouTube and Google. Self-referencing your video or tagging your brand name in a number of variations is a smart way of letting others know your brand.
2. Using YouTube Auto Suggest – Play with the search option on YouTube and check out the YouTube suggestions when you search. Try to recognize the common videos that pop up while searching for something important and relevant to yours. Try searching for random keywords according to your YouTube search experience.
3. Use the YouTube Keyword Search Tool – Lastly, you may use the YouTube keyword suggestion tool. It helps you to extract the relevant keywords from the videos of your competitors and create suggestions according to the basic term provided by you.
4. Use Specific Tags - After using tools, you need to narrow down your tags specifically, like tags “learn 3D paper cutting”. The search volume may not be huge, but these kinds of tags can let YouTube know your video very well. Give it a try!
5. Check competitor’s Tags - When you check tags from other brands, it is not suggested to copy them all. What you need to do is find what you are missing and try to cover that area. However, only third-party tools can help you do that. In the market, VidIQ is highly used. It has a free version. Most of all data including tags can be found for higher views.
YouTube Tags Bonus Tips
Here you can learn some tips when optimizing tags. You can use singular and plural tags. Sometimes remember to add some misspelling tags because users tend to mistype some words, so it’s better to cover this kind of tag. You can get more information on misspelled words . More tips are listed below.
- Build on what you learned in your keyword research and use high traffic keywords as tags
- Use as many tags as possible, but without being spammy
- Build related playlists using particular tags
- Be generic; ‘big’, ‘funny’ and ‘sweet’ are fine, but ‘luscious’, ‘delightful’ and ‘splendid’ don’t make the best tags
- Put the most important tags first
- Mix single word tags with ‘long tail’ tags, e.g. ‘how to’
Part 3: How to Tag YouTube and Add Title, Description
For a New Video
- Step 1. The first thing you need to do is to sign in to your YouTube account .
- Step 2. Then click the Upload button that’s found on the top right corner of the window.
- Step 3. Then select the video that you want to upload. You will be asked to add a title, description, and tags.
- Step 4. After uploading, you can still edit the YouTube title, description, and tags.
For a Published Video
There are times when you want to change the title, description or tag of an already published video. The good news is that YouTube allows you to re-edit them whenever you want to.
- Step 1. Log into your YouTube account
- Step 2. Click the account name found at the top right-hand corner of the screen. Then you will have a dropdown menu. Select Video Manager to show a list of your uploaded videos.
- Step 3. Click the Edit button that’s found right next to the video that you want to modify. In the Video Information, you can now change the title, description or any of the tags. Click on the Save Changes button when you are done.
Part 4: How to Improve YouTube Video Title and Description
Metadata on YouTube is where both the viewers and the platform itself can find out what your video is all about. It helps people search for your video, helps YouTube to categorize it correctly and, when done well, can broaden the reach of your content. YouTube meta consists of three main parts: tags, title and description. Here’s how you can use each of these three elements to create powerful metadata for your video:
1. Title
YouTube titles play a big part in the ranking factors for search. That means you’ve got to think about what the people most likely to want to see your video will type into the search bar, as well as the words that accurately describe your video.
For example, if you have a clip of your cat Fluffy climbing a tree, calling your video ‘Fluffy climbs a tree’ is not the best idea. Nobody knows who Fluffy is; it could be your rabbit, dog, daughter or feather duster for all the YouTube community knows, and nobody is going to be searching for it.
A better title would be ‘cat climbs a tree, but you could even improve on that. How about ‘funny cat climbs a tree’, which would capture all those people looking for funny cat videos. Or, even better, ‘funny Persian cat climbs a tree’, also capturing those people who adore Persian cats.
You can see how building awesome YouTube titles can happen organically like this, but it’s also worth doing your homework too. We have collected a handful of YouTube Keyword tools for you to improve your YouTube meta, so check out the suggestions and work forwards from there.
Best practices
- Research your keywords and include high traffic keywords at the start of the title
- Keep titles under 70 characters
- Branding, episode number, and other non-essential info should be at the end of the title
- Review your YouTube titles from time to time and update with new keywords as search trends change
- Avoid clickbait titles or misleading titles as this will affect your view time and subsequently your ranking in search
2. Description
Your description is a much longer piece of YouTube meta, so you can really go to town with your YouTube keywords here. You’ve got up to 5,000 characters to fill in, and we strongly advise that you aim to use every single one. This really is a golden opportunity, not only to get people motivated to watch all of your video, but also to be indexed correctly through well researched YouTube keywords.
You may have noticed that, on the search page itself, only a small part of the description actually shows up; 120 characters of it to be precise. This doesn’t affect indexing, but it does mean you have to plan your YouTube description carefully to really hook people into clicking through from just the first sentence or two.
Best practices
- Make the first sentence or two compelling and captivating to get people to click
- Research the best YouTube keywords to use to ensure your video is correctly indexed
- At the end of your YouTube description, include a call to action to direct viewers on what to do next (subscribe, click through to the website, look at a product, watch more videos, etc.)
- If your video is long, consider placing time codes in your description to help users jump to their areas of interest
- Add links to products showcased, your social channels, or website as you wish
- Don’t forget to credit any music you’ve used here
Part 5: Tips for Tagging YouTube and Writing Title, Description
So, now we’ve got the basics down, let’s move on to some top tips for getting your metadata just right:
- 1. Do not spam
Irrelevant keywords will not do you any favors in the long run. Using a popular search term such as ‘funny cat’ when actually it’s a video of you unboxing your product will simply irritate your viewers. You’ll get more views, but for shorter durations, and that will hurt not only your ranking but also your reputation. The people you want to draw in with your YouTube meta should be those who are genuinely interested in your videos, as these are the people who will share, comment and interact with you.
- 2. Don’t put tags in the description
YouTube has given you a place to put your tags, and that’s not in the description area of your meta. Placing tags in the description area is known as tag stuffing and can lead to videos being removed or penalized.
- 3. Update regularly
YouTube meta is not a static thing. Trends change, search statistics fluctuate, and the needs of your viewers alter as time goes on. For this reason, you should look to update your meta from time to time, at least once every six months or so. Re-research your keywords and optimize for today’s trending search terms.
You May Also Like: YouTube SEO Complete Guide
Conclusion
Take some time to perfect your meta on YouTube and see how many more views it helps you get. Let us know if you have any other tips for developing powerful metadata, and how optimizing your meta has worked for you!
Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett
Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions
Making awesome video content is just the first hurdle to overcome. Getting people to watch them is the next and a much bigger obstacle in your path. Just as a blogger must work hard to get people to read their blog, so a YouTuber needs to find ways to get more views on their videos.
For any piece of content on the internet, discoverability is key to exposure. After all, nobody will watch your video or read your blog if they can’t find it, right? A blogger would do this by lacing their content with SEO - search engine optimization. But how can a YouTuber do the same? The answer lies in something known as YouTube tags optimization. In this article, we will let you know how to add, edit and optimize YouTube tags easily for more views, and some tips on YouTube title and description.
Quick Jump Menu
- What are YouTube tags and why they are so important
- How to come up with YouTube tags and optimize them
- How to Tag YouTube and Add Title, Description
- How to Improve YouTube video Metadata: Tags, Title, Description
- Tips for Tagging YouTube and Writing Title, Description
Before we get started, I want to recommend the best video editing software for YouTubers - Wondershare Filmora , an easy to use while powerful video editor that allows you not only to cut, split, crop, resize, reverse your videos, but also offers you multiple video effects specially designed for Fashion, Beauty, Gaming, Travel, Education, etc. Check the video to know more fantastic features:
Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )
Part 1: What are YouTube tags and why they are so important
YouTube tags are used when you upload a video on YouTube. You need to specify the type of video. In other words, you need to describe your video with keywords. But you might think about why you need to add these words. YouTube can’t figure out what my videos are about? Unfortunately, YouTube can’t though its algorithm is much more advanced than before.
You must know the competition between videos is furious since 500 hours of video per minute are uploaded on YouTube . In this case, it is important to let the YouTube algorithm know your video by adding related tags to have a higher ranking. So the better tags we choose, the higher chance to rank in the top 1, which means you will get more views!
Using YouTube meta tags wisely can broaden your reach and help new people discover your content. However, don’t be tempted to insert irrelevant tags just because you know they are high traffic. You will be found out and penalized as a result. Just as you did with your description, research your keywords, place the most important ones first and use as many as you can.
What are the three YouTube tag types?
YouTube has three different types of tags and each of them has a specific purpose. The tags are-
Specific – The specific tag types are keywords-oriented. These keywords specifically pertain to the content of your video. In this tag type, the particular video is highlighted with the keyword tags. Often while typing the keywords in your mind, YouTube suggests phrases and keywords according to the content of your video. You may apply the suggestions and also add more general or common versions of the same keywords.
Compound – The compound tags are usually using more than two words. Many a time it is seen that users prefer tagging the complete title of the video. If you are using your video title as the compound tag, ensure that you do not include the prepositions like or, as, and, etc. This is because YouTube allows just 500 characters in the title and ignore the prepositions. It is always advised to use all the 500 characters YouTube has allowed without wasting the characters on prepositions as it will automatically be ignored.
Generic – The generic tags are the ones that describe the entire video in one or two words. These tags are used in all the videos of yours. These tags are used across your channel for all the videos you post. It is important to have such general constant tags.
Part 2: How to add YouTube tags and optimize them
The more relevant tags you add, the better it is. The best part is YouTube doesn’t restrict the number of tags but adding all is not possible and adding something irrelevant doesn’t make sense. So, your YouTube video tags must be the smart ones for more views. Educated tagging is what is required.
1. Brand-Specific Tags Addition - Every business wants their brand name to show up in the search results on YouTube and Google. Self-referencing your video or tagging your brand name in a number of variations is a smart way of letting others know your brand.
2. Using YouTube Auto Suggest – Play with the search option on YouTube and check out the YouTube suggestions when you search. Try to recognize the common videos that pop up while searching for something important and relevant to yours. Try searching for random keywords according to your YouTube search experience.
3. Use the YouTube Keyword Search Tool – Lastly, you may use the YouTube keyword suggestion tool. It helps you to extract the relevant keywords from the videos of your competitors and create suggestions according to the basic term provided by you.
4. Use Specific Tags - After using tools, you need to narrow down your tags specifically, like tags “learn 3D paper cutting”. The search volume may not be huge, but these kinds of tags can let YouTube know your video very well. Give it a try!
5. Check competitor’s Tags - When you check tags from other brands, it is not suggested to copy them all. What you need to do is find what you are missing and try to cover that area. However, only third-party tools can help you do that. In the market, VidIQ is highly used. It has a free version. Most of all data including tags can be found for higher views.
YouTube Tags Bonus Tips
Here you can learn some tips when optimizing tags. You can use singular and plural tags. Sometimes remember to add some misspelling tags because users tend to mistype some words, so it’s better to cover this kind of tag. You can get more information on misspelled words . More tips are listed below.
- Build on what you learned in your keyword research and use high traffic keywords as tags
- Use as many tags as possible, but without being spammy
- Build related playlists using particular tags
- Be generic; ‘big’, ‘funny’ and ‘sweet’ are fine, but ‘luscious’, ‘delightful’ and ‘splendid’ don’t make the best tags
- Put the most important tags first
- Mix single word tags with ‘long tail’ tags, e.g. ‘how to’
Part 3: How to Tag YouTube and Add Title, Description
For a New Video
- Step 1. The first thing you need to do is to sign in to your YouTube account .
- Step 2. Then click the Upload button that’s found on the top right corner of the window.
- Step 3. Then select the video that you want to upload. You will be asked to add a title, description, and tags.
- Step 4. After uploading, you can still edit the YouTube title, description, and tags.
For a Published Video
There are times when you want to change the title, description or tag of an already published video. The good news is that YouTube allows you to re-edit them whenever you want to.
- Step 1. Log into your YouTube account
- Step 2. Click the account name found at the top right-hand corner of the screen. Then you will have a dropdown menu. Select Video Manager to show a list of your uploaded videos.
- Step 3. Click the Edit button that’s found right next to the video that you want to modify. In the Video Information, you can now change the title, description or any of the tags. Click on the Save Changes button when you are done.
Part 4: How to Improve YouTube Video Title and Description
Metadata on YouTube is where both the viewers and the platform itself can find out what your video is all about. It helps people search for your video, helps YouTube to categorize it correctly and, when done well, can broaden the reach of your content. YouTube meta consists of three main parts: tags, title and description. Here’s how you can use each of these three elements to create powerful metadata for your video:
1. Title
YouTube titles play a big part in the ranking factors for search. That means you’ve got to think about what the people most likely to want to see your video will type into the search bar, as well as the words that accurately describe your video.
For example, if you have a clip of your cat Fluffy climbing a tree, calling your video ‘Fluffy climbs a tree’ is not the best idea. Nobody knows who Fluffy is; it could be your rabbit, dog, daughter or feather duster for all the YouTube community knows, and nobody is going to be searching for it.
A better title would be ‘cat climbs a tree, but you could even improve on that. How about ‘funny cat climbs a tree’, which would capture all those people looking for funny cat videos. Or, even better, ‘funny Persian cat climbs a tree’, also capturing those people who adore Persian cats.
You can see how building awesome YouTube titles can happen organically like this, but it’s also worth doing your homework too. We have collected a handful of YouTube Keyword tools for you to improve your YouTube meta, so check out the suggestions and work forwards from there.
Best practices
- Research your keywords and include high traffic keywords at the start of the title
- Keep titles under 70 characters
- Branding, episode number, and other non-essential info should be at the end of the title
- Review your YouTube titles from time to time and update with new keywords as search trends change
- Avoid clickbait titles or misleading titles as this will affect your view time and subsequently your ranking in search
2. Description
Your description is a much longer piece of YouTube meta, so you can really go to town with your YouTube keywords here. You’ve got up to 5,000 characters to fill in, and we strongly advise that you aim to use every single one. This really is a golden opportunity, not only to get people motivated to watch all of your video, but also to be indexed correctly through well researched YouTube keywords.
You may have noticed that, on the search page itself, only a small part of the description actually shows up; 120 characters of it to be precise. This doesn’t affect indexing, but it does mean you have to plan your YouTube description carefully to really hook people into clicking through from just the first sentence or two.
Best practices
- Make the first sentence or two compelling and captivating to get people to click
- Research the best YouTube keywords to use to ensure your video is correctly indexed
- At the end of your YouTube description, include a call to action to direct viewers on what to do next (subscribe, click through to the website, look at a product, watch more videos, etc.)
- If your video is long, consider placing time codes in your description to help users jump to their areas of interest
- Add links to products showcased, your social channels, or website as you wish
- Don’t forget to credit any music you’ve used here
Part 5: Tips for Tagging YouTube and Writing Title, Description
So, now we’ve got the basics down, let’s move on to some top tips for getting your metadata just right:
- 1. Do not spam
Irrelevant keywords will not do you any favors in the long run. Using a popular search term such as ‘funny cat’ when actually it’s a video of you unboxing your product will simply irritate your viewers. You’ll get more views, but for shorter durations, and that will hurt not only your ranking but also your reputation. The people you want to draw in with your YouTube meta should be those who are genuinely interested in your videos, as these are the people who will share, comment and interact with you.
- 2. Don’t put tags in the description
YouTube has given you a place to put your tags, and that’s not in the description area of your meta. Placing tags in the description area is known as tag stuffing and can lead to videos being removed or penalized.
- 3. Update regularly
YouTube meta is not a static thing. Trends change, search statistics fluctuate, and the needs of your viewers alter as time goes on. For this reason, you should look to update your meta from time to time, at least once every six months or so. Re-research your keywords and optimize for today’s trending search terms.
You May Also Like: YouTube SEO Complete Guide
Conclusion
Take some time to perfect your meta on YouTube and see how many more views it helps you get. Let us know if you have any other tips for developing powerful metadata, and how optimizing your meta has worked for you!
Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett
Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions
Making awesome video content is just the first hurdle to overcome. Getting people to watch them is the next and a much bigger obstacle in your path. Just as a blogger must work hard to get people to read their blog, so a YouTuber needs to find ways to get more views on their videos.
For any piece of content on the internet, discoverability is key to exposure. After all, nobody will watch your video or read your blog if they can’t find it, right? A blogger would do this by lacing their content with SEO - search engine optimization. But how can a YouTuber do the same? The answer lies in something known as YouTube tags optimization. In this article, we will let you know how to add, edit and optimize YouTube tags easily for more views, and some tips on YouTube title and description.
Quick Jump Menu
- What are YouTube tags and why they are so important
- How to come up with YouTube tags and optimize them
- How to Tag YouTube and Add Title, Description
- How to Improve YouTube video Metadata: Tags, Title, Description
- Tips for Tagging YouTube and Writing Title, Description
Before we get started, I want to recommend the best video editing software for YouTubers - Wondershare Filmora , an easy to use while powerful video editor that allows you not only to cut, split, crop, resize, reverse your videos, but also offers you multiple video effects specially designed for Fashion, Beauty, Gaming, Travel, Education, etc. Check the video to know more fantastic features:
Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )
Part 1: What are YouTube tags and why they are so important
YouTube tags are used when you upload a video on YouTube. You need to specify the type of video. In other words, you need to describe your video with keywords. But you might think about why you need to add these words. YouTube can’t figure out what my videos are about? Unfortunately, YouTube can’t though its algorithm is much more advanced than before.
You must know the competition between videos is furious since 500 hours of video per minute are uploaded on YouTube . In this case, it is important to let the YouTube algorithm know your video by adding related tags to have a higher ranking. So the better tags we choose, the higher chance to rank in the top 1, which means you will get more views!
Using YouTube meta tags wisely can broaden your reach and help new people discover your content. However, don’t be tempted to insert irrelevant tags just because you know they are high traffic. You will be found out and penalized as a result. Just as you did with your description, research your keywords, place the most important ones first and use as many as you can.
What are the three YouTube tag types?
YouTube has three different types of tags and each of them has a specific purpose. The tags are-
Specific – The specific tag types are keywords-oriented. These keywords specifically pertain to the content of your video. In this tag type, the particular video is highlighted with the keyword tags. Often while typing the keywords in your mind, YouTube suggests phrases and keywords according to the content of your video. You may apply the suggestions and also add more general or common versions of the same keywords.
Compound – The compound tags are usually using more than two words. Many a time it is seen that users prefer tagging the complete title of the video. If you are using your video title as the compound tag, ensure that you do not include the prepositions like or, as, and, etc. This is because YouTube allows just 500 characters in the title and ignore the prepositions. It is always advised to use all the 500 characters YouTube has allowed without wasting the characters on prepositions as it will automatically be ignored.
Generic – The generic tags are the ones that describe the entire video in one or two words. These tags are used in all the videos of yours. These tags are used across your channel for all the videos you post. It is important to have such general constant tags.
Part 2: How to add YouTube tags and optimize them
The more relevant tags you add, the better it is. The best part is YouTube doesn’t restrict the number of tags but adding all is not possible and adding something irrelevant doesn’t make sense. So, your YouTube video tags must be the smart ones for more views. Educated tagging is what is required.
1. Brand-Specific Tags Addition - Every business wants their brand name to show up in the search results on YouTube and Google. Self-referencing your video or tagging your brand name in a number of variations is a smart way of letting others know your brand.
2. Using YouTube Auto Suggest – Play with the search option on YouTube and check out the YouTube suggestions when you search. Try to recognize the common videos that pop up while searching for something important and relevant to yours. Try searching for random keywords according to your YouTube search experience.
3. Use the YouTube Keyword Search Tool – Lastly, you may use the YouTube keyword suggestion tool. It helps you to extract the relevant keywords from the videos of your competitors and create suggestions according to the basic term provided by you.
4. Use Specific Tags - After using tools, you need to narrow down your tags specifically, like tags “learn 3D paper cutting”. The search volume may not be huge, but these kinds of tags can let YouTube know your video very well. Give it a try!
5. Check competitor’s Tags - When you check tags from other brands, it is not suggested to copy them all. What you need to do is find what you are missing and try to cover that area. However, only third-party tools can help you do that. In the market, VidIQ is highly used. It has a free version. Most of all data including tags can be found for higher views.
YouTube Tags Bonus Tips
Here you can learn some tips when optimizing tags. You can use singular and plural tags. Sometimes remember to add some misspelling tags because users tend to mistype some words, so it’s better to cover this kind of tag. You can get more information on misspelled words . More tips are listed below.
- Build on what you learned in your keyword research and use high traffic keywords as tags
- Use as many tags as possible, but without being spammy
- Build related playlists using particular tags
- Be generic; ‘big’, ‘funny’ and ‘sweet’ are fine, but ‘luscious’, ‘delightful’ and ‘splendid’ don’t make the best tags
- Put the most important tags first
- Mix single word tags with ‘long tail’ tags, e.g. ‘how to’
Part 3: How to Tag YouTube and Add Title, Description
For a New Video
- Step 1. The first thing you need to do is to sign in to your YouTube account .
- Step 2. Then click the Upload button that’s found on the top right corner of the window.
- Step 3. Then select the video that you want to upload. You will be asked to add a title, description, and tags.
- Step 4. After uploading, you can still edit the YouTube title, description, and tags.
For a Published Video
There are times when you want to change the title, description or tag of an already published video. The good news is that YouTube allows you to re-edit them whenever you want to.
- Step 1. Log into your YouTube account
- Step 2. Click the account name found at the top right-hand corner of the screen. Then you will have a dropdown menu. Select Video Manager to show a list of your uploaded videos.
- Step 3. Click the Edit button that’s found right next to the video that you want to modify. In the Video Information, you can now change the title, description or any of the tags. Click on the Save Changes button when you are done.
Part 4: How to Improve YouTube Video Title and Description
Metadata on YouTube is where both the viewers and the platform itself can find out what your video is all about. It helps people search for your video, helps YouTube to categorize it correctly and, when done well, can broaden the reach of your content. YouTube meta consists of three main parts: tags, title and description. Here’s how you can use each of these three elements to create powerful metadata for your video:
1. Title
YouTube titles play a big part in the ranking factors for search. That means you’ve got to think about what the people most likely to want to see your video will type into the search bar, as well as the words that accurately describe your video.
For example, if you have a clip of your cat Fluffy climbing a tree, calling your video ‘Fluffy climbs a tree’ is not the best idea. Nobody knows who Fluffy is; it could be your rabbit, dog, daughter or feather duster for all the YouTube community knows, and nobody is going to be searching for it.
A better title would be ‘cat climbs a tree, but you could even improve on that. How about ‘funny cat climbs a tree’, which would capture all those people looking for funny cat videos. Or, even better, ‘funny Persian cat climbs a tree’, also capturing those people who adore Persian cats.
You can see how building awesome YouTube titles can happen organically like this, but it’s also worth doing your homework too. We have collected a handful of YouTube Keyword tools for you to improve your YouTube meta, so check out the suggestions and work forwards from there.
Best practices
- Research your keywords and include high traffic keywords at the start of the title
- Keep titles under 70 characters
- Branding, episode number, and other non-essential info should be at the end of the title
- Review your YouTube titles from time to time and update with new keywords as search trends change
- Avoid clickbait titles or misleading titles as this will affect your view time and subsequently your ranking in search
2. Description
Your description is a much longer piece of YouTube meta, so you can really go to town with your YouTube keywords here. You’ve got up to 5,000 characters to fill in, and we strongly advise that you aim to use every single one. This really is a golden opportunity, not only to get people motivated to watch all of your video, but also to be indexed correctly through well researched YouTube keywords.
You may have noticed that, on the search page itself, only a small part of the description actually shows up; 120 characters of it to be precise. This doesn’t affect indexing, but it does mean you have to plan your YouTube description carefully to really hook people into clicking through from just the first sentence or two.
Best practices
- Make the first sentence or two compelling and captivating to get people to click
- Research the best YouTube keywords to use to ensure your video is correctly indexed
- At the end of your YouTube description, include a call to action to direct viewers on what to do next (subscribe, click through to the website, look at a product, watch more videos, etc.)
- If your video is long, consider placing time codes in your description to help users jump to their areas of interest
- Add links to products showcased, your social channels, or website as you wish
- Don’t forget to credit any music you’ve used here
Part 5: Tips for Tagging YouTube and Writing Title, Description
So, now we’ve got the basics down, let’s move on to some top tips for getting your metadata just right:
- 1. Do not spam
Irrelevant keywords will not do you any favors in the long run. Using a popular search term such as ‘funny cat’ when actually it’s a video of you unboxing your product will simply irritate your viewers. You’ll get more views, but for shorter durations, and that will hurt not only your ranking but also your reputation. The people you want to draw in with your YouTube meta should be those who are genuinely interested in your videos, as these are the people who will share, comment and interact with you.
- 2. Don’t put tags in the description
YouTube has given you a place to put your tags, and that’s not in the description area of your meta. Placing tags in the description area is known as tag stuffing and can lead to videos being removed or penalized.
- 3. Update regularly
YouTube meta is not a static thing. Trends change, search statistics fluctuate, and the needs of your viewers alter as time goes on. For this reason, you should look to update your meta from time to time, at least once every six months or so. Re-research your keywords and optimize for today’s trending search terms.
You May Also Like: YouTube SEO Complete Guide
Conclusion
Take some time to perfect your meta on YouTube and see how many more views it helps you get. Let us know if you have any other tips for developing powerful metadata, and how optimizing your meta has worked for you!
Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett
Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions
Making awesome video content is just the first hurdle to overcome. Getting people to watch them is the next and a much bigger obstacle in your path. Just as a blogger must work hard to get people to read their blog, so a YouTuber needs to find ways to get more views on their videos.
For any piece of content on the internet, discoverability is key to exposure. After all, nobody will watch your video or read your blog if they can’t find it, right? A blogger would do this by lacing their content with SEO - search engine optimization. But how can a YouTuber do the same? The answer lies in something known as YouTube tags optimization. In this article, we will let you know how to add, edit and optimize YouTube tags easily for more views, and some tips on YouTube title and description.
Quick Jump Menu
- What are YouTube tags and why they are so important
- How to come up with YouTube tags and optimize them
- How to Tag YouTube and Add Title, Description
- How to Improve YouTube video Metadata: Tags, Title, Description
- Tips for Tagging YouTube and Writing Title, Description
Before we get started, I want to recommend the best video editing software for YouTubers - Wondershare Filmora , an easy to use while powerful video editor that allows you not only to cut, split, crop, resize, reverse your videos, but also offers you multiple video effects specially designed for Fashion, Beauty, Gaming, Travel, Education, etc. Check the video to know more fantastic features:
Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )
Part 1: What are YouTube tags and why they are so important
YouTube tags are used when you upload a video on YouTube. You need to specify the type of video. In other words, you need to describe your video with keywords. But you might think about why you need to add these words. YouTube can’t figure out what my videos are about? Unfortunately, YouTube can’t though its algorithm is much more advanced than before.
You must know the competition between videos is furious since 500 hours of video per minute are uploaded on YouTube . In this case, it is important to let the YouTube algorithm know your video by adding related tags to have a higher ranking. So the better tags we choose, the higher chance to rank in the top 1, which means you will get more views!
Using YouTube meta tags wisely can broaden your reach and help new people discover your content. However, don’t be tempted to insert irrelevant tags just because you know they are high traffic. You will be found out and penalized as a result. Just as you did with your description, research your keywords, place the most important ones first and use as many as you can.
What are the three YouTube tag types?
YouTube has three different types of tags and each of them has a specific purpose. The tags are-
Specific – The specific tag types are keywords-oriented. These keywords specifically pertain to the content of your video. In this tag type, the particular video is highlighted with the keyword tags. Often while typing the keywords in your mind, YouTube suggests phrases and keywords according to the content of your video. You may apply the suggestions and also add more general or common versions of the same keywords.
Compound – The compound tags are usually using more than two words. Many a time it is seen that users prefer tagging the complete title of the video. If you are using your video title as the compound tag, ensure that you do not include the prepositions like or, as, and, etc. This is because YouTube allows just 500 characters in the title and ignore the prepositions. It is always advised to use all the 500 characters YouTube has allowed without wasting the characters on prepositions as it will automatically be ignored.
Generic – The generic tags are the ones that describe the entire video in one or two words. These tags are used in all the videos of yours. These tags are used across your channel for all the videos you post. It is important to have such general constant tags.
Part 2: How to add YouTube tags and optimize them
The more relevant tags you add, the better it is. The best part is YouTube doesn’t restrict the number of tags but adding all is not possible and adding something irrelevant doesn’t make sense. So, your YouTube video tags must be the smart ones for more views. Educated tagging is what is required.
1. Brand-Specific Tags Addition - Every business wants their brand name to show up in the search results on YouTube and Google. Self-referencing your video or tagging your brand name in a number of variations is a smart way of letting others know your brand.
2. Using YouTube Auto Suggest – Play with the search option on YouTube and check out the YouTube suggestions when you search. Try to recognize the common videos that pop up while searching for something important and relevant to yours. Try searching for random keywords according to your YouTube search experience.
3. Use the YouTube Keyword Search Tool – Lastly, you may use the YouTube keyword suggestion tool. It helps you to extract the relevant keywords from the videos of your competitors and create suggestions according to the basic term provided by you.
4. Use Specific Tags - After using tools, you need to narrow down your tags specifically, like tags “learn 3D paper cutting”. The search volume may not be huge, but these kinds of tags can let YouTube know your video very well. Give it a try!
5. Check competitor’s Tags - When you check tags from other brands, it is not suggested to copy them all. What you need to do is find what you are missing and try to cover that area. However, only third-party tools can help you do that. In the market, VidIQ is highly used. It has a free version. Most of all data including tags can be found for higher views.
YouTube Tags Bonus Tips
Here you can learn some tips when optimizing tags. You can use singular and plural tags. Sometimes remember to add some misspelling tags because users tend to mistype some words, so it’s better to cover this kind of tag. You can get more information on misspelled words . More tips are listed below.
- Build on what you learned in your keyword research and use high traffic keywords as tags
- Use as many tags as possible, but without being spammy
- Build related playlists using particular tags
- Be generic; ‘big’, ‘funny’ and ‘sweet’ are fine, but ‘luscious’, ‘delightful’ and ‘splendid’ don’t make the best tags
- Put the most important tags first
- Mix single word tags with ‘long tail’ tags, e.g. ‘how to’
Part 3: How to Tag YouTube and Add Title, Description
For a New Video
- Step 1. The first thing you need to do is to sign in to your YouTube account .
- Step 2. Then click the Upload button that’s found on the top right corner of the window.
- Step 3. Then select the video that you want to upload. You will be asked to add a title, description, and tags.
- Step 4. After uploading, you can still edit the YouTube title, description, and tags.
For a Published Video
There are times when you want to change the title, description or tag of an already published video. The good news is that YouTube allows you to re-edit them whenever you want to.
- Step 1. Log into your YouTube account
- Step 2. Click the account name found at the top right-hand corner of the screen. Then you will have a dropdown menu. Select Video Manager to show a list of your uploaded videos.
- Step 3. Click the Edit button that’s found right next to the video that you want to modify. In the Video Information, you can now change the title, description or any of the tags. Click on the Save Changes button when you are done.
Part 4: How to Improve YouTube Video Title and Description
Metadata on YouTube is where both the viewers and the platform itself can find out what your video is all about. It helps people search for your video, helps YouTube to categorize it correctly and, when done well, can broaden the reach of your content. YouTube meta consists of three main parts: tags, title and description. Here’s how you can use each of these three elements to create powerful metadata for your video:
1. Title
YouTube titles play a big part in the ranking factors for search. That means you’ve got to think about what the people most likely to want to see your video will type into the search bar, as well as the words that accurately describe your video.
For example, if you have a clip of your cat Fluffy climbing a tree, calling your video ‘Fluffy climbs a tree’ is not the best idea. Nobody knows who Fluffy is; it could be your rabbit, dog, daughter or feather duster for all the YouTube community knows, and nobody is going to be searching for it.
A better title would be ‘cat climbs a tree, but you could even improve on that. How about ‘funny cat climbs a tree’, which would capture all those people looking for funny cat videos. Or, even better, ‘funny Persian cat climbs a tree’, also capturing those people who adore Persian cats.
You can see how building awesome YouTube titles can happen organically like this, but it’s also worth doing your homework too. We have collected a handful of YouTube Keyword tools for you to improve your YouTube meta, so check out the suggestions and work forwards from there.
Best practices
- Research your keywords and include high traffic keywords at the start of the title
- Keep titles under 70 characters
- Branding, episode number, and other non-essential info should be at the end of the title
- Review your YouTube titles from time to time and update with new keywords as search trends change
- Avoid clickbait titles or misleading titles as this will affect your view time and subsequently your ranking in search
2. Description
Your description is a much longer piece of YouTube meta, so you can really go to town with your YouTube keywords here. You’ve got up to 5,000 characters to fill in, and we strongly advise that you aim to use every single one. This really is a golden opportunity, not only to get people motivated to watch all of your video, but also to be indexed correctly through well researched YouTube keywords.
You may have noticed that, on the search page itself, only a small part of the description actually shows up; 120 characters of it to be precise. This doesn’t affect indexing, but it does mean you have to plan your YouTube description carefully to really hook people into clicking through from just the first sentence or two.
Best practices
- Make the first sentence or two compelling and captivating to get people to click
- Research the best YouTube keywords to use to ensure your video is correctly indexed
- At the end of your YouTube description, include a call to action to direct viewers on what to do next (subscribe, click through to the website, look at a product, watch more videos, etc.)
- If your video is long, consider placing time codes in your description to help users jump to their areas of interest
- Add links to products showcased, your social channels, or website as you wish
- Don’t forget to credit any music you’ve used here
Part 5: Tips for Tagging YouTube and Writing Title, Description
So, now we’ve got the basics down, let’s move on to some top tips for getting your metadata just right:
- 1. Do not spam
Irrelevant keywords will not do you any favors in the long run. Using a popular search term such as ‘funny cat’ when actually it’s a video of you unboxing your product will simply irritate your viewers. You’ll get more views, but for shorter durations, and that will hurt not only your ranking but also your reputation. The people you want to draw in with your YouTube meta should be those who are genuinely interested in your videos, as these are the people who will share, comment and interact with you.
- 2. Don’t put tags in the description
YouTube has given you a place to put your tags, and that’s not in the description area of your meta. Placing tags in the description area is known as tag stuffing and can lead to videos being removed or penalized.
- 3. Update regularly
YouTube meta is not a static thing. Trends change, search statistics fluctuate, and the needs of your viewers alter as time goes on. For this reason, you should look to update your meta from time to time, at least once every six months or so. Re-research your keywords and optimize for today’s trending search terms.
You May Also Like: YouTube SEO Complete Guide
Conclusion
Take some time to perfect your meta on YouTube and see how many more views it helps you get. Let us know if you have any other tips for developing powerful metadata, and how optimizing your meta has worked for you!
Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
- Title: "2024 Approved Unleash the Power of Your YouTube Channel with Expert Editing Techniques"
- Author: Joseph
- Created at : 2024-05-31 13:45:32
- Updated at : 2024-06-01 13:45:32
- Link: https://youtube-stream.techidaily.com/2024-approved-unleash-the-power-of-your-youtube-channel-with-expert-editing-techniques/
- License: This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
