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In 2024, Navigating Account Creation on YouTube
Navigating Account Creation on YouTube
How to Create a YouTube Account
Richard Bennett
Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions
People create YouTube accounts for a lot of different reasons. Some YouTubers just love making videos and created their channels so they would have somewhere to post their work. Others have strong opinions they need a platform to share. There are a lot of people on YouTube whose main interest is in a separate website or other social media page, but they use their YouTube channels to help generate traffic. If you are considering starting your own YouTube channel then you should take a second to consider why you want to, since this will have an impact on what kind of videos you make. Your reasons for wanting to make a YouTube account do not have to be very elaborate. Maybe you just think it will be fun. Good news; it will be!
Once you know for sure that you want to create a YouTube account, and also know why you want to do it, you have already started building your channel. There are still a few important things to consider, though. This article will walk you through signing up for a YouTube account, and give you some tips about starting your channel.
Creating Your YouTube Account in 6 Steps
1. Go to YouTube.com and look at the top right corner of your screen. There will either be a blue Sign In button, or an icon representing you. YouTube accounts and Google accounts are the same, so if you are signed into your Gmail account you are already signed into YouTube as well.
2. If you see a Sign In button, click it. If you see your icon click on that, and in the window that pops up select Add Account. Either way, you will be taken into a sign in screen. Under where it asks for your email address it will say Create Account. Click on Create Account.
3. In the sign up page you will need to put in your name, email address, and mobile phone number as well as some other personal information. Do not enter your current Gmail address. Enter an alternate email you have created for your vlog, or click on I would like a new Gmail address. This will change your page slightly so that the email field becomes Choose a Username.
You will probably need to try a few different usernames before you find one that is not taken.
4. You will have to put in both a first and last name when you create your account, but you can change it to one name later.
5. Your password will need to be at least 8 characters long. Try to use a combination of letters or numbers, and make sure it is not something easily guessable (i.e spouses name).
6. After you finish the form click Next Step and, in the next screen, Continue to YouTube.
Tips on Starting a YouTube Channel
1. Choose a Topic you Love
When choosing a topic for your YouTube channel make sure you pick something you are passionate about. If you already have an interest or hobby which you are always researching and are extremely up-to-date on then that should probably be the theme of your vlog. If you plan to have a channel where people go to learn anything then you will need to be an authority on that topic. Whatever you make videos about it will need to be something you can realistically see yourself putting a lot of time into. If you cannot think of more than a couple ideas for videos on your topic then that is a sign that you need to choose something else to focus on.
You should check to see how much demand there is for videos on your topic. This can be done by googling your topic to see what else is out there. If not many people have addressed your topic yet it probably means that it is not something a lot of people want to know about. However, it could also mean that the people who do want to watch videos like yours have been starved for content. Your channel will flop if you do not love what you are making videos about, so do not choose something just because you think it will be popular. Follow your passion.
2. Check out the Competition
You should look for other vlogs with similar topics to yours not only to gauge how much demand there is for your videos, but to check out the competition. If there are a lot of YouTube channels dedicated to the same topic you want to vlog about then this should not discourage you from going after the same viewers. People who are excited about a topic frequently watch more than one vlog about it. It might not even be correct to think of other vloggers within your genre as ‘the competition’ since you are ultimately part of the same community. You will need to watch these people’s videos as part of keeping yourself informed and will likely become a fan – maybe even a collaborator some day – of theirs.
The main reason you want to look into YouTube channels like yours is because you do not want to be creating content that is overdone and boring. You are tackling the same topic as other people, and may even make some videos on the exact same subjects as others already have. There needs to be something unique about your videos that makes them stand out from what already exists. By looking at what other people are already doing you will be able to come up with ideas for what you can do differently.
3. Choose a Great Name
Picking a great name for your YouTube account can take a lot of effort. Chances are you will not want to use your own name, at least not in full. Although your real name can work for if you are a lifestyle vlogger in most cases you will have a more specific topic that will need to be addressed in your channel’s name. Try out your name or a nickname for yourself in combination with different words associated with the topic of your vlog. Aim to create a name that is catchy and easy to remember.
Chances are a few of your first couple picks will be unavailable. YouTube is a popular site and a lot of the best names are taken. The last thing you should ever do while naming your YouTube channel is add numbers or letters to the end of a name you like because it is taken. Names with numbers at the end are hard for viewers to remember and find again. Choosing a weak name with a trail of numbers or letters after it will make it very hard for your channel to grow. Brainstorm a long list of potential names that are actually good and keep on trying them out until you find one that’s available.
For more information on naming your YouTube channel read our post ‘How To Pick a Name for Your YouTube Channel’.
4. Make a Schedule
Maintaining a YouTube channel is a big time commitment. You need to post videos regularly or people will forget about you, and videos can take a long time to make. When you are first starting your vlog you should make yourself a schedule for when you want to upload videos. Having a schedule will help you budget your time and ensure that your vlog never gets in the way of the rest of your life.
Having a posting schedule will also help you grow your channel. Viewers like it when they know when to expect new content from vloggers they like. They are more likely to subscribe and tune in for every post if they are given a chance to anticipate when your new entry is coming.
5. Take Inventory
Think about what equipment you have that you can use for your YouTube channel. The only thing you absolutely cannot get by without is a decent camera, but there are other types of equipment that it is a good idea to have too. Lights, a tripod, an external microphone – these are all things that a lot of YouTubers find they need in order to produce great videos. If you do not have these things, or money you are prepared to invest in them, then you will need to find ways around them until your situation changes. For more information check out our post ‘The Best YouTube Equipment: What You Need to Start Your Channel’.
Read More to Get : Best Video Websites Like YouTube >>
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett
Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions
People create YouTube accounts for a lot of different reasons. Some YouTubers just love making videos and created their channels so they would have somewhere to post their work. Others have strong opinions they need a platform to share. There are a lot of people on YouTube whose main interest is in a separate website or other social media page, but they use their YouTube channels to help generate traffic. If you are considering starting your own YouTube channel then you should take a second to consider why you want to, since this will have an impact on what kind of videos you make. Your reasons for wanting to make a YouTube account do not have to be very elaborate. Maybe you just think it will be fun. Good news; it will be!
Once you know for sure that you want to create a YouTube account, and also know why you want to do it, you have already started building your channel. There are still a few important things to consider, though. This article will walk you through signing up for a YouTube account, and give you some tips about starting your channel.
Creating Your YouTube Account in 6 Steps
1. Go to YouTube.com and look at the top right corner of your screen. There will either be a blue Sign In button, or an icon representing you. YouTube accounts and Google accounts are the same, so if you are signed into your Gmail account you are already signed into YouTube as well.
2. If you see a Sign In button, click it. If you see your icon click on that, and in the window that pops up select Add Account. Either way, you will be taken into a sign in screen. Under where it asks for your email address it will say Create Account. Click on Create Account.
3. In the sign up page you will need to put in your name, email address, and mobile phone number as well as some other personal information. Do not enter your current Gmail address. Enter an alternate email you have created for your vlog, or click on I would like a new Gmail address. This will change your page slightly so that the email field becomes Choose a Username.
You will probably need to try a few different usernames before you find one that is not taken.
4. You will have to put in both a first and last name when you create your account, but you can change it to one name later.
5. Your password will need to be at least 8 characters long. Try to use a combination of letters or numbers, and make sure it is not something easily guessable (i.e spouses name).
6. After you finish the form click Next Step and, in the next screen, Continue to YouTube.
Tips on Starting a YouTube Channel
1. Choose a Topic you Love
When choosing a topic for your YouTube channel make sure you pick something you are passionate about. If you already have an interest or hobby which you are always researching and are extremely up-to-date on then that should probably be the theme of your vlog. If you plan to have a channel where people go to learn anything then you will need to be an authority on that topic. Whatever you make videos about it will need to be something you can realistically see yourself putting a lot of time into. If you cannot think of more than a couple ideas for videos on your topic then that is a sign that you need to choose something else to focus on.
You should check to see how much demand there is for videos on your topic. This can be done by googling your topic to see what else is out there. If not many people have addressed your topic yet it probably means that it is not something a lot of people want to know about. However, it could also mean that the people who do want to watch videos like yours have been starved for content. Your channel will flop if you do not love what you are making videos about, so do not choose something just because you think it will be popular. Follow your passion.
2. Check out the Competition
You should look for other vlogs with similar topics to yours not only to gauge how much demand there is for your videos, but to check out the competition. If there are a lot of YouTube channels dedicated to the same topic you want to vlog about then this should not discourage you from going after the same viewers. People who are excited about a topic frequently watch more than one vlog about it. It might not even be correct to think of other vloggers within your genre as ‘the competition’ since you are ultimately part of the same community. You will need to watch these people’s videos as part of keeping yourself informed and will likely become a fan – maybe even a collaborator some day – of theirs.
The main reason you want to look into YouTube channels like yours is because you do not want to be creating content that is overdone and boring. You are tackling the same topic as other people, and may even make some videos on the exact same subjects as others already have. There needs to be something unique about your videos that makes them stand out from what already exists. By looking at what other people are already doing you will be able to come up with ideas for what you can do differently.
3. Choose a Great Name
Picking a great name for your YouTube account can take a lot of effort. Chances are you will not want to use your own name, at least not in full. Although your real name can work for if you are a lifestyle vlogger in most cases you will have a more specific topic that will need to be addressed in your channel’s name. Try out your name or a nickname for yourself in combination with different words associated with the topic of your vlog. Aim to create a name that is catchy and easy to remember.
Chances are a few of your first couple picks will be unavailable. YouTube is a popular site and a lot of the best names are taken. The last thing you should ever do while naming your YouTube channel is add numbers or letters to the end of a name you like because it is taken. Names with numbers at the end are hard for viewers to remember and find again. Choosing a weak name with a trail of numbers or letters after it will make it very hard for your channel to grow. Brainstorm a long list of potential names that are actually good and keep on trying them out until you find one that’s available.
For more information on naming your YouTube channel read our post ‘How To Pick a Name for Your YouTube Channel’.
4. Make a Schedule
Maintaining a YouTube channel is a big time commitment. You need to post videos regularly or people will forget about you, and videos can take a long time to make. When you are first starting your vlog you should make yourself a schedule for when you want to upload videos. Having a schedule will help you budget your time and ensure that your vlog never gets in the way of the rest of your life.
Having a posting schedule will also help you grow your channel. Viewers like it when they know when to expect new content from vloggers they like. They are more likely to subscribe and tune in for every post if they are given a chance to anticipate when your new entry is coming.
5. Take Inventory
Think about what equipment you have that you can use for your YouTube channel. The only thing you absolutely cannot get by without is a decent camera, but there are other types of equipment that it is a good idea to have too. Lights, a tripod, an external microphone – these are all things that a lot of YouTubers find they need in order to produce great videos. If you do not have these things, or money you are prepared to invest in them, then you will need to find ways around them until your situation changes. For more information check out our post ‘The Best YouTube Equipment: What You Need to Start Your Channel’.
Read More to Get : Best Video Websites Like YouTube >>
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett
Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions
People create YouTube accounts for a lot of different reasons. Some YouTubers just love making videos and created their channels so they would have somewhere to post their work. Others have strong opinions they need a platform to share. There are a lot of people on YouTube whose main interest is in a separate website or other social media page, but they use their YouTube channels to help generate traffic. If you are considering starting your own YouTube channel then you should take a second to consider why you want to, since this will have an impact on what kind of videos you make. Your reasons for wanting to make a YouTube account do not have to be very elaborate. Maybe you just think it will be fun. Good news; it will be!
Once you know for sure that you want to create a YouTube account, and also know why you want to do it, you have already started building your channel. There are still a few important things to consider, though. This article will walk you through signing up for a YouTube account, and give you some tips about starting your channel.
Creating Your YouTube Account in 6 Steps
1. Go to YouTube.com and look at the top right corner of your screen. There will either be a blue Sign In button, or an icon representing you. YouTube accounts and Google accounts are the same, so if you are signed into your Gmail account you are already signed into YouTube as well.
2. If you see a Sign In button, click it. If you see your icon click on that, and in the window that pops up select Add Account. Either way, you will be taken into a sign in screen. Under where it asks for your email address it will say Create Account. Click on Create Account.
3. In the sign up page you will need to put in your name, email address, and mobile phone number as well as some other personal information. Do not enter your current Gmail address. Enter an alternate email you have created for your vlog, or click on I would like a new Gmail address. This will change your page slightly so that the email field becomes Choose a Username.
You will probably need to try a few different usernames before you find one that is not taken.
4. You will have to put in both a first and last name when you create your account, but you can change it to one name later.
5. Your password will need to be at least 8 characters long. Try to use a combination of letters or numbers, and make sure it is not something easily guessable (i.e spouses name).
6. After you finish the form click Next Step and, in the next screen, Continue to YouTube.
Tips on Starting a YouTube Channel
1. Choose a Topic you Love
When choosing a topic for your YouTube channel make sure you pick something you are passionate about. If you already have an interest or hobby which you are always researching and are extremely up-to-date on then that should probably be the theme of your vlog. If you plan to have a channel where people go to learn anything then you will need to be an authority on that topic. Whatever you make videos about it will need to be something you can realistically see yourself putting a lot of time into. If you cannot think of more than a couple ideas for videos on your topic then that is a sign that you need to choose something else to focus on.
You should check to see how much demand there is for videos on your topic. This can be done by googling your topic to see what else is out there. If not many people have addressed your topic yet it probably means that it is not something a lot of people want to know about. However, it could also mean that the people who do want to watch videos like yours have been starved for content. Your channel will flop if you do not love what you are making videos about, so do not choose something just because you think it will be popular. Follow your passion.
2. Check out the Competition
You should look for other vlogs with similar topics to yours not only to gauge how much demand there is for your videos, but to check out the competition. If there are a lot of YouTube channels dedicated to the same topic you want to vlog about then this should not discourage you from going after the same viewers. People who are excited about a topic frequently watch more than one vlog about it. It might not even be correct to think of other vloggers within your genre as ‘the competition’ since you are ultimately part of the same community. You will need to watch these people’s videos as part of keeping yourself informed and will likely become a fan – maybe even a collaborator some day – of theirs.
The main reason you want to look into YouTube channels like yours is because you do not want to be creating content that is overdone and boring. You are tackling the same topic as other people, and may even make some videos on the exact same subjects as others already have. There needs to be something unique about your videos that makes them stand out from what already exists. By looking at what other people are already doing you will be able to come up with ideas for what you can do differently.
3. Choose a Great Name
Picking a great name for your YouTube account can take a lot of effort. Chances are you will not want to use your own name, at least not in full. Although your real name can work for if you are a lifestyle vlogger in most cases you will have a more specific topic that will need to be addressed in your channel’s name. Try out your name or a nickname for yourself in combination with different words associated with the topic of your vlog. Aim to create a name that is catchy and easy to remember.
Chances are a few of your first couple picks will be unavailable. YouTube is a popular site and a lot of the best names are taken. The last thing you should ever do while naming your YouTube channel is add numbers or letters to the end of a name you like because it is taken. Names with numbers at the end are hard for viewers to remember and find again. Choosing a weak name with a trail of numbers or letters after it will make it very hard for your channel to grow. Brainstorm a long list of potential names that are actually good and keep on trying them out until you find one that’s available.
For more information on naming your YouTube channel read our post ‘How To Pick a Name for Your YouTube Channel’.
4. Make a Schedule
Maintaining a YouTube channel is a big time commitment. You need to post videos regularly or people will forget about you, and videos can take a long time to make. When you are first starting your vlog you should make yourself a schedule for when you want to upload videos. Having a schedule will help you budget your time and ensure that your vlog never gets in the way of the rest of your life.
Having a posting schedule will also help you grow your channel. Viewers like it when they know when to expect new content from vloggers they like. They are more likely to subscribe and tune in for every post if they are given a chance to anticipate when your new entry is coming.
5. Take Inventory
Think about what equipment you have that you can use for your YouTube channel. The only thing you absolutely cannot get by without is a decent camera, but there are other types of equipment that it is a good idea to have too. Lights, a tripod, an external microphone – these are all things that a lot of YouTubers find they need in order to produce great videos. If you do not have these things, or money you are prepared to invest in them, then you will need to find ways around them until your situation changes. For more information check out our post ‘The Best YouTube Equipment: What You Need to Start Your Channel’.
Read More to Get : Best Video Websites Like YouTube >>
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett
Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions
People create YouTube accounts for a lot of different reasons. Some YouTubers just love making videos and created their channels so they would have somewhere to post their work. Others have strong opinions they need a platform to share. There are a lot of people on YouTube whose main interest is in a separate website or other social media page, but they use their YouTube channels to help generate traffic. If you are considering starting your own YouTube channel then you should take a second to consider why you want to, since this will have an impact on what kind of videos you make. Your reasons for wanting to make a YouTube account do not have to be very elaborate. Maybe you just think it will be fun. Good news; it will be!
Once you know for sure that you want to create a YouTube account, and also know why you want to do it, you have already started building your channel. There are still a few important things to consider, though. This article will walk you through signing up for a YouTube account, and give you some tips about starting your channel.
Creating Your YouTube Account in 6 Steps
1. Go to YouTube.com and look at the top right corner of your screen. There will either be a blue Sign In button, or an icon representing you. YouTube accounts and Google accounts are the same, so if you are signed into your Gmail account you are already signed into YouTube as well.
2. If you see a Sign In button, click it. If you see your icon click on that, and in the window that pops up select Add Account. Either way, you will be taken into a sign in screen. Under where it asks for your email address it will say Create Account. Click on Create Account.
3. In the sign up page you will need to put in your name, email address, and mobile phone number as well as some other personal information. Do not enter your current Gmail address. Enter an alternate email you have created for your vlog, or click on I would like a new Gmail address. This will change your page slightly so that the email field becomes Choose a Username.
You will probably need to try a few different usernames before you find one that is not taken.
4. You will have to put in both a first and last name when you create your account, but you can change it to one name later.
5. Your password will need to be at least 8 characters long. Try to use a combination of letters or numbers, and make sure it is not something easily guessable (i.e spouses name).
6. After you finish the form click Next Step and, in the next screen, Continue to YouTube.
Tips on Starting a YouTube Channel
1. Choose a Topic you Love
When choosing a topic for your YouTube channel make sure you pick something you are passionate about. If you already have an interest or hobby which you are always researching and are extremely up-to-date on then that should probably be the theme of your vlog. If you plan to have a channel where people go to learn anything then you will need to be an authority on that topic. Whatever you make videos about it will need to be something you can realistically see yourself putting a lot of time into. If you cannot think of more than a couple ideas for videos on your topic then that is a sign that you need to choose something else to focus on.
You should check to see how much demand there is for videos on your topic. This can be done by googling your topic to see what else is out there. If not many people have addressed your topic yet it probably means that it is not something a lot of people want to know about. However, it could also mean that the people who do want to watch videos like yours have been starved for content. Your channel will flop if you do not love what you are making videos about, so do not choose something just because you think it will be popular. Follow your passion.
2. Check out the Competition
You should look for other vlogs with similar topics to yours not only to gauge how much demand there is for your videos, but to check out the competition. If there are a lot of YouTube channels dedicated to the same topic you want to vlog about then this should not discourage you from going after the same viewers. People who are excited about a topic frequently watch more than one vlog about it. It might not even be correct to think of other vloggers within your genre as ‘the competition’ since you are ultimately part of the same community. You will need to watch these people’s videos as part of keeping yourself informed and will likely become a fan – maybe even a collaborator some day – of theirs.
The main reason you want to look into YouTube channels like yours is because you do not want to be creating content that is overdone and boring. You are tackling the same topic as other people, and may even make some videos on the exact same subjects as others already have. There needs to be something unique about your videos that makes them stand out from what already exists. By looking at what other people are already doing you will be able to come up with ideas for what you can do differently.
3. Choose a Great Name
Picking a great name for your YouTube account can take a lot of effort. Chances are you will not want to use your own name, at least not in full. Although your real name can work for if you are a lifestyle vlogger in most cases you will have a more specific topic that will need to be addressed in your channel’s name. Try out your name or a nickname for yourself in combination with different words associated with the topic of your vlog. Aim to create a name that is catchy and easy to remember.
Chances are a few of your first couple picks will be unavailable. YouTube is a popular site and a lot of the best names are taken. The last thing you should ever do while naming your YouTube channel is add numbers or letters to the end of a name you like because it is taken. Names with numbers at the end are hard for viewers to remember and find again. Choosing a weak name with a trail of numbers or letters after it will make it very hard for your channel to grow. Brainstorm a long list of potential names that are actually good and keep on trying them out until you find one that’s available.
For more information on naming your YouTube channel read our post ‘How To Pick a Name for Your YouTube Channel’.
4. Make a Schedule
Maintaining a YouTube channel is a big time commitment. You need to post videos regularly or people will forget about you, and videos can take a long time to make. When you are first starting your vlog you should make yourself a schedule for when you want to upload videos. Having a schedule will help you budget your time and ensure that your vlog never gets in the way of the rest of your life.
Having a posting schedule will also help you grow your channel. Viewers like it when they know when to expect new content from vloggers they like. They are more likely to subscribe and tune in for every post if they are given a chance to anticipate when your new entry is coming.
5. Take Inventory
Think about what equipment you have that you can use for your YouTube channel. The only thing you absolutely cannot get by without is a decent camera, but there are other types of equipment that it is a good idea to have too. Lights, a tripod, an external microphone – these are all things that a lot of YouTubers find they need in order to produce great videos. If you do not have these things, or money you are prepared to invest in them, then you will need to find ways around them until your situation changes. For more information check out our post ‘The Best YouTube Equipment: What You Need to Start Your Channel’.
Read More to Get : Best Video Websites Like YouTube >>
Richard Bennett
Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Richard Bennett
Boost Your Video’s Popularity on YouTube
The 12-step YouTube SEO Guide for Beginners Who Want More Views
Shanoon Cox
Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions
The joy of creating on YouTube is often dampened by the disappointment of underperforming videos. You have published your content and it’s not getting the views you had hoped.
Well, let’s change that!
In this guide, I’m going to walk you through YouTube SEO from the very start to the very end.
Nothing complicated. No paid programs or expensive apps needed. We are going back to basics and get your videos discovered.
Ready?
Let’s Go!
Part 1: Research Your Topic and Competitors
Come up with a video idea . Can’t come up with one? Let me help. I heard you can make a mean scrambled egg, why don’t you show the world how you do it?
Excellent! Let’s go with that idea.
Wait, don’t go making the video yet. First, we have to do some research. We need to know what videos already exist out there.
Step 1: Find Related Videos
Do a quick search on YouTube to see what videos already exist on your topic.
Uh oh… your video will be competing against celebrities like Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver.
Okay, don’t panic! There is a fantastic quote, credited to bestselling author, Jon Acuff , that goes:
While researching your competition, you will feel overwhelmed, but remember, you are at the beginning, and Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver are not even at their middle, they are way passed the finish line. You still have a long journey to go, so don’t get discouraged, get inspired!
Watch those videos and understand what they are all about.
Understand that people watch YouTube for 3 key reasons:
- To be entertained
- To learn something new
- To be inspired
A video that can hit all 3 marks is going to be positioned for success. Don’t fret too much about the competition, as long as your content is good, you will see improvement.
So if you think this scrambled egg idea can hit those 3 marks, then I encourage you to go to the next step. If you don’t, let’s regroup and brainstorm some more YouTube video ideas .
Step 2: Find Keywords
Now that we’ve decided that we are sticking with the video idea, we are ready to do some keyword research. Keywords are the words and phrases people type in the YouTube search bar to discover videos.
Come up with as many relevant keywords as you can. Start by entering a keyword into the YouTube search bar. This will tell you what are the most popular searches associated with that keyword:
Once you have an idea of what people are searching for related to your topic, you’ll want to find more relevant keywords. I like to use the free app, Ubersuggest to do that.
This app gives you a whole list of long-tail keywords, which are 3-4-word phrases which is specific to what your video is about.
Some you will use to dig deeper in and other you will deem irrelevant to your videos. A good way of determining the value of a keyword is by the stats the application shows.
How to Read Keyword Suggestions
Once you have a list of keywords, you will see some numbers on the right-hand side. Here is what each one is about:
- Search volume is the number used to identify the popularity of the keyword. The higher the number the more people are searching for it.
- CPC is the value accredited by YouTube, determining how much advertisers are paying to target audiences who search for that keyword and click on the link.
- Competition is the number used to qualify how many other content are using that keyword.
The two categories that matter most to us right now is Search Volume and Competition. We want keywords with high search volume and low competition rate.
In the example above, you can see that the keyword “avocado scrambled eggs” has a Search Volume of 1,000 and a competition rate of 0.0. This is a good keyword to target, if you can incorporate an avocado to your dish… which of course you can!
Step 3: Write Title
I know you might want to deal with the Title, Description, and Tags after you’ve filmed and edited your video. But if you want to apply a YouTube SEO-focused strategy, then these should be addressed before you even pick up a camera as it can greatly dictate the content you end up creating.
A good YouTube title sparks curiosity, evokes emotional reaction, and promises value to your viewers.
Of course you can title your video simply: Making Scrambled Eggs
But does it spark curiosity? Not really… most people can make scrambled eggs.
Does it evoke any emotion? Maybe hunger… but even then, not really…
Finally, does it promise value? Well, assuming that most people can at least crack an egg into a pan, then hardly.
Your scrambled egg is special! Your video is special! We need to evoke that in the title — and as long as you are not writing any clickbait and deliver on what the title suggest, you can do this.
So, how about this: Are My Amazing Scrambled Eggs Better Than Gordon Ramsay’s?
Hmmm… Well, is it? We know that the Gordon Ramsay’s video has almost 30M views. Many people have already tried cooking it, I’m sure. There is only one way to find out, by encouraging others to try it over Gordon’s.
You don’t need to go for a somewhat contentious title like this, but that’s the idea, you want something that gets people curious, make them feel a certain way, and in the end, make them better for having watched your video.
See how a good title can guide the rest of your video?
Step 4: Write Description
You aren’t going to be writing the description for the viewers necessarily, you are going to be writing it for YouTube’s algorithms. The better YouTube understands what your video is about, the better they can show it to people searching for it.
This means you need to include the keywords you were researching at the beginning of your description, as YouTube will be using them to identify the content of your video. 1 or 2 keywords that best represent your video is enough. Don’t stuff the title with too many keywords or you’ll risk sounding like a robot.
But also use the description for practical uses too, if you have additional information such as supportive links, outline of the video’s content, a list of materials, step-by-step guide, or a recipe that you think your human viewers will find useful, you should input that in the description as well.
Step 5: Write Tags
Thank goodness we did the keyword research in Step 2, because coming up with tags is not as easy as it looks.
Pull 15 keywords from the list and keep it somewhere safe.
Note: The keywords you used in the title should be found in your tags, and since they are the most important ones, you should place them first.
Organize your keywords in the tag as such:
Have the specific keywords at the top, followed by more general keywords, and then branded ones:
Specific: How to make scrambled eggs
General: Scrambled eggs
Branded: Gordon Ramsay scrambled eggs
Part 2: Make The Best Darn Video Possible
It doesn’t matter how relevant your keywords are or how epic your title is, if you video sucks (i.e. your viewers click in and leave right away), YouTube will not show it in search.
Even if you haven’t created any videos yet, you can follow these next steps to ensure you are following the best practices to structure your video.
Step 6: Plan and Film the Hook
The first few seconds is where the largest percentage of your earned viewership will drop off. Odds are 20% of your viewers won’t even get past the first 10 seconds .
What you need is a hook, an intro that ensures this video is what they want to watch and let’s them know what they can expect.
Step 7: Film B-Roll
One static camera shot of you talking or cooking or giving a tutorial can cause your viewers to lose attention.
In order to keep your viewers interest, you will need b-roll, or supplemental footage you can cut to give you video more life.
While jump cuts (cuts made on a sequential clip of the same subject or in the same camera position) are fine, having additional footage to cut to will make your video feel more fluid.
So when you are filming your scrambled egg video, make sure you get some footage of you cracking the egg, scrambling it, and serving it on the plate.
Step 8: Encourage Viewers to Engage in Video
Liking, disliking, subscribing, and commenting on your video will all help your performance indirectly.
While YouTube wouldn’t rank your video higher simply because you have more likes subscribers, or comments, engagement from viewers help your video get discovered. If you get a like or comment from a YouTuber with a lot of subscribers, your video may be visible to those who are following that YouTuber for a while.
The best way to get engagement from your audience is to encourage them to like and subscribe or ask them a question or start a dialogue.
For example, in this scrambled egg video you are making, at the end you can ask, “So what do you think, is this better than Gordon Ramsay?”
Who knows, who will respond.
Step 9: Design a Thumbnail
You could have made a brilliant video, but if you have a poor quality thumbnail that is unattractive, then the overall performance of your video will suffer — and good SEO can only do so much after that.
Your viewers will absolutely judge your video by its cover so it’s important to put some thought into it and not solely rely on the three random thumbnail choices that YouTube picks for you.
Take a look at your competition. If they all look the same, do something different. Add text or a human face (preferably yours) to evoke emotion, as viewers are more likely to click into a video if they see an expressive image.
Don’t want to pay money for a photo editing software such as Photoshop?
You can use an online service called Canva or download GIMP , an open-source photo editor much like Photoshop, but far less powerful. These will help you get the job done as you are starting out.
Want to know more thumbnail maker? Check our picks of the best free YouTube thumbnail makers .
Part 3: Publishing With Attention to Optimization
Well done finishing the video! You are almost there… but not there yet.
Come on, keep going!
Step 10: Fill Out Your Videos Assets
The video is done, the thumbnail is designed, and you have all your title, description, and tags ready to go. This step is easy, upload the video, and fill out the assets, and give yourself a pat on the back.
Step 11: Add Transcripts
In addition to making your content accessible for people who don’t want to or can’t listen to the audio in your video, adding subtitles and closed captions will help YouTube understand the spoken content in your video.
While YouTube does have an automatic subtitle generator, it’s not reliable enough to be used for identifying the keywords you use in your video.
You can choose to write out the whole transcript of your video yourself, but if you are press on time, which of course you are, you can simply go and edit the automatic transcript already available in your video. By the way, you can also use some automatic transcription software.
Step 12: Add Video to Playlist
Finally the last thing you need to do for your video is to add it to a playlist. Even though it might be the first video in the playlist, it helps YouTube identify your video if you organize it in a playlist. As you accumulate more content, having videos in playlists makes content easier to find and keeps relevant videos together.
When viewers searches, having your videos in playlists increases the chance of it being discovered.
So if your first video is about scrambled eggs, maybe you next video can be about the awesome butter toasts.
I guess, you are on your way to making a pretty badass breakfast playlist. I personally can’t wait to see it!
If you treat SEO as an afterthought, only after your video is created, you are not using it to its full potential. If you follow these 12 steps during the course of your production, you will find that SEO doesn’t simply help your video perform at the end, but contributes in all the other phases of creating your video as well.
Besides considering YouTube SEO, you should make a good YouTube video as well. Filmora is a powerful video editing software that features lots of templates and effects. Get the free trial version below and have a try today.
Do you have any questions about SEO? Please leave us a comment below.
Shanoon Cox
Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Shanoon Cox
Shanoon Cox
Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions
The joy of creating on YouTube is often dampened by the disappointment of underperforming videos. You have published your content and it’s not getting the views you had hoped.
Well, let’s change that!
In this guide, I’m going to walk you through YouTube SEO from the very start to the very end.
Nothing complicated. No paid programs or expensive apps needed. We are going back to basics and get your videos discovered.
Ready?
Let’s Go!
Part 1: Research Your Topic and Competitors
Come up with a video idea . Can’t come up with one? Let me help. I heard you can make a mean scrambled egg, why don’t you show the world how you do it?
Excellent! Let’s go with that idea.
Wait, don’t go making the video yet. First, we have to do some research. We need to know what videos already exist out there.
Step 1: Find Related Videos
Do a quick search on YouTube to see what videos already exist on your topic.
Uh oh… your video will be competing against celebrities like Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver.
Okay, don’t panic! There is a fantastic quote, credited to bestselling author, Jon Acuff , that goes:
While researching your competition, you will feel overwhelmed, but remember, you are at the beginning, and Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver are not even at their middle, they are way passed the finish line. You still have a long journey to go, so don’t get discouraged, get inspired!
Watch those videos and understand what they are all about.
Understand that people watch YouTube for 3 key reasons:
- To be entertained
- To learn something new
- To be inspired
A video that can hit all 3 marks is going to be positioned for success. Don’t fret too much about the competition, as long as your content is good, you will see improvement.
So if you think this scrambled egg idea can hit those 3 marks, then I encourage you to go to the next step. If you don’t, let’s regroup and brainstorm some more YouTube video ideas .
Step 2: Find Keywords
Now that we’ve decided that we are sticking with the video idea, we are ready to do some keyword research. Keywords are the words and phrases people type in the YouTube search bar to discover videos.
Come up with as many relevant keywords as you can. Start by entering a keyword into the YouTube search bar. This will tell you what are the most popular searches associated with that keyword:
Once you have an idea of what people are searching for related to your topic, you’ll want to find more relevant keywords. I like to use the free app, Ubersuggest to do that.
This app gives you a whole list of long-tail keywords, which are 3-4-word phrases which is specific to what your video is about.
Some you will use to dig deeper in and other you will deem irrelevant to your videos. A good way of determining the value of a keyword is by the stats the application shows.
How to Read Keyword Suggestions
Once you have a list of keywords, you will see some numbers on the right-hand side. Here is what each one is about:
- Search volume is the number used to identify the popularity of the keyword. The higher the number the more people are searching for it.
- CPC is the value accredited by YouTube, determining how much advertisers are paying to target audiences who search for that keyword and click on the link.
- Competition is the number used to qualify how many other content are using that keyword.
The two categories that matter most to us right now is Search Volume and Competition. We want keywords with high search volume and low competition rate.
In the example above, you can see that the keyword “avocado scrambled eggs” has a Search Volume of 1,000 and a competition rate of 0.0. This is a good keyword to target, if you can incorporate an avocado to your dish… which of course you can!
Step 3: Write Title
I know you might want to deal with the Title, Description, and Tags after you’ve filmed and edited your video. But if you want to apply a YouTube SEO-focused strategy, then these should be addressed before you even pick up a camera as it can greatly dictate the content you end up creating.
A good YouTube title sparks curiosity, evokes emotional reaction, and promises value to your viewers.
Of course you can title your video simply: Making Scrambled Eggs
But does it spark curiosity? Not really… most people can make scrambled eggs.
Does it evoke any emotion? Maybe hunger… but even then, not really…
Finally, does it promise value? Well, assuming that most people can at least crack an egg into a pan, then hardly.
Your scrambled egg is special! Your video is special! We need to evoke that in the title — and as long as you are not writing any clickbait and deliver on what the title suggest, you can do this.
So, how about this: Are My Amazing Scrambled Eggs Better Than Gordon Ramsay’s?
Hmmm… Well, is it? We know that the Gordon Ramsay’s video has almost 30M views. Many people have already tried cooking it, I’m sure. There is only one way to find out, by encouraging others to try it over Gordon’s.
You don’t need to go for a somewhat contentious title like this, but that’s the idea, you want something that gets people curious, make them feel a certain way, and in the end, make them better for having watched your video.
See how a good title can guide the rest of your video?
Step 4: Write Description
You aren’t going to be writing the description for the viewers necessarily, you are going to be writing it for YouTube’s algorithms. The better YouTube understands what your video is about, the better they can show it to people searching for it.
This means you need to include the keywords you were researching at the beginning of your description, as YouTube will be using them to identify the content of your video. 1 or 2 keywords that best represent your video is enough. Don’t stuff the title with too many keywords or you’ll risk sounding like a robot.
But also use the description for practical uses too, if you have additional information such as supportive links, outline of the video’s content, a list of materials, step-by-step guide, or a recipe that you think your human viewers will find useful, you should input that in the description as well.
Step 5: Write Tags
Thank goodness we did the keyword research in Step 2, because coming up with tags is not as easy as it looks.
Pull 15 keywords from the list and keep it somewhere safe.
Note: The keywords you used in the title should be found in your tags, and since they are the most important ones, you should place them first.
Organize your keywords in the tag as such:
Have the specific keywords at the top, followed by more general keywords, and then branded ones:
Specific: How to make scrambled eggs
General: Scrambled eggs
Branded: Gordon Ramsay scrambled eggs
Part 2: Make The Best Darn Video Possible
It doesn’t matter how relevant your keywords are or how epic your title is, if you video sucks (i.e. your viewers click in and leave right away), YouTube will not show it in search.
Even if you haven’t created any videos yet, you can follow these next steps to ensure you are following the best practices to structure your video.
Step 6: Plan and Film the Hook
The first few seconds is where the largest percentage of your earned viewership will drop off. Odds are 20% of your viewers won’t even get past the first 10 seconds .
What you need is a hook, an intro that ensures this video is what they want to watch and let’s them know what they can expect.
Step 7: Film B-Roll
One static camera shot of you talking or cooking or giving a tutorial can cause your viewers to lose attention.
In order to keep your viewers interest, you will need b-roll, or supplemental footage you can cut to give you video more life.
While jump cuts (cuts made on a sequential clip of the same subject or in the same camera position) are fine, having additional footage to cut to will make your video feel more fluid.
So when you are filming your scrambled egg video, make sure you get some footage of you cracking the egg, scrambling it, and serving it on the plate.
Step 8: Encourage Viewers to Engage in Video
Liking, disliking, subscribing, and commenting on your video will all help your performance indirectly.
While YouTube wouldn’t rank your video higher simply because you have more likes subscribers, or comments, engagement from viewers help your video get discovered. If you get a like or comment from a YouTuber with a lot of subscribers, your video may be visible to those who are following that YouTuber for a while.
The best way to get engagement from your audience is to encourage them to like and subscribe or ask them a question or start a dialogue.
For example, in this scrambled egg video you are making, at the end you can ask, “So what do you think, is this better than Gordon Ramsay?”
Who knows, who will respond.
Step 9: Design a Thumbnail
You could have made a brilliant video, but if you have a poor quality thumbnail that is unattractive, then the overall performance of your video will suffer — and good SEO can only do so much after that.
Your viewers will absolutely judge your video by its cover so it’s important to put some thought into it and not solely rely on the three random thumbnail choices that YouTube picks for you.
Take a look at your competition. If they all look the same, do something different. Add text or a human face (preferably yours) to evoke emotion, as viewers are more likely to click into a video if they see an expressive image.
Don’t want to pay money for a photo editing software such as Photoshop?
You can use an online service called Canva or download GIMP , an open-source photo editor much like Photoshop, but far less powerful. These will help you get the job done as you are starting out.
Want to know more thumbnail maker? Check our picks of the best free YouTube thumbnail makers .
Part 3: Publishing With Attention to Optimization
Well done finishing the video! You are almost there… but not there yet.
Come on, keep going!
Step 10: Fill Out Your Videos Assets
The video is done, the thumbnail is designed, and you have all your title, description, and tags ready to go. This step is easy, upload the video, and fill out the assets, and give yourself a pat on the back.
Step 11: Add Transcripts
In addition to making your content accessible for people who don’t want to or can’t listen to the audio in your video, adding subtitles and closed captions will help YouTube understand the spoken content in your video.
While YouTube does have an automatic subtitle generator, it’s not reliable enough to be used for identifying the keywords you use in your video.
You can choose to write out the whole transcript of your video yourself, but if you are press on time, which of course you are, you can simply go and edit the automatic transcript already available in your video. By the way, you can also use some automatic transcription software.
Step 12: Add Video to Playlist
Finally the last thing you need to do for your video is to add it to a playlist. Even though it might be the first video in the playlist, it helps YouTube identify your video if you organize it in a playlist. As you accumulate more content, having videos in playlists makes content easier to find and keeps relevant videos together.
When viewers searches, having your videos in playlists increases the chance of it being discovered.
So if your first video is about scrambled eggs, maybe you next video can be about the awesome butter toasts.
I guess, you are on your way to making a pretty badass breakfast playlist. I personally can’t wait to see it!
If you treat SEO as an afterthought, only after your video is created, you are not using it to its full potential. If you follow these 12 steps during the course of your production, you will find that SEO doesn’t simply help your video perform at the end, but contributes in all the other phases of creating your video as well.
Besides considering YouTube SEO, you should make a good YouTube video as well. Filmora is a powerful video editing software that features lots of templates and effects. Get the free trial version below and have a try today.
Do you have any questions about SEO? Please leave us a comment below.
Shanoon Cox
Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Shanoon Cox
Shanoon Cox
Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions
The joy of creating on YouTube is often dampened by the disappointment of underperforming videos. You have published your content and it’s not getting the views you had hoped.
Well, let’s change that!
In this guide, I’m going to walk you through YouTube SEO from the very start to the very end.
Nothing complicated. No paid programs or expensive apps needed. We are going back to basics and get your videos discovered.
Ready?
Let’s Go!
Part 1: Research Your Topic and Competitors
Come up with a video idea . Can’t come up with one? Let me help. I heard you can make a mean scrambled egg, why don’t you show the world how you do it?
Excellent! Let’s go with that idea.
Wait, don’t go making the video yet. First, we have to do some research. We need to know what videos already exist out there.
Step 1: Find Related Videos
Do a quick search on YouTube to see what videos already exist on your topic.
Uh oh… your video will be competing against celebrities like Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver.
Okay, don’t panic! There is a fantastic quote, credited to bestselling author, Jon Acuff , that goes:
While researching your competition, you will feel overwhelmed, but remember, you are at the beginning, and Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver are not even at their middle, they are way passed the finish line. You still have a long journey to go, so don’t get discouraged, get inspired!
Watch those videos and understand what they are all about.
Understand that people watch YouTube for 3 key reasons:
- To be entertained
- To learn something new
- To be inspired
A video that can hit all 3 marks is going to be positioned for success. Don’t fret too much about the competition, as long as your content is good, you will see improvement.
So if you think this scrambled egg idea can hit those 3 marks, then I encourage you to go to the next step. If you don’t, let’s regroup and brainstorm some more YouTube video ideas .
Step 2: Find Keywords
Now that we’ve decided that we are sticking with the video idea, we are ready to do some keyword research. Keywords are the words and phrases people type in the YouTube search bar to discover videos.
Come up with as many relevant keywords as you can. Start by entering a keyword into the YouTube search bar. This will tell you what are the most popular searches associated with that keyword:
Once you have an idea of what people are searching for related to your topic, you’ll want to find more relevant keywords. I like to use the free app, Ubersuggest to do that.
This app gives you a whole list of long-tail keywords, which are 3-4-word phrases which is specific to what your video is about.
Some you will use to dig deeper in and other you will deem irrelevant to your videos. A good way of determining the value of a keyword is by the stats the application shows.
How to Read Keyword Suggestions
Once you have a list of keywords, you will see some numbers on the right-hand side. Here is what each one is about:
- Search volume is the number used to identify the popularity of the keyword. The higher the number the more people are searching for it.
- CPC is the value accredited by YouTube, determining how much advertisers are paying to target audiences who search for that keyword and click on the link.
- Competition is the number used to qualify how many other content are using that keyword.
The two categories that matter most to us right now is Search Volume and Competition. We want keywords with high search volume and low competition rate.
In the example above, you can see that the keyword “avocado scrambled eggs” has a Search Volume of 1,000 and a competition rate of 0.0. This is a good keyword to target, if you can incorporate an avocado to your dish… which of course you can!
Step 3: Write Title
I know you might want to deal with the Title, Description, and Tags after you’ve filmed and edited your video. But if you want to apply a YouTube SEO-focused strategy, then these should be addressed before you even pick up a camera as it can greatly dictate the content you end up creating.
A good YouTube title sparks curiosity, evokes emotional reaction, and promises value to your viewers.
Of course you can title your video simply: Making Scrambled Eggs
But does it spark curiosity? Not really… most people can make scrambled eggs.
Does it evoke any emotion? Maybe hunger… but even then, not really…
Finally, does it promise value? Well, assuming that most people can at least crack an egg into a pan, then hardly.
Your scrambled egg is special! Your video is special! We need to evoke that in the title — and as long as you are not writing any clickbait and deliver on what the title suggest, you can do this.
So, how about this: Are My Amazing Scrambled Eggs Better Than Gordon Ramsay’s?
Hmmm… Well, is it? We know that the Gordon Ramsay’s video has almost 30M views. Many people have already tried cooking it, I’m sure. There is only one way to find out, by encouraging others to try it over Gordon’s.
You don’t need to go for a somewhat contentious title like this, but that’s the idea, you want something that gets people curious, make them feel a certain way, and in the end, make them better for having watched your video.
See how a good title can guide the rest of your video?
Step 4: Write Description
You aren’t going to be writing the description for the viewers necessarily, you are going to be writing it for YouTube’s algorithms. The better YouTube understands what your video is about, the better they can show it to people searching for it.
This means you need to include the keywords you were researching at the beginning of your description, as YouTube will be using them to identify the content of your video. 1 or 2 keywords that best represent your video is enough. Don’t stuff the title with too many keywords or you’ll risk sounding like a robot.
But also use the description for practical uses too, if you have additional information such as supportive links, outline of the video’s content, a list of materials, step-by-step guide, or a recipe that you think your human viewers will find useful, you should input that in the description as well.
Step 5: Write Tags
Thank goodness we did the keyword research in Step 2, because coming up with tags is not as easy as it looks.
Pull 15 keywords from the list and keep it somewhere safe.
Note: The keywords you used in the title should be found in your tags, and since they are the most important ones, you should place them first.
Organize your keywords in the tag as such:
Have the specific keywords at the top, followed by more general keywords, and then branded ones:
Specific: How to make scrambled eggs
General: Scrambled eggs
Branded: Gordon Ramsay scrambled eggs
Part 2: Make The Best Darn Video Possible
It doesn’t matter how relevant your keywords are or how epic your title is, if you video sucks (i.e. your viewers click in and leave right away), YouTube will not show it in search.
Even if you haven’t created any videos yet, you can follow these next steps to ensure you are following the best practices to structure your video.
Step 6: Plan and Film the Hook
The first few seconds is where the largest percentage of your earned viewership will drop off. Odds are 20% of your viewers won’t even get past the first 10 seconds .
What you need is a hook, an intro that ensures this video is what they want to watch and let’s them know what they can expect.
Step 7: Film B-Roll
One static camera shot of you talking or cooking or giving a tutorial can cause your viewers to lose attention.
In order to keep your viewers interest, you will need b-roll, or supplemental footage you can cut to give you video more life.
While jump cuts (cuts made on a sequential clip of the same subject or in the same camera position) are fine, having additional footage to cut to will make your video feel more fluid.
So when you are filming your scrambled egg video, make sure you get some footage of you cracking the egg, scrambling it, and serving it on the plate.
Step 8: Encourage Viewers to Engage in Video
Liking, disliking, subscribing, and commenting on your video will all help your performance indirectly.
While YouTube wouldn’t rank your video higher simply because you have more likes subscribers, or comments, engagement from viewers help your video get discovered. If you get a like or comment from a YouTuber with a lot of subscribers, your video may be visible to those who are following that YouTuber for a while.
The best way to get engagement from your audience is to encourage them to like and subscribe or ask them a question or start a dialogue.
For example, in this scrambled egg video you are making, at the end you can ask, “So what do you think, is this better than Gordon Ramsay?”
Who knows, who will respond.
Step 9: Design a Thumbnail
You could have made a brilliant video, but if you have a poor quality thumbnail that is unattractive, then the overall performance of your video will suffer — and good SEO can only do so much after that.
Your viewers will absolutely judge your video by its cover so it’s important to put some thought into it and not solely rely on the three random thumbnail choices that YouTube picks for you.
Take a look at your competition. If they all look the same, do something different. Add text or a human face (preferably yours) to evoke emotion, as viewers are more likely to click into a video if they see an expressive image.
Don’t want to pay money for a photo editing software such as Photoshop?
You can use an online service called Canva or download GIMP , an open-source photo editor much like Photoshop, but far less powerful. These will help you get the job done as you are starting out.
Want to know more thumbnail maker? Check our picks of the best free YouTube thumbnail makers .
Part 3: Publishing With Attention to Optimization
Well done finishing the video! You are almost there… but not there yet.
Come on, keep going!
Step 10: Fill Out Your Videos Assets
The video is done, the thumbnail is designed, and you have all your title, description, and tags ready to go. This step is easy, upload the video, and fill out the assets, and give yourself a pat on the back.
Step 11: Add Transcripts
In addition to making your content accessible for people who don’t want to or can’t listen to the audio in your video, adding subtitles and closed captions will help YouTube understand the spoken content in your video.
While YouTube does have an automatic subtitle generator, it’s not reliable enough to be used for identifying the keywords you use in your video.
You can choose to write out the whole transcript of your video yourself, but if you are press on time, which of course you are, you can simply go and edit the automatic transcript already available in your video. By the way, you can also use some automatic transcription software.
Step 12: Add Video to Playlist
Finally the last thing you need to do for your video is to add it to a playlist. Even though it might be the first video in the playlist, it helps YouTube identify your video if you organize it in a playlist. As you accumulate more content, having videos in playlists makes content easier to find and keeps relevant videos together.
When viewers searches, having your videos in playlists increases the chance of it being discovered.
So if your first video is about scrambled eggs, maybe you next video can be about the awesome butter toasts.
I guess, you are on your way to making a pretty badass breakfast playlist. I personally can’t wait to see it!
If you treat SEO as an afterthought, only after your video is created, you are not using it to its full potential. If you follow these 12 steps during the course of your production, you will find that SEO doesn’t simply help your video perform at the end, but contributes in all the other phases of creating your video as well.
Besides considering YouTube SEO, you should make a good YouTube video as well. Filmora is a powerful video editing software that features lots of templates and effects. Get the free trial version below and have a try today.
Do you have any questions about SEO? Please leave us a comment below.
Shanoon Cox
Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Shanoon Cox
Shanoon Cox
Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions
The joy of creating on YouTube is often dampened by the disappointment of underperforming videos. You have published your content and it’s not getting the views you had hoped.
Well, let’s change that!
In this guide, I’m going to walk you through YouTube SEO from the very start to the very end.
Nothing complicated. No paid programs or expensive apps needed. We are going back to basics and get your videos discovered.
Ready?
Let’s Go!
Part 1: Research Your Topic and Competitors
Come up with a video idea . Can’t come up with one? Let me help. I heard you can make a mean scrambled egg, why don’t you show the world how you do it?
Excellent! Let’s go with that idea.
Wait, don’t go making the video yet. First, we have to do some research. We need to know what videos already exist out there.
Step 1: Find Related Videos
Do a quick search on YouTube to see what videos already exist on your topic.
Uh oh… your video will be competing against celebrities like Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver.
Okay, don’t panic! There is a fantastic quote, credited to bestselling author, Jon Acuff , that goes:
While researching your competition, you will feel overwhelmed, but remember, you are at the beginning, and Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver are not even at their middle, they are way passed the finish line. You still have a long journey to go, so don’t get discouraged, get inspired!
Watch those videos and understand what they are all about.
Understand that people watch YouTube for 3 key reasons:
- To be entertained
- To learn something new
- To be inspired
A video that can hit all 3 marks is going to be positioned for success. Don’t fret too much about the competition, as long as your content is good, you will see improvement.
So if you think this scrambled egg idea can hit those 3 marks, then I encourage you to go to the next step. If you don’t, let’s regroup and brainstorm some more YouTube video ideas .
Step 2: Find Keywords
Now that we’ve decided that we are sticking with the video idea, we are ready to do some keyword research. Keywords are the words and phrases people type in the YouTube search bar to discover videos.
Come up with as many relevant keywords as you can. Start by entering a keyword into the YouTube search bar. This will tell you what are the most popular searches associated with that keyword:
Once you have an idea of what people are searching for related to your topic, you’ll want to find more relevant keywords. I like to use the free app, Ubersuggest to do that.
This app gives you a whole list of long-tail keywords, which are 3-4-word phrases which is specific to what your video is about.
Some you will use to dig deeper in and other you will deem irrelevant to your videos. A good way of determining the value of a keyword is by the stats the application shows.
How to Read Keyword Suggestions
Once you have a list of keywords, you will see some numbers on the right-hand side. Here is what each one is about:
- Search volume is the number used to identify the popularity of the keyword. The higher the number the more people are searching for it.
- CPC is the value accredited by YouTube, determining how much advertisers are paying to target audiences who search for that keyword and click on the link.
- Competition is the number used to qualify how many other content are using that keyword.
The two categories that matter most to us right now is Search Volume and Competition. We want keywords with high search volume and low competition rate.
In the example above, you can see that the keyword “avocado scrambled eggs” has a Search Volume of 1,000 and a competition rate of 0.0. This is a good keyword to target, if you can incorporate an avocado to your dish… which of course you can!
Step 3: Write Title
I know you might want to deal with the Title, Description, and Tags after you’ve filmed and edited your video. But if you want to apply a YouTube SEO-focused strategy, then these should be addressed before you even pick up a camera as it can greatly dictate the content you end up creating.
A good YouTube title sparks curiosity, evokes emotional reaction, and promises value to your viewers.
Of course you can title your video simply: Making Scrambled Eggs
But does it spark curiosity? Not really… most people can make scrambled eggs.
Does it evoke any emotion? Maybe hunger… but even then, not really…
Finally, does it promise value? Well, assuming that most people can at least crack an egg into a pan, then hardly.
Your scrambled egg is special! Your video is special! We need to evoke that in the title — and as long as you are not writing any clickbait and deliver on what the title suggest, you can do this.
So, how about this: Are My Amazing Scrambled Eggs Better Than Gordon Ramsay’s?
Hmmm… Well, is it? We know that the Gordon Ramsay’s video has almost 30M views. Many people have already tried cooking it, I’m sure. There is only one way to find out, by encouraging others to try it over Gordon’s.
You don’t need to go for a somewhat contentious title like this, but that’s the idea, you want something that gets people curious, make them feel a certain way, and in the end, make them better for having watched your video.
See how a good title can guide the rest of your video?
Step 4: Write Description
You aren’t going to be writing the description for the viewers necessarily, you are going to be writing it for YouTube’s algorithms. The better YouTube understands what your video is about, the better they can show it to people searching for it.
This means you need to include the keywords you were researching at the beginning of your description, as YouTube will be using them to identify the content of your video. 1 or 2 keywords that best represent your video is enough. Don’t stuff the title with too many keywords or you’ll risk sounding like a robot.
But also use the description for practical uses too, if you have additional information such as supportive links, outline of the video’s content, a list of materials, step-by-step guide, or a recipe that you think your human viewers will find useful, you should input that in the description as well.
Step 5: Write Tags
Thank goodness we did the keyword research in Step 2, because coming up with tags is not as easy as it looks.
Pull 15 keywords from the list and keep it somewhere safe.
Note: The keywords you used in the title should be found in your tags, and since they are the most important ones, you should place them first.
Organize your keywords in the tag as such:
Have the specific keywords at the top, followed by more general keywords, and then branded ones:
Specific: How to make scrambled eggs
General: Scrambled eggs
Branded: Gordon Ramsay scrambled eggs
Part 2: Make The Best Darn Video Possible
It doesn’t matter how relevant your keywords are or how epic your title is, if you video sucks (i.e. your viewers click in and leave right away), YouTube will not show it in search.
Even if you haven’t created any videos yet, you can follow these next steps to ensure you are following the best practices to structure your video.
Step 6: Plan and Film the Hook
The first few seconds is where the largest percentage of your earned viewership will drop off. Odds are 20% of your viewers won’t even get past the first 10 seconds .
What you need is a hook, an intro that ensures this video is what they want to watch and let’s them know what they can expect.
Step 7: Film B-Roll
One static camera shot of you talking or cooking or giving a tutorial can cause your viewers to lose attention.
In order to keep your viewers interest, you will need b-roll, or supplemental footage you can cut to give you video more life.
While jump cuts (cuts made on a sequential clip of the same subject or in the same camera position) are fine, having additional footage to cut to will make your video feel more fluid.
So when you are filming your scrambled egg video, make sure you get some footage of you cracking the egg, scrambling it, and serving it on the plate.
Step 8: Encourage Viewers to Engage in Video
Liking, disliking, subscribing, and commenting on your video will all help your performance indirectly.
While YouTube wouldn’t rank your video higher simply because you have more likes subscribers, or comments, engagement from viewers help your video get discovered. If you get a like or comment from a YouTuber with a lot of subscribers, your video may be visible to those who are following that YouTuber for a while.
The best way to get engagement from your audience is to encourage them to like and subscribe or ask them a question or start a dialogue.
For example, in this scrambled egg video you are making, at the end you can ask, “So what do you think, is this better than Gordon Ramsay?”
Who knows, who will respond.
Step 9: Design a Thumbnail
You could have made a brilliant video, but if you have a poor quality thumbnail that is unattractive, then the overall performance of your video will suffer — and good SEO can only do so much after that.
Your viewers will absolutely judge your video by its cover so it’s important to put some thought into it and not solely rely on the three random thumbnail choices that YouTube picks for you.
Take a look at your competition. If they all look the same, do something different. Add text or a human face (preferably yours) to evoke emotion, as viewers are more likely to click into a video if they see an expressive image.
Don’t want to pay money for a photo editing software such as Photoshop?
You can use an online service called Canva or download GIMP , an open-source photo editor much like Photoshop, but far less powerful. These will help you get the job done as you are starting out.
Want to know more thumbnail maker? Check our picks of the best free YouTube thumbnail makers .
Part 3: Publishing With Attention to Optimization
Well done finishing the video! You are almost there… but not there yet.
Come on, keep going!
Step 10: Fill Out Your Videos Assets
The video is done, the thumbnail is designed, and you have all your title, description, and tags ready to go. This step is easy, upload the video, and fill out the assets, and give yourself a pat on the back.
Step 11: Add Transcripts
In addition to making your content accessible for people who don’t want to or can’t listen to the audio in your video, adding subtitles and closed captions will help YouTube understand the spoken content in your video.
While YouTube does have an automatic subtitle generator, it’s not reliable enough to be used for identifying the keywords you use in your video.
You can choose to write out the whole transcript of your video yourself, but if you are press on time, which of course you are, you can simply go and edit the automatic transcript already available in your video. By the way, you can also use some automatic transcription software.
Step 12: Add Video to Playlist
Finally the last thing you need to do for your video is to add it to a playlist. Even though it might be the first video in the playlist, it helps YouTube identify your video if you organize it in a playlist. As you accumulate more content, having videos in playlists makes content easier to find and keeps relevant videos together.
When viewers searches, having your videos in playlists increases the chance of it being discovered.
So if your first video is about scrambled eggs, maybe you next video can be about the awesome butter toasts.
I guess, you are on your way to making a pretty badass breakfast playlist. I personally can’t wait to see it!
If you treat SEO as an afterthought, only after your video is created, you are not using it to its full potential. If you follow these 12 steps during the course of your production, you will find that SEO doesn’t simply help your video perform at the end, but contributes in all the other phases of creating your video as well.
Besides considering YouTube SEO, you should make a good YouTube video as well. Filmora is a powerful video editing software that features lots of templates and effects. Get the free trial version below and have a try today.
Do you have any questions about SEO? Please leave us a comment below.
Shanoon Cox
Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.
Follow @Shanoon Cox
- Title: In 2024, Navigating Account Creation on YouTube
- Author: Joseph
- Created at : 2024-05-31 13:51:02
- Updated at : 2024-06-01 13:51:02
- Link: https://youtube-stream.techidaily.com/in-2024-navigating-account-creation-on-youtube/
- License: This work is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
