How To Get Your Videos Ranking On Google Search

Have you looked at the search results for the goods and services that you sell and found that your competitors have videos in the search results?  If they can do it, you can do it too.   If your competitor does not have videos in search results, then this would be a great time to create videos that reflect your brand and get them on SERPs (search engine results pages).  The first step is to get your videos optimized within YouTube.  Here is a step by step guide on how to optimize a YouTube video for search.

If you have a wordpress blog or website, invest in Yoast’s Video SEO plugin for WordPress.  Be sure to link to relevant content on your website as well as a CTA (call to action) on your website.

Use the YouTube Keyword Tool. 

This is valuable for keyword research. Just type in a keyword that relates to your video, and that you would like to show up for on YouTube, and ultimately, Google, and you will get data on that keyword along with other keyword possibilities.  

Choose A Title and Put It In The Name Of The Video. 

Don't use a generic name for your video. Instead, you should create a title using your target keywords in its filename. For example, instead of “vid6658.mov”, name your video “EffectiveBlogPostCreation.mov”.  If possible, include your primary keyword target in the name of the video.

Do Your Keyword Research. 

Once you've done your research with the YouTube keyword tool, add keywords to your video title, description, and caption.  Make sure that this is done “organically” (no keyword stuffing or content that is hard to read because it is created mainly to link up keywords). Do not have less than 50 or more than 300 words in the description.  Be sure to include the key talking points of the video in the keyword research and in the description and caption.

Create A Branded YouTube Channel. 

Your YouTube channel should look and feel a lot like your website and the tone and focus of the title, caption and description should be true to your brand. Take a bit of time with the graphics to ensure that it is consistent with your online presence, and keep your profile up to date. You should also be sure to list your business social media accounts and website links on your channel page.

Conclusion:  Sounds easy, right?   It’s really not.  Like any sort of content creation in today’s online environment, it requires time and commitment to consistent video creation and following the steps above.  Don’t be afraid to create different video treatments on the same subject that are tailored to different audiences outside of YouTube.  Your Facebook or Instagram audience may have a slightly different take on the subject that you are covering.  Be careful of using different keywords in the title of the video to avoid confusing your audience who may interact with you on different platforms.   Video is powerful and can help you to not only grow your online audience but also create top of mind awareness in your existing audience, leading to upsells, referrals and repeat business. 

Eric Van Cleave is the CEO and Digital Marketing Director for TIV Branding

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TIV Branding is a boutique branding firm in Sonoma County, California. We specialize in building brands by using traditional, social and digital channels in unison. If you would like to discuss a project or find out more about how we do what we do, please email us at info@TIVbranding.com.