So, you post a video on YouTube, and nobody is watching it. Why not? It could be that it doesn’t appear on the first pages of the search result. You may be asking yourself, how does YouTube rank its video search results?

According to Alexa and SimilarWeb, which rank websites for SEO purposes,  YouTube is ranked third website traffic. It is used more and more as a tool to search for information because many people prefer watching a video to reading an article. In addition, the visual aspect can make it more informative.

The biggest issue people are facing is figuring out how to bring in more traffic to their videos. In this article, I will give you information on what Google is looking for when they rank your videos and give you a few tips that can help you along the way.

How does YouTube Rank its Video Search Results?

As explained by Alan Fordyce, who owns a successful Kent SEO firm, the following factors are used by YouTube when ranking your video.

Meta Data: If you are familiar with SEO, you know that this is the title, description, and tags that you associate with your video.

• Your title should describe the video, but also be something that people are going to search for.
• Chose keywords that not only represent your brand, or what your video is all about but are also words people search for. Google’s AdWords Keyword Planner is a great tool to use for this.
• Make it easy for people to find you on the web. In the description, include your website and all your social media profiles.

The Quality of your video: YouTube ranks a high-definition (HD) video better than one with a low resolution.  Viewers prefer HD videos and are more likely to choose these as they are highlighted in the search results.

Views: The more views your video has, the higher it will rank. The higher it ranks, the more views it has. Get your video out there! Post it on social media or add it to an e-mail update or newsletter.

Shares: Your ranking is also affected by the number of times your video is shared through social media. Share it on all your social media pages, if you have a lot of followers and the content is interesting people will share.

Likes: You know that little thumbs up button under the video? It serves a purpose other than telling people you enjoyed the video. More likes mean a higher rank.

Links: embed the video to your website when relevant, for example in a blog post or a video section of your website. You can also reach out to other blogs or sites if appropriate.

Choose a Thumbnail: You have the liberty of choosing the image that shows up when as a thumbnail for your video. This is the first thing people will see before choosing to view your video. Make sure it’s relevant, something that catches the eye, bright colors, or a funny picture.

Closed Caption: This can seem like hard work, but it can help you so much in the long run. Having a video closed captioned allows you to broaden your audience, including the deaf or hard of hearing and people who speak other languages. In addition to broadening your viewers, the words that are captioned are also picked up by search engines.

YouTube has an automatic closed captioning feature, but editing will be necessary. If you want, you can also upload your own transcription for the closed captioning.

Tips to Create Great YouTube Content

If you want to explode on YouTube, become the next YouTube sensation, you need to have engaging content. Not only something that people will be drawn to when they stumble on it, but also makes them want to see more. Here are a few tips:

• Don’t put too much attention on the algorithms. Yes, keywords are important, but consistently producing quality video is the most important factor.
• Learn what your viewers want. Know who your target audience is and what they want to see. Do some research, read comments, don’t assume to know what they want.
• Make a plan. Before you shoot your video, you’re going to want to plan out the content; where the shots will take place, and the number of shots required.
• Be passionate. It’s important to choose something that you love doing. If you are passionate about your subject matter it will come across in your video.
• Be animated. When you are speaking on your videos use body language and be energetic. It may feel awkward but is sure to keep your viewers engaged in your content.

You can find also find videos with more tips on how to create great content. This video explains Gary Vaynerchuck’s 4 Tips for Making Great YouTube Content.

YouTube can be a great tool to get exposure for you or your business. Creating amazing YouTube material that people want to see can be very profitable, but it is not something that happens overnight. To succeed hard work, dedication and quality content are needed.