There are a number of possible goals that will influence your YouTube marketing plan and the technical execution of SEO on your creative video content. Are you trying to:
- Create rich snippets?
- Generate links back to your site?
- Increase conversions?
- Build brand awareness?
Depending on which of the above objectives you wish to achieve will ultimately determine not just where you place your content, but how it’s implemented within your digital strategy. This post will focus on how to optimise YouTube videos to improve organic search results and build brand awareness.
YouTube marketing is a great way of getting videos in front of a significant audience. With around 2 billion video views per day, there is massive potential to increase traffic to your site. However, because of the overwhelming amount of content being uploaded, it’s important to take advantage of YouTube’s SEO options to increase your video’s visibility.
YouTube Marketing SEO Tips 
Create an Interesting, Keyword Rich Title
This is half the battle. The title is the most important aspect when displaying search results and the first thing noticed by users. Try and limit yourself to 66 characters (anything over gets cut off when searched in Google). Striking a balance between keyword competition and local monthly searches is important. Do some research on Google’s Keyword Planner to help determine which keyphrase might work best.
Description and Tags
Try and create an exciting, accurate description of the video content. Don’t try and stuff it full of popular keywords or unnecessary babble. It should contain your keyword (or a variation of it), as well as a link to the exact product or service page related to the video. Make sure you put the link at the very top of the description to prevent it from being hidden below the fold. Also don’t forget to use http:// in the URL or the link won’t work!
Tags should be short descriptive phrases related to the video. Use your keyword research and try to incorporate unique keywords. Be sure to include identifiers such as the brand, topic, and video style (review, guide, tutorial etc.). Avoid single words and aim for a minimum of 5. Tags are important for influencing search results as well as where your video shows in the related content section on YouTube.
Video Annotations
Pop-ups can be annoying, but if you’re providing a relevant call to action viewers tend not to mind as much. If you have more than one video, provide a link to the next clip, or to your channel. If you run a promoted video, you can include an overlay ad that links directly to your site.
Call to Action
Whether it’s a link to your site, the opportunity to subscribe, share, or visit your company’s other social media outlets, be sure to provide the opportunity to see more content.
Be Social
After all, YouTube is a social network! Respond to your viewers in a timely manner, and try and provide a reason for them to comment. Viewers will be more likely to watch further content, give your video a good rating, and even subscribe, all of which helps to boost your video’s ranking.
The Future of YouTube Marketing
As online video continues along its path of exponential growth, a formidable presence on YouTube will be a key factor in improving your digital strategy. As Google gets set to take Google+ page integration out of Beta, the possible avenues for increasing your viewership through video look ready to surge.
