How to Reference Video on YouTube? 9 Essential Steps

Your YouTube channel is created and your first video is online, but the number of views is not there. This article is written for you! A second search engine in the world, YouTube belongs to Google and attracts more than 4 million French people per day. This is a good reason to bet on the SEO optimization of your videos. We offer you 9 essential steps to reference a YouTube video and attract as many Internet users as possible to your channel.

1. Optimize YouTube Channel Profile Layout

The first step to referring to a video on your YouTube channel is to take care of the presentation of your “profile” (about) page.

Your first subscriber is YouTube itself, or rather its algorithm. So might as well seduce him, and make him want to know a little more about you and your content, right? Start by clearly explaining your activity to him, highlighting your website, and your presence on social networks.

The content of your channel presentation can reach a maximum of 1,000 characters, so do not hesitate to include good keywords representative of your field. Also, choose a photo that characterizes you, show your logo, and opt for personalized wallpaper.

2. Use playlists to naturally reference a YouTube video

Creating playlists and organizing your content, allows Internet users to quickly target videos likely to interest them, and therefore to be viewed.

To allow the search engines of YouTube and Google to offer them to the right target, it is therefore essential to name your playlists with titles rich in keywords. This is a great help to boost the notoriety of your channel and optimize the referencing of your video.

How to create a playlist? Select your video then click on “Save+”, then “Create a playlist”. Give it a name and finish by clicking on “Create”.

3. Consider viewing time and retention rate

The average watch time on YouTube in 2019 was 20 minutes per day (watch time/number of views), hence the importance of your retention rate (length of video watched by the Internet user).

For YouTube to count a view on your video, the user must have watched it for a minimum of 30 seconds. If your video lasts 8 minutes, and the Internet user watches 4 of them, your loyalty rate is therefore 50%.

The more your videos have a high average watch duration, the more YouTube will judge that you are an expert in keeping Internet users on the platform. This is the most effective way for its algorithm to place your videos at the top of search results.

Feel free to use the data available in YouTube Analytics (available on YouTube Studio).
This tool will allow you to analyze why and when your viewers stop viewing your content, and will quickly become your ally for the referencing of your videos.

4. Bet on an effective keyword strategy to reference your video

Listing a video on YouTube means optimizing it for Google. Its search engine is YOUR biggest supplier of readers.

This may appear in the “all” section of the first page of results, as well as in the “videos” section.

The choice of keywords is strategic in the SEO optimization of your videos, because Google does not systematically offer this type of content.
Indeed, he will decide to make it appear if the chosen query already offers visual content in the first page of its results. A complete analysis of the choice of keywords you use is therefore essential.

For your video to gain SEO, start by highlighting your keywords in:

• the name of your file;
• the title of the video (which should ideally contain between 50 and 60 characters);
• subtitles;
• the description and the tags used.

Finally, make the most of the automatic search offered by YouTube. If this provides you with a series of proposals, it is because these searches are often requested.

5. Write a full description of the YouTube video to be referenced

The description of your video has one objective: to convince the Internet user and the algorithm that it provides a precise answer to a question.

YouTube and Google algorithm requirements

Although ultra-powerful, it unfortunately cannot view the content of your video! (I know it’s terrible…).
Fortunately, a description rich in keywords, with a varied lexical field and sufficiently long (comprising at least 150 words, although 200 to 400 words is perfect), will help him to understand the theme you are addressing to better reference your video.

Internet users’ expectations

The good news is that a priori, they should read your description, and in the best case view your entire video! The Graal.

To make them want to see your content thanks to the keywords entered in their initial search:

• indicate a quick shot of the video (especially if it is long);
• create a small introductory sequence, which will inform the Internet user about the theme you are discussing;
• deal with trending topics;
• Ask yourself if the content of your video clearly answers a question your audience is asking.

Rest assured, once your first description is perfectly written by the ghostwriting services, the following ones will be more natural.

6. Customize thumbnail, video thumbnail

Your video’s thumbnail (its thumbnail) is a showcase of your content. By personalizing it with an attractive image, you make users want to start watching and thus increase your natural referencing on YouTube.

Click through rate (CTR) is a signal that significantly influences YouTube’s algorithm. A video that has a good CTR will naturally go up in the results.

To customize it, just go to your YouTube Studio.

7. Use tags and hashtags for ideal video SEO optimization

Tags, descriptive keywords

The chosen tags are keywords intended to provide a description of your content.
Without direct consequence on the referencing of YouTube videos, they can nevertheless generate many visits.

We advise you to include them in the space reserved for them (“more options” section).
Start with your main keyword, the name of your YouTube channel, then choose 3 to 4 secondary keywords.

Here are the tags we might have for a platform offering a video on “SEO optimization of your YouTube videos”: YouTube – the name of the platform – SEO optimization – editorial strategy – referencing – videos.

The usefulness of hashtags for YouTube SEO

Using hashtags in your title or description of your video makes it easier for people to find it when they search for a particular hashtag.

By starting their search with a hashtag (#) followed by the theme or content they wish to view, their choice is targeted.
If your video contains a hashtag the Internet user is looking for, it will have a better chance of appearing in the results page offered by YouTube.

A few simple rules specific to YouTube must be respected:

• no spaces;
• 15 hashtags per video;
• Hashtags that match the content or theme of the video (the opposite will hurt your bounce rate).

8. Manually transcribe subtitles to reference a YouTube video

Performing the transcription of your video (your subtitles) will allow you to give a boost to your natural referencing.

The keywords used in your subtitles allow your video to be more visible on search engines, whether on YouTube or Google.

Two options are available to you depending on your level of patience and your technical skills in SEO:

• you have time and decide to transcribe your video yourself;
• You prefer to outsource this task for lack of time or SEO knowledge (because yes, you have a business to run first and foremost! And this step is a job in its own right).

The freelancers of La Redact du Web will be happy to offer you a service adapted to your expectations.

9. Engage your Internet users to like, subscribe to your channel and interact

YouTube’s algorithm, similar to Google’s, places great importance on positive signals related to user experience (UX).

By getting likes and generating more subscriptions to your channel, you prove to YouTube that your video and channel are relevant.

Encourage your audience to interact by directly asking them to like your video and subscribe to your page:

• During its viewing, insisting on the thumbs-up;
• By integrating annotations;
• In the description under the video;
• By activating comments and engaging in exchanges;
• By soliciting them for ideas or opinions on specific subjects;
• By organizing challenges or competitions;
• By directing them to a gift located on a landing page (eBook, free guide, white paper, etc.);
• By thanking them (their time is precious and they devoted it to you).

YouTube is 100 hours of videos added every minute! You are now ready to effectively optimize your channel, with a real SEO optimization strategy for your videos. Share, engage your subscribers and relay your videos on your website’s blog, your social networks as well as on groups and pages related to your sector of activity.
Ready to get your YouTube channel off the ground? Contact us to discover our editors, and build a team of several freelancers who are experts in their fields.