YouTube SEO: Make your videos more searchable by adding context

While the age-old metaphor of ‘content is king’ is more important than ever in today’s Internet of ubiquitous publishing, context must not be overlooked.

In this brief article we describe the importance of providing context to video published on YouTube. However, the principles applied here can be used and replicated on just about any other publishing platform.

In an article posted to YouTube’s blog this week, the video sharing site outlines the importance of adding context to videos, and specifically the role of context in assisting YouTube’s review team when assessing flagged content (content that break YouTube’s Community Guidelines – like graphic videos).

The main benefit of context from a user’s point-of-view is that video is more easily searchable and understandable, and garners more views, shares and YouTube channel subscriptions as a result.

Similar to other forms of search engine marketing, choosing an appropriate video title is hugely important. As described by YouTube, avoid vague titles like ‘Shocking deaths and fighting’, but instead choose a very specific and informative one, like ‘The Maspero Massacre | 9/10/11 | What Really Happened’. Think about how those that might be interested in your video would search for it, and perhaps add a date to disambiguate it with similar events.

Write two to three sentences about your video in its description field. Include the very obvious; who, what, where, when and why. As if narrating the video, provide a brief synopsis of its contents, and add video annotations where appropriate.

Categorise your video and add five to seven relevant, descriptive keywords. Choose an enticing video thumbnail to increase video click through rates within YouTube video search, but also on Google Search.

You’ve gone to the trouble of capturing a great video. Now contextualise it so that others can find it.