Channel Conversion Guide: YT to IGTV Strategies

How to Convert YouTube to IGTV Videos? [3 Ways]

Shanoon Cox

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Publishing video content on social media platforms like Instagram or IGTV can help influencers and brands reach new customers. The only trouble is that both Instagram and IGTV have very precise video upload requirements, so each video you want to share on your IGTV channel must be saved in MP4 file format and in a 9:16 aspect ratio.

YouTube videos, on the other hand, are mostly horizontally oriented. If you attempt to upload a YouTube video to IGTV and wondering how to achieve it, just keep reading. Because in this article, we are going to show you how you can convert a horizontal YouTube video into IGTV vertical one in 3 different ways.

• Part 1: Re-post YouTube Video to IGTV with Filmora
• Part 2: Use YouTube to IGTV Online Converter
• Part 3: Convert YouTube Video to IGTV with FXP

---

Part 1: Convert YouTube Videos to IGTV Vertical Videos with Filmora

If you don’t already have the original file of the video you’d like to upload to your IGTV channel, you can download a video from YouTube , but keep in mind that you can’t use any content without permission from its owner.

Once you have the file, you can create a new project in Filmora and then after the project loads you should click on the File menu and select the Project Settings option. Pick one of the 9:16 video resolution options provided by the editor and click OK to confirm the changes.

Click on the Import button to add a YouTube video to your project and then place it on the timeline. Your video will be displayed in the Preview Panel, and you’ll be able to see that the video is positioned at the center of the panel and that its top and bottom are black.

Go to the Effects tab and click on the Background Blur submenu if you want to blur the empty areas of the frame. Add the Basic Blur effect to the timeline and drag one of its sides to position it over the entire video.

In case you are working with a video that already has a 16:9 aspect ratio, you can create a project that has the same aspect ratio, and then just use the Rotate slider in the Transform menu, to change turn a landscape video into a portrait video. The scaling tool is helpful to enlarge the frames in a vertical aspect ratio.

Filmora lets you create vertical videos in just a few quick steps, which makes it a perfect choice for influencers and marketers who want to share video content on YouTube and IGTV.

Latest News: In Filmora V10.5 and later versions, there is a new feature called Auto-Reframe. This feature allows users to convert one video for different social media platforms based on the aspect ratio changing, and its features of detecting the moving object. Click the Analyze button, and Filmora will convert this 16:9 YouTube video to vertical 9:16 IGTV video automatically. And I can adjust frames to follow Yasmine’s movement to fine-tune the result.

You can watch the video below to find out more information about the Auto-Reframe tool.

Part 2: Use Kapwing to Convert YouTube to IGTV Online

YouTubers who already have lots of videos on their channel can use online video editing platforms, like Kapwing to edit the content they want to post on IGTV. This online video editor offers a number of video editing tools that let you polish your videos before posting them on social media.

Click on the Resize tool and simply copy and paste the URL of a YouTube into the appropriate bar and the platform will automatically import a video and display it on the screen once the content is finally fetched.

Pick the Story (Snap/Insta) or IGTV 9:16 option and then proceed to choose the background color for your IGTV video, increase or decrease the zoom level or change the position of the video. Click on the Create button when ready and wait for Kapwing to process your video. All videos you create with the free version of this online video editor are going to be watermarked and you have to pay a six-dollar fee for each watermark-free video you edit with Kapwing or you can opt for a $20 monthly subscription fee that enables you to export an unlimited amount of videos without watermarks each month.

A growing number of IGTV users choose to rotate their videos, instead of resizing them, so if you already have a YouTube video with a 16:9 aspect ratio you can just rotate it and get a video with a 9:16 aspect ratio. Click on the Rotate option and then rotate it 90 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise and click on the Create button. If you opt for this method of creating a vertical video for IGTV, your video will remain the same size, but the viewers will have to hold their phones horizontally in order to view it properly.

You may also like: How to Convert MKV to MP4 without Losing Quality [Free Converters Provided] >>

Part 3: Changing the Aspect Ratio of a YouTube Video with Final Cut Pro

Editing videos with professional video editing software products like Final Cut Pro or Premiere Pro requires a certain amount of skill. There is more than just one way to change the aspect ratio of a video in Final Cut Pro, but probably the best one is to set the project resolution to 2160X3840 or any other lower resolution that matches the 9:16 aspect ratio. During the video editing process, you will have to resize all of the footage you want to include in the final version of the video. Planning your shots and composing them differently than you would compose horizontally oriented shots can potentially save you a little time on resizing and repositioning the video clips you’re working with.

If you’ve already exported a video and uploaded it to your YouTube channel, you can open that video in Final Cut Pro and just rotate it using the Transform tools. However, the viewers will have to hold their phones in a horizontal position while watching the video if you choose this method of creating a 9:16 aspect ratio in Final Cut Pro.

Conclusion

Posting YouTube videos on your IGTV channel is still a somewhat complicated process because you can’t share posts directly from one platform to the other. Moreover, you can’t upload videos that last more than ten minutes to IGTV, unless you have a verified account. Even so, the IGTV platform can help you extend the reach of your videos and increase the revenue you’re generating from the content you’re sharing on social media. Do you know another way of changing a YouTube video’s aspect ratio before re-posting it on IGTV? Leave a comment and let us know.

You may also like: YouTube to WAV File: 4 Best Free Convert Solutions >>

Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Publishing video content on social media platforms like Instagram or IGTV can help influencers and brands reach new customers. The only trouble is that both Instagram and IGTV have very precise video upload requirements, so each video you want to share on your IGTV channel must be saved in MP4 file format and in a 9:16 aspect ratio.

YouTube videos, on the other hand, are mostly horizontally oriented. If you attempt to upload a YouTube video to IGTV and wondering how to achieve it, just keep reading. Because in this article, we are going to show you how you can convert a horizontal YouTube video into IGTV vertical one in 3 different ways.

• Part 1: Re-post YouTube Video to IGTV with Filmora
• Part 2: Use YouTube to IGTV Online Converter
• Part 3: Convert YouTube Video to IGTV with FXP

---

Part 1: Convert YouTube Videos to IGTV Vertical Videos with Filmora

If you don’t already have the original file of the video you’d like to upload to your IGTV channel, you can download a video from YouTube , but keep in mind that you can’t use any content without permission from its owner.

Once you have the file, you can create a new project in Filmora and then after the project loads you should click on the File menu and select the Project Settings option. Pick one of the 9:16 video resolution options provided by the editor and click OK to confirm the changes.

Click on the Import button to add a YouTube video to your project and then place it on the timeline. Your video will be displayed in the Preview Panel, and you’ll be able to see that the video is positioned at the center of the panel and that its top and bottom are black.

Go to the Effects tab and click on the Background Blur submenu if you want to blur the empty areas of the frame. Add the Basic Blur effect to the timeline and drag one of its sides to position it over the entire video.

In case you are working with a video that already has a 16:9 aspect ratio, you can create a project that has the same aspect ratio, and then just use the Rotate slider in the Transform menu, to change turn a landscape video into a portrait video. The scaling tool is helpful to enlarge the frames in a vertical aspect ratio.

Filmora lets you create vertical videos in just a few quick steps, which makes it a perfect choice for influencers and marketers who want to share video content on YouTube and IGTV.

Latest News: In Filmora V10.5 and later versions, there is a new feature called Auto-Reframe. This feature allows users to convert one video for different social media platforms based on the aspect ratio changing, and its features of detecting the moving object. Click the Analyze button, and Filmora will convert this 16:9 YouTube video to vertical 9:16 IGTV video automatically. And I can adjust frames to follow Yasmine’s movement to fine-tune the result.

You can watch the video below to find out more information about the Auto-Reframe tool.

Part 2: Use Kapwing to Convert YouTube to IGTV Online

YouTubers who already have lots of videos on their channel can use online video editing platforms, like Kapwing to edit the content they want to post on IGTV. This online video editor offers a number of video editing tools that let you polish your videos before posting them on social media.

Click on the Resize tool and simply copy and paste the URL of a YouTube into the appropriate bar and the platform will automatically import a video and display it on the screen once the content is finally fetched.

Pick the Story (Snap/Insta) or IGTV 9:16 option and then proceed to choose the background color for your IGTV video, increase or decrease the zoom level or change the position of the video. Click on the Create button when ready and wait for Kapwing to process your video. All videos you create with the free version of this online video editor are going to be watermarked and you have to pay a six-dollar fee for each watermark-free video you edit with Kapwing or you can opt for a $20 monthly subscription fee that enables you to export an unlimited amount of videos without watermarks each month.

A growing number of IGTV users choose to rotate their videos, instead of resizing them, so if you already have a YouTube video with a 16:9 aspect ratio you can just rotate it and get a video with a 9:16 aspect ratio. Click on the Rotate option and then rotate it 90 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise and click on the Create button. If you opt for this method of creating a vertical video for IGTV, your video will remain the same size, but the viewers will have to hold their phones horizontally in order to view it properly.

You may also like: How to Convert MKV to MP4 without Losing Quality [Free Converters Provided] >>

Part 3: Changing the Aspect Ratio of a YouTube Video with Final Cut Pro

Editing videos with professional video editing software products like Final Cut Pro or Premiere Pro requires a certain amount of skill. There is more than just one way to change the aspect ratio of a video in Final Cut Pro, but probably the best one is to set the project resolution to 2160X3840 or any other lower resolution that matches the 9:16 aspect ratio. During the video editing process, you will have to resize all of the footage you want to include in the final version of the video. Planning your shots and composing them differently than you would compose horizontally oriented shots can potentially save you a little time on resizing and repositioning the video clips you’re working with.

If you’ve already exported a video and uploaded it to your YouTube channel, you can open that video in Final Cut Pro and just rotate it using the Transform tools. However, the viewers will have to hold their phones in a horizontal position while watching the video if you choose this method of creating a 9:16 aspect ratio in Final Cut Pro.

Conclusion

Posting YouTube videos on your IGTV channel is still a somewhat complicated process because you can’t share posts directly from one platform to the other. Moreover, you can’t upload videos that last more than ten minutes to IGTV, unless you have a verified account. Even so, the IGTV platform can help you extend the reach of your videos and increase the revenue you’re generating from the content you’re sharing on social media. Do you know another way of changing a YouTube video’s aspect ratio before re-posting it on IGTV? Leave a comment and let us know.

You may also like: YouTube to WAV File: 4 Best Free Convert Solutions >>

Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Publishing video content on social media platforms like Instagram or IGTV can help influencers and brands reach new customers. The only trouble is that both Instagram and IGTV have very precise video upload requirements, so each video you want to share on your IGTV channel must be saved in MP4 file format and in a 9:16 aspect ratio.

YouTube videos, on the other hand, are mostly horizontally oriented. If you attempt to upload a YouTube video to IGTV and wondering how to achieve it, just keep reading. Because in this article, we are going to show you how you can convert a horizontal YouTube video into IGTV vertical one in 3 different ways.

• Part 1: Re-post YouTube Video to IGTV with Filmora
• Part 2: Use YouTube to IGTV Online Converter
• Part 3: Convert YouTube Video to IGTV with FXP

---

Part 1: Convert YouTube Videos to IGTV Vertical Videos with Filmora

If you don’t already have the original file of the video you’d like to upload to your IGTV channel, you can download a video from YouTube , but keep in mind that you can’t use any content without permission from its owner.

Once you have the file, you can create a new project in Filmora and then after the project loads you should click on the File menu and select the Project Settings option. Pick one of the 9:16 video resolution options provided by the editor and click OK to confirm the changes.

Click on the Import button to add a YouTube video to your project and then place it on the timeline. Your video will be displayed in the Preview Panel, and you’ll be able to see that the video is positioned at the center of the panel and that its top and bottom are black.

Go to the Effects tab and click on the Background Blur submenu if you want to blur the empty areas of the frame. Add the Basic Blur effect to the timeline and drag one of its sides to position it over the entire video.

In case you are working with a video that already has a 16:9 aspect ratio, you can create a project that has the same aspect ratio, and then just use the Rotate slider in the Transform menu, to change turn a landscape video into a portrait video. The scaling tool is helpful to enlarge the frames in a vertical aspect ratio.

Filmora lets you create vertical videos in just a few quick steps, which makes it a perfect choice for influencers and marketers who want to share video content on YouTube and IGTV.

Latest News: In Filmora V10.5 and later versions, there is a new feature called Auto-Reframe. This feature allows users to convert one video for different social media platforms based on the aspect ratio changing, and its features of detecting the moving object. Click the Analyze button, and Filmora will convert this 16:9 YouTube video to vertical 9:16 IGTV video automatically. And I can adjust frames to follow Yasmine’s movement to fine-tune the result.

You can watch the video below to find out more information about the Auto-Reframe tool.

Part 2: Use Kapwing to Convert YouTube to IGTV Online

YouTubers who already have lots of videos on their channel can use online video editing platforms, like Kapwing to edit the content they want to post on IGTV. This online video editor offers a number of video editing tools that let you polish your videos before posting them on social media.

Click on the Resize tool and simply copy and paste the URL of a YouTube into the appropriate bar and the platform will automatically import a video and display it on the screen once the content is finally fetched.

Pick the Story (Snap/Insta) or IGTV 9:16 option and then proceed to choose the background color for your IGTV video, increase or decrease the zoom level or change the position of the video. Click on the Create button when ready and wait for Kapwing to process your video. All videos you create with the free version of this online video editor are going to be watermarked and you have to pay a six-dollar fee for each watermark-free video you edit with Kapwing or you can opt for a $20 monthly subscription fee that enables you to export an unlimited amount of videos without watermarks each month.

A growing number of IGTV users choose to rotate their videos, instead of resizing them, so if you already have a YouTube video with a 16:9 aspect ratio you can just rotate it and get a video with a 9:16 aspect ratio. Click on the Rotate option and then rotate it 90 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise and click on the Create button. If you opt for this method of creating a vertical video for IGTV, your video will remain the same size, but the viewers will have to hold their phones horizontally in order to view it properly.

You may also like: How to Convert MKV to MP4 without Losing Quality [Free Converters Provided] >>

Part 3: Changing the Aspect Ratio of a YouTube Video with Final Cut Pro

Editing videos with professional video editing software products like Final Cut Pro or Premiere Pro requires a certain amount of skill. There is more than just one way to change the aspect ratio of a video in Final Cut Pro, but probably the best one is to set the project resolution to 2160X3840 or any other lower resolution that matches the 9:16 aspect ratio. During the video editing process, you will have to resize all of the footage you want to include in the final version of the video. Planning your shots and composing them differently than you would compose horizontally oriented shots can potentially save you a little time on resizing and repositioning the video clips you’re working with.

If you’ve already exported a video and uploaded it to your YouTube channel, you can open that video in Final Cut Pro and just rotate it using the Transform tools. However, the viewers will have to hold their phones in a horizontal position while watching the video if you choose this method of creating a 9:16 aspect ratio in Final Cut Pro.

Conclusion

Posting YouTube videos on your IGTV channel is still a somewhat complicated process because you can’t share posts directly from one platform to the other. Moreover, you can’t upload videos that last more than ten minutes to IGTV, unless you have a verified account. Even so, the IGTV platform can help you extend the reach of your videos and increase the revenue you’re generating from the content you’re sharing on social media. Do you know another way of changing a YouTube video’s aspect ratio before re-posting it on IGTV? Leave a comment and let us know.

You may also like: YouTube to WAV File: 4 Best Free Convert Solutions >>

Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Publishing video content on social media platforms like Instagram or IGTV can help influencers and brands reach new customers. The only trouble is that both Instagram and IGTV have very precise video upload requirements, so each video you want to share on your IGTV channel must be saved in MP4 file format and in a 9:16 aspect ratio.

YouTube videos, on the other hand, are mostly horizontally oriented. If you attempt to upload a YouTube video to IGTV and wondering how to achieve it, just keep reading. Because in this article, we are going to show you how you can convert a horizontal YouTube video into IGTV vertical one in 3 different ways.

• Part 1: Re-post YouTube Video to IGTV with Filmora
• Part 2: Use YouTube to IGTV Online Converter
• Part 3: Convert YouTube Video to IGTV with FXP

---

Part 1: Convert YouTube Videos to IGTV Vertical Videos with Filmora

If you don’t already have the original file of the video you’d like to upload to your IGTV channel, you can download a video from YouTube , but keep in mind that you can’t use any content without permission from its owner.

Once you have the file, you can create a new project in Filmora and then after the project loads you should click on the File menu and select the Project Settings option. Pick one of the 9:16 video resolution options provided by the editor and click OK to confirm the changes.

Click on the Import button to add a YouTube video to your project and then place it on the timeline. Your video will be displayed in the Preview Panel, and you’ll be able to see that the video is positioned at the center of the panel and that its top and bottom are black.

Go to the Effects tab and click on the Background Blur submenu if you want to blur the empty areas of the frame. Add the Basic Blur effect to the timeline and drag one of its sides to position it over the entire video.

In case you are working with a video that already has a 16:9 aspect ratio, you can create a project that has the same aspect ratio, and then just use the Rotate slider in the Transform menu, to change turn a landscape video into a portrait video. The scaling tool is helpful to enlarge the frames in a vertical aspect ratio.

Filmora lets you create vertical videos in just a few quick steps, which makes it a perfect choice for influencers and marketers who want to share video content on YouTube and IGTV.

Latest News: In Filmora V10.5 and later versions, there is a new feature called Auto-Reframe. This feature allows users to convert one video for different social media platforms based on the aspect ratio changing, and its features of detecting the moving object. Click the Analyze button, and Filmora will convert this 16:9 YouTube video to vertical 9:16 IGTV video automatically. And I can adjust frames to follow Yasmine’s movement to fine-tune the result.

You can watch the video below to find out more information about the Auto-Reframe tool.

Part 2: Use Kapwing to Convert YouTube to IGTV Online

YouTubers who already have lots of videos on their channel can use online video editing platforms, like Kapwing to edit the content they want to post on IGTV. This online video editor offers a number of video editing tools that let you polish your videos before posting them on social media.

Click on the Resize tool and simply copy and paste the URL of a YouTube into the appropriate bar and the platform will automatically import a video and display it on the screen once the content is finally fetched.

Pick the Story (Snap/Insta) or IGTV 9:16 option and then proceed to choose the background color for your IGTV video, increase or decrease the zoom level or change the position of the video. Click on the Create button when ready and wait for Kapwing to process your video. All videos you create with the free version of this online video editor are going to be watermarked and you have to pay a six-dollar fee for each watermark-free video you edit with Kapwing or you can opt for a $20 monthly subscription fee that enables you to export an unlimited amount of videos without watermarks each month.

A growing number of IGTV users choose to rotate their videos, instead of resizing them, so if you already have a YouTube video with a 16:9 aspect ratio you can just rotate it and get a video with a 9:16 aspect ratio. Click on the Rotate option and then rotate it 90 degrees clockwise or counterclockwise and click on the Create button. If you opt for this method of creating a vertical video for IGTV, your video will remain the same size, but the viewers will have to hold their phones horizontally in order to view it properly.

You may also like: How to Convert MKV to MP4 without Losing Quality [Free Converters Provided] >>

Part 3: Changing the Aspect Ratio of a YouTube Video with Final Cut Pro

Editing videos with professional video editing software products like Final Cut Pro or Premiere Pro requires a certain amount of skill. There is more than just one way to change the aspect ratio of a video in Final Cut Pro, but probably the best one is to set the project resolution to 2160X3840 or any other lower resolution that matches the 9:16 aspect ratio. During the video editing process, you will have to resize all of the footage you want to include in the final version of the video. Planning your shots and composing them differently than you would compose horizontally oriented shots can potentially save you a little time on resizing and repositioning the video clips you’re working with.

If you’ve already exported a video and uploaded it to your YouTube channel, you can open that video in Final Cut Pro and just rotate it using the Transform tools. However, the viewers will have to hold their phones in a horizontal position while watching the video if you choose this method of creating a 9:16 aspect ratio in Final Cut Pro.

Conclusion

Posting YouTube videos on your IGTV channel is still a somewhat complicated process because you can’t share posts directly from one platform to the other. Moreover, you can’t upload videos that last more than ten minutes to IGTV, unless you have a verified account. Even so, the IGTV platform can help you extend the reach of your videos and increase the revenue you’re generating from the content you’re sharing on social media. Do you know another way of changing a YouTube video’s aspect ratio before re-posting it on IGTV? Leave a comment and let us know.

You may also like: YouTube to WAV File: 4 Best Free Convert Solutions >>

Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Shanoon Cox

Elevate Your Presence: The Best 5 Practices for Max Viewers

5 Tips to Get More Views with YouTube Optimization [Free Checklist]

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

We all want our videos to get a lot of views, and in turn, lead to more subscribers. In order to do so, we have to prepare it for success. If you are hoping to optimize a video after it has already been published to YouTube, then you aren’t going to get the best result, because much of optimization is done before the video is even shot.a

In this article, we will give youa checklist , which you should have with you at the very beginning of creating a YouTube video: the ideation stage. As you go through your process, check off each task. By doing so, you can ensure that you have given the video the best chance to rank high and be discovered.

How to Optimize Your Video to Rank Higher on YouTube?

1. Keep Your Audience’s Attention
2. Do Keyword Research
3. Engage Your Audience
4. Upload YouTube Video in Proper Length

1. Keep Your Audience’s Attention:

Even though your view count is going up, it doesn’t mean your audience is watching your video. And if they are not, then YouTube is going to consider your video less valuable and therefore, lowering its rank.

Audience Retention is an important metric to keep an eye on after every video you’ve published.

Before you start your next project, take a look back at the Audience Retention of your previous videos.

1. Enter YouTube Studio in your channel
2. Access to Analytics
3. Select the video you want to review
4. Click into engagement
5. See where a dip in watch time

What is Good Audience Retention?

If you want to see how your Audience Retention is performing, the Average Percentage Viewed will give you a broad perspective. The higher the percentage, the more people are watching your entire video.

If you get above 60% Average Percentage Viewed, you should feel very proud. In our modern world with our short attention span, that is considered good retention.

In the example above, we see that on average, a viewer will only see 44% of the video. For the video below, we see that it only has 30% of the video viewed. Overall, the first video is performing better.

There is also a dip that happens at the beginning in the second example, which indicates that viewers are skipping forward and about 20% then deciding it’s not worth continuing. It’s good data to help you improve your introduction and the hook.

If there is important information that you are presenting at a given point and in the Audience Retention you see that only a small percentage of your viewers actually see it, then for the next video, you might want to position the details in a different point in the video.

How to Improve Audience Retention

Here are a few ways you can retain your audience’s attention if you noticed a drop in viewership:

- Film a hook (introduce your video to let the audience know what to expect)

- Add b-roll (having supplemental footage to cut to makes your video more interesting to watch)

- Have a co-host (Having someone on screen gives the video more dynamic interactions)

- Edit out the unimportant stuff

- Write a conclusion (having a conclusion prepared will allow you to transition from the content of the video to the call to action without the audience even knowing) See this example by PolyMatter below and notice how seamless their ending is.

If you have a video that is doing a good job retaining the audience, then replicate it. If there isn’t, keep experimenting with new structures. Improving audience retention is not simply important for your ranking, but it will affirm that you are building quality videos.

Knowing how to structure your video will allow you to be strategic as you build out your content.

2. Do Keyword Research:

Many viewers find YouTube videos via search, and if you aren’t using the appropriate keywords, then YouTube won’t be able to identify your content and display it for your viewers.

Where Do Keywords Appear on YouTube?

- Title: Have keywords at the beginning of the title and limit them up to approximately 60 characters so it appears in full in search.

- Tags: Include 10-15 tags from general keywords to more specific.

- Descriptions: Put important information and keywords at the beginning of the description so both searcher and the search engine understands what the video is about.

Why Keywords Matter

keyword arrangement is an integral part of YouTube optimization because the robots behind YouTube don’t associate the value of the actual video content with what the viewer is actually seeking. You should pay attention to the relevance of keywords.

Even when you add closed captions, it doesn’t mean the best keywords are present to the Youtube search engine when we speak.

That is why it is important to know your audience and what words and phrases they are going to use to search for your video.

Here is how you can see what keywords were used to find your video:

1. Enter YouTube Studio in your channel
2. Access Analytics
3. Select Reach
4. Click into Traffic Source
5. Click Traffic Source: YouTube Search

If you want to find some new keywords for your upcoming video, you will need to do some research.

1. Enter Keywords You Want to Rank for In YouTube Search: This allows you to see what the most popular phrases are in the YouTube search engine.

2. Study the Competitors: See which videos are ranking high for your search term. Use a tool called VidIQ to see the keywords that the top videos are performing.

3. Search for Related Keywords and Evaluate Relevancy: A tool called Ubersuggest can help you find related keywords and allow you to identify the search volume, cost per click (aka CPC is used for determining the budget for paid search), and the competitiveness of the word or phrase.

Search volume: The number of searches with that particular keyword. The higher the number the more popular it is. You should aim to use keywords with a high search volume.

Keyword competition score: This score is usually indicated by a number and it represents how difficult it is for a keyword to rank due to other pages already ranking for that word or phrase. You want to find a keyword with a low competition score.

Pro tip: The best combination is high search volume and low competition score. But if you can’t get that perfect mix, go for the low competitive score, as it will give you a better chance to rank, even if it isn’t searched as often.

4. Come Up With Content Related to Those Keywords: To come up with topic ideas around a keyword, you can use a tool called Answer the Public , which gives you all the most popular questions searched online.

3. Engage Your Audience:

It’s been highly discussed on forums all over the Internet, and there appears to be a strong correlation between YouTube video ranking and the number of likes, dislikes, and comments the video received.

While YouTube itself might not be using the number of likes and comments to determine where your video rank, having high engagement allows your video to be discovered through other means.

Here is an example of how it would work:

- A YouTuber with 100,000 subscribers views your video and likes it

- Then your video might be visible to a fraction of those 100,000 subscribers.

- Boom! Domino effect!

- More people will see your video and like it, increasing your network of viewers and your watch time, which is one of the main factors that YouTube takes into consideration.

Get engagements with a call to action:

- Don’t be afraid to ask for an engagement at the beginning of the video to avoid fall off on retention.

- Encourage them to leave a comment or start a discussion by asking a question at the end of your video.

- Monitor comments and responds to them so you can build a relationship with your audience over time.

It’s all about creating a community and that is what YouTube encourages.

4. Upload YouTube Video in Proper Length:

YouTube puts a lot of weight on watch time, and in addition to that, it puts more weight on session watch time.

Session watch time is counted when people watch your video and then continue to watch others, it doesn’t have to be your own. The more time people spend watching YouTube videos, as a result of your content, the more likely YouTube will increase your ranking.

Since YouTube puts importance on time spent watching videos, the length of your video will play a key role.

If you have 5 videos and all of them are a minute long, a 100% watch through will only get you 5 minutes total.

However, if you have 1 video that is 20 minutes, and an average viewer only watches half of it, then you have an average watch time of over 10 minutes. That’s more than double what your five short videos can do. This longer video is worth more. However, if that 20-minute video is really boring and people drop off in the first minute, then it’s not any better than 1 of the 5 short videos.

If your format allows, go for a longer video instead of a shorter one. But the most important thing is that you can keep people watching your videos: so use end screen and playlist links to keep them engaged.

End screen: Pick related videos for your audience, so they know exactly what they should watch next. You can even create a background template for your end screens .

Playlist: If you have multiple videos that fit a specific topic, add them to a playlist so the viewer can enjoy them all in one viewing.

Key Takeaways:

1. Use Audience Retention to better understand how to structure your video for the best results.
2. Perform Keyword Research to find the keywords that your competitors are using and your audience is searching for.
3. Increasing Subscribers gets your video in front of more people the moment it is published.
4. Encourage Comments and respond to establish a relationship with your viewers.
5. Ensure that Viewers Continue Watching videos on YouTube after they finish watching yours.

Other Things That Affects Your YouTube Ranking

Except for the above-mentioned factors, there are also other issues that affect the ranking of your YouTube video. YouTube has stated that the number of subscribers doesn’t play a key role in your video ranking.

For example, if a YouTuber has a million subscribers and then overnight they lose 100 thousand, a video they had ranking number 1 will still be ranked number 1.

However, the number of subscribers has a lot of indirect effects on your channel.

- Subscribers know the moment your video is published

- Subscribers will watch your video in the first week (YouTube will rank your video higher if they see a lift in the first week of publishing)

- YouTube put a higher value on subscribers than views and social shares, because it’s harder to fake subscribers

Growing subscribers take time and effort, and even though it shouldn’t be your main focus, there are tactics you can do to gain more subscribers .

Don’t miss a chance to optimize your YouTube video, download, and print out this checklist for your next video project. For more information on SEO(Search Engine Optimization) on YouTube, you can also read the following article.

How to Fast Rank Video Higher with Video SEO >>

10 Best YouTube Keyword Tools to Use with Bonus Tips>>

If you want to find a video editing solution that empowers your imagination and creativity yet takes less effort, please try this robust and user-friendly video editing software Wondershare Filmora. It provides special effects, stock photo & video, sound library, etc., which will definitely enhance your productivity and helps to make money by making videos much accessible.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

We all want our videos to get a lot of views, and in turn, lead to more subscribers. In order to do so, we have to prepare it for success. If you are hoping to optimize a video after it has already been published to YouTube, then you aren’t going to get the best result, because much of optimization is done before the video is even shot.a

In this article, we will give youa checklist , which you should have with you at the very beginning of creating a YouTube video: the ideation stage. As you go through your process, check off each task. By doing so, you can ensure that you have given the video the best chance to rank high and be discovered.

How to Optimize Your Video to Rank Higher on YouTube?

1. Keep Your Audience’s Attention
2. Do Keyword Research
3. Engage Your Audience
4. Upload YouTube Video in Proper Length

1. Keep Your Audience’s Attention:

Even though your view count is going up, it doesn’t mean your audience is watching your video. And if they are not, then YouTube is going to consider your video less valuable and therefore, lowering its rank.

Audience Retention is an important metric to keep an eye on after every video you’ve published.

Before you start your next project, take a look back at the Audience Retention of your previous videos.

1. Enter YouTube Studio in your channel
2. Access to Analytics
3. Select the video you want to review
4. Click into engagement
5. See where a dip in watch time

What is Good Audience Retention?

If you want to see how your Audience Retention is performing, the Average Percentage Viewed will give you a broad perspective. The higher the percentage, the more people are watching your entire video.

If you get above 60% Average Percentage Viewed, you should feel very proud. In our modern world with our short attention span, that is considered good retention.

In the example above, we see that on average, a viewer will only see 44% of the video. For the video below, we see that it only has 30% of the video viewed. Overall, the first video is performing better.

There is also a dip that happens at the beginning in the second example, which indicates that viewers are skipping forward and about 20% then deciding it’s not worth continuing. It’s good data to help you improve your introduction and the hook.

If there is important information that you are presenting at a given point and in the Audience Retention you see that only a small percentage of your viewers actually see it, then for the next video, you might want to position the details in a different point in the video.

How to Improve Audience Retention

Here are a few ways you can retain your audience’s attention if you noticed a drop in viewership:

- Film a hook (introduce your video to let the audience know what to expect)

- Add b-roll (having supplemental footage to cut to makes your video more interesting to watch)

- Have a co-host (Having someone on screen gives the video more dynamic interactions)

- Edit out the unimportant stuff

- Write a conclusion (having a conclusion prepared will allow you to transition from the content of the video to the call to action without the audience even knowing) See this example by PolyMatter below and notice how seamless their ending is.

If you have a video that is doing a good job retaining the audience, then replicate it. If there isn’t, keep experimenting with new structures. Improving audience retention is not simply important for your ranking, but it will affirm that you are building quality videos.

Knowing how to structure your video will allow you to be strategic as you build out your content.

2. Do Keyword Research:

Many viewers find YouTube videos via search, and if you aren’t using the appropriate keywords, then YouTube won’t be able to identify your content and display it for your viewers.

Where Do Keywords Appear on YouTube?

- Title: Have keywords at the beginning of the title and limit them up to approximately 60 characters so it appears in full in search.

- Tags: Include 10-15 tags from general keywords to more specific.

- Descriptions: Put important information and keywords at the beginning of the description so both searcher and the search engine understands what the video is about.

Why Keywords Matter

keyword arrangement is an integral part of YouTube optimization because the robots behind YouTube don’t associate the value of the actual video content with what the viewer is actually seeking. You should pay attention to the relevance of keywords.

Even when you add closed captions, it doesn’t mean the best keywords are present to the Youtube search engine when we speak.

That is why it is important to know your audience and what words and phrases they are going to use to search for your video.

Here is how you can see what keywords were used to find your video:

1. Enter YouTube Studio in your channel
2. Access Analytics
3. Select Reach
4. Click into Traffic Source
5. Click Traffic Source: YouTube Search

If you want to find some new keywords for your upcoming video, you will need to do some research.

1. Enter Keywords You Want to Rank for In YouTube Search: This allows you to see what the most popular phrases are in the YouTube search engine.

2. Study the Competitors: See which videos are ranking high for your search term. Use a tool called VidIQ to see the keywords that the top videos are performing.

3. Search for Related Keywords and Evaluate Relevancy: A tool called Ubersuggest can help you find related keywords and allow you to identify the search volume, cost per click (aka CPC is used for determining the budget for paid search), and the competitiveness of the word or phrase.

Search volume: The number of searches with that particular keyword. The higher the number the more popular it is. You should aim to use keywords with a high search volume.

Keyword competition score: This score is usually indicated by a number and it represents how difficult it is for a keyword to rank due to other pages already ranking for that word or phrase. You want to find a keyword with a low competition score.

Pro tip: The best combination is high search volume and low competition score. But if you can’t get that perfect mix, go for the low competitive score, as it will give you a better chance to rank, even if it isn’t searched as often.

4. Come Up With Content Related to Those Keywords: To come up with topic ideas around a keyword, you can use a tool called Answer the Public , which gives you all the most popular questions searched online.

3. Engage Your Audience:

It’s been highly discussed on forums all over the Internet, and there appears to be a strong correlation between YouTube video ranking and the number of likes, dislikes, and comments the video received.

While YouTube itself might not be using the number of likes and comments to determine where your video rank, having high engagement allows your video to be discovered through other means.

Here is an example of how it would work:

- A YouTuber with 100,000 subscribers views your video and likes it

- Then your video might be visible to a fraction of those 100,000 subscribers.

- Boom! Domino effect!

- More people will see your video and like it, increasing your network of viewers and your watch time, which is one of the main factors that YouTube takes into consideration.

Get engagements with a call to action:

- Don’t be afraid to ask for an engagement at the beginning of the video to avoid fall off on retention.

- Encourage them to leave a comment or start a discussion by asking a question at the end of your video.

- Monitor comments and responds to them so you can build a relationship with your audience over time.

It’s all about creating a community and that is what YouTube encourages.

4. Upload YouTube Video in Proper Length:

YouTube puts a lot of weight on watch time, and in addition to that, it puts more weight on session watch time.

Session watch time is counted when people watch your video and then continue to watch others, it doesn’t have to be your own. The more time people spend watching YouTube videos, as a result of your content, the more likely YouTube will increase your ranking.

Since YouTube puts importance on time spent watching videos, the length of your video will play a key role.

If you have 5 videos and all of them are a minute long, a 100% watch through will only get you 5 minutes total.

However, if you have 1 video that is 20 minutes, and an average viewer only watches half of it, then you have an average watch time of over 10 minutes. That’s more than double what your five short videos can do. This longer video is worth more. However, if that 20-minute video is really boring and people drop off in the first minute, then it’s not any better than 1 of the 5 short videos.

If your format allows, go for a longer video instead of a shorter one. But the most important thing is that you can keep people watching your videos: so use end screen and playlist links to keep them engaged.

End screen: Pick related videos for your audience, so they know exactly what they should watch next. You can even create a background template for your end screens .

Playlist: If you have multiple videos that fit a specific topic, add them to a playlist so the viewer can enjoy them all in one viewing.

Key Takeaways:

1. Use Audience Retention to better understand how to structure your video for the best results.
2. Perform Keyword Research to find the keywords that your competitors are using and your audience is searching for.
3. Increasing Subscribers gets your video in front of more people the moment it is published.
4. Encourage Comments and respond to establish a relationship with your viewers.
5. Ensure that Viewers Continue Watching videos on YouTube after they finish watching yours.

Other Things That Affects Your YouTube Ranking

Except for the above-mentioned factors, there are also other issues that affect the ranking of your YouTube video. YouTube has stated that the number of subscribers doesn’t play a key role in your video ranking.

For example, if a YouTuber has a million subscribers and then overnight they lose 100 thousand, a video they had ranking number 1 will still be ranked number 1.

However, the number of subscribers has a lot of indirect effects on your channel.

- Subscribers know the moment your video is published

- Subscribers will watch your video in the first week (YouTube will rank your video higher if they see a lift in the first week of publishing)

- YouTube put a higher value on subscribers than views and social shares, because it’s harder to fake subscribers

Growing subscribers take time and effort, and even though it shouldn’t be your main focus, there are tactics you can do to gain more subscribers .

Don’t miss a chance to optimize your YouTube video, download, and print out this checklist for your next video project. For more information on SEO(Search Engine Optimization) on YouTube, you can also read the following article.

How to Fast Rank Video Higher with Video SEO >>

10 Best YouTube Keyword Tools to Use with Bonus Tips>>

If you want to find a video editing solution that empowers your imagination and creativity yet takes less effort, please try this robust and user-friendly video editing software Wondershare Filmora. It provides special effects, stock photo & video, sound library, etc., which will definitely enhance your productivity and helps to make money by making videos much accessible.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

We all want our videos to get a lot of views, and in turn, lead to more subscribers. In order to do so, we have to prepare it for success. If you are hoping to optimize a video after it has already been published to YouTube, then you aren’t going to get the best result, because much of optimization is done before the video is even shot.a

In this article, we will give youa checklist , which you should have with you at the very beginning of creating a YouTube video: the ideation stage. As you go through your process, check off each task. By doing so, you can ensure that you have given the video the best chance to rank high and be discovered.

How to Optimize Your Video to Rank Higher on YouTube?

1. Keep Your Audience’s Attention
2. Do Keyword Research
3. Engage Your Audience
4. Upload YouTube Video in Proper Length

1. Keep Your Audience’s Attention:

Even though your view count is going up, it doesn’t mean your audience is watching your video. And if they are not, then YouTube is going to consider your video less valuable and therefore, lowering its rank.

Audience Retention is an important metric to keep an eye on after every video you’ve published.

Before you start your next project, take a look back at the Audience Retention of your previous videos.

1. Enter YouTube Studio in your channel
2. Access to Analytics
3. Select the video you want to review
4. Click into engagement
5. See where a dip in watch time

What is Good Audience Retention?

If you want to see how your Audience Retention is performing, the Average Percentage Viewed will give you a broad perspective. The higher the percentage, the more people are watching your entire video.

If you get above 60% Average Percentage Viewed, you should feel very proud. In our modern world with our short attention span, that is considered good retention.

In the example above, we see that on average, a viewer will only see 44% of the video. For the video below, we see that it only has 30% of the video viewed. Overall, the first video is performing better.

There is also a dip that happens at the beginning in the second example, which indicates that viewers are skipping forward and about 20% then deciding it’s not worth continuing. It’s good data to help you improve your introduction and the hook.

If there is important information that you are presenting at a given point and in the Audience Retention you see that only a small percentage of your viewers actually see it, then for the next video, you might want to position the details in a different point in the video.

How to Improve Audience Retention

Here are a few ways you can retain your audience’s attention if you noticed a drop in viewership:

- Film a hook (introduce your video to let the audience know what to expect)

- Add b-roll (having supplemental footage to cut to makes your video more interesting to watch)

- Have a co-host (Having someone on screen gives the video more dynamic interactions)

- Edit out the unimportant stuff

- Write a conclusion (having a conclusion prepared will allow you to transition from the content of the video to the call to action without the audience even knowing) See this example by PolyMatter below and notice how seamless their ending is.

If you have a video that is doing a good job retaining the audience, then replicate it. If there isn’t, keep experimenting with new structures. Improving audience retention is not simply important for your ranking, but it will affirm that you are building quality videos.

Knowing how to structure your video will allow you to be strategic as you build out your content.

2. Do Keyword Research:

Many viewers find YouTube videos via search, and if you aren’t using the appropriate keywords, then YouTube won’t be able to identify your content and display it for your viewers.

Where Do Keywords Appear on YouTube?

- Title: Have keywords at the beginning of the title and limit them up to approximately 60 characters so it appears in full in search.

- Tags: Include 10-15 tags from general keywords to more specific.

- Descriptions: Put important information and keywords at the beginning of the description so both searcher and the search engine understands what the video is about.

Why Keywords Matter

keyword arrangement is an integral part of YouTube optimization because the robots behind YouTube don’t associate the value of the actual video content with what the viewer is actually seeking. You should pay attention to the relevance of keywords.

Even when you add closed captions, it doesn’t mean the best keywords are present to the Youtube search engine when we speak.

That is why it is important to know your audience and what words and phrases they are going to use to search for your video.

Here is how you can see what keywords were used to find your video:

1. Enter YouTube Studio in your channel
2. Access Analytics
3. Select Reach
4. Click into Traffic Source
5. Click Traffic Source: YouTube Search

If you want to find some new keywords for your upcoming video, you will need to do some research.

1. Enter Keywords You Want to Rank for In YouTube Search: This allows you to see what the most popular phrases are in the YouTube search engine.

2. Study the Competitors: See which videos are ranking high for your search term. Use a tool called VidIQ to see the keywords that the top videos are performing.

3. Search for Related Keywords and Evaluate Relevancy: A tool called Ubersuggest can help you find related keywords and allow you to identify the search volume, cost per click (aka CPC is used for determining the budget for paid search), and the competitiveness of the word or phrase.

Search volume: The number of searches with that particular keyword. The higher the number the more popular it is. You should aim to use keywords with a high search volume.

Keyword competition score: This score is usually indicated by a number and it represents how difficult it is for a keyword to rank due to other pages already ranking for that word or phrase. You want to find a keyword with a low competition score.

Pro tip: The best combination is high search volume and low competition score. But if you can’t get that perfect mix, go for the low competitive score, as it will give you a better chance to rank, even if it isn’t searched as often.

4. Come Up With Content Related to Those Keywords: To come up with topic ideas around a keyword, you can use a tool called Answer the Public , which gives you all the most popular questions searched online.

3. Engage Your Audience:

It’s been highly discussed on forums all over the Internet, and there appears to be a strong correlation between YouTube video ranking and the number of likes, dislikes, and comments the video received.

While YouTube itself might not be using the number of likes and comments to determine where your video rank, having high engagement allows your video to be discovered through other means.

Here is an example of how it would work:

- A YouTuber with 100,000 subscribers views your video and likes it

- Then your video might be visible to a fraction of those 100,000 subscribers.

- Boom! Domino effect!

- More people will see your video and like it, increasing your network of viewers and your watch time, which is one of the main factors that YouTube takes into consideration.

Get engagements with a call to action:

- Don’t be afraid to ask for an engagement at the beginning of the video to avoid fall off on retention.

- Encourage them to leave a comment or start a discussion by asking a question at the end of your video.

- Monitor comments and responds to them so you can build a relationship with your audience over time.

It’s all about creating a community and that is what YouTube encourages.

4. Upload YouTube Video in Proper Length:

YouTube puts a lot of weight on watch time, and in addition to that, it puts more weight on session watch time.

Session watch time is counted when people watch your video and then continue to watch others, it doesn’t have to be your own. The more time people spend watching YouTube videos, as a result of your content, the more likely YouTube will increase your ranking.

Since YouTube puts importance on time spent watching videos, the length of your video will play a key role.

If you have 5 videos and all of them are a minute long, a 100% watch through will only get you 5 minutes total.

However, if you have 1 video that is 20 minutes, and an average viewer only watches half of it, then you have an average watch time of over 10 minutes. That’s more than double what your five short videos can do. This longer video is worth more. However, if that 20-minute video is really boring and people drop off in the first minute, then it’s not any better than 1 of the 5 short videos.

If your format allows, go for a longer video instead of a shorter one. But the most important thing is that you can keep people watching your videos: so use end screen and playlist links to keep them engaged.

End screen: Pick related videos for your audience, so they know exactly what they should watch next. You can even create a background template for your end screens .

Playlist: If you have multiple videos that fit a specific topic, add them to a playlist so the viewer can enjoy them all in one viewing.

Key Takeaways:

1. Use Audience Retention to better understand how to structure your video for the best results.
2. Perform Keyword Research to find the keywords that your competitors are using and your audience is searching for.
3. Increasing Subscribers gets your video in front of more people the moment it is published.
4. Encourage Comments and respond to establish a relationship with your viewers.
5. Ensure that Viewers Continue Watching videos on YouTube after they finish watching yours.

Other Things That Affects Your YouTube Ranking

Except for the above-mentioned factors, there are also other issues that affect the ranking of your YouTube video. YouTube has stated that the number of subscribers doesn’t play a key role in your video ranking.

For example, if a YouTuber has a million subscribers and then overnight they lose 100 thousand, a video they had ranking number 1 will still be ranked number 1.

However, the number of subscribers has a lot of indirect effects on your channel.

- Subscribers know the moment your video is published

- Subscribers will watch your video in the first week (YouTube will rank your video higher if they see a lift in the first week of publishing)

- YouTube put a higher value on subscribers than views and social shares, because it’s harder to fake subscribers

Growing subscribers take time and effort, and even though it shouldn’t be your main focus, there are tactics you can do to gain more subscribers .

Don’t miss a chance to optimize your YouTube video, download, and print out this checklist for your next video project. For more information on SEO(Search Engine Optimization) on YouTube, you can also read the following article.

How to Fast Rank Video Higher with Video SEO >>

10 Best YouTube Keyword Tools to Use with Bonus Tips>>

If you want to find a video editing solution that empowers your imagination and creativity yet takes less effort, please try this robust and user-friendly video editing software Wondershare Filmora. It provides special effects, stock photo & video, sound library, etc., which will definitely enhance your productivity and helps to make money by making videos much accessible.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

We all want our videos to get a lot of views, and in turn, lead to more subscribers. In order to do so, we have to prepare it for success. If you are hoping to optimize a video after it has already been published to YouTube, then you aren’t going to get the best result, because much of optimization is done before the video is even shot.a

In this article, we will give youa checklist , which you should have with you at the very beginning of creating a YouTube video: the ideation stage. As you go through your process, check off each task. By doing so, you can ensure that you have given the video the best chance to rank high and be discovered.

How to Optimize Your Video to Rank Higher on YouTube?

1. Keep Your Audience’s Attention
2. Do Keyword Research
3. Engage Your Audience
4. Upload YouTube Video in Proper Length

1. Keep Your Audience’s Attention:

Even though your view count is going up, it doesn’t mean your audience is watching your video. And if they are not, then YouTube is going to consider your video less valuable and therefore, lowering its rank.

Audience Retention is an important metric to keep an eye on after every video you’ve published.

Before you start your next project, take a look back at the Audience Retention of your previous videos.

1. Enter YouTube Studio in your channel
2. Access to Analytics
3. Select the video you want to review
4. Click into engagement
5. See where a dip in watch time

What is Good Audience Retention?

If you want to see how your Audience Retention is performing, the Average Percentage Viewed will give you a broad perspective. The higher the percentage, the more people are watching your entire video.

If you get above 60% Average Percentage Viewed, you should feel very proud. In our modern world with our short attention span, that is considered good retention.

In the example above, we see that on average, a viewer will only see 44% of the video. For the video below, we see that it only has 30% of the video viewed. Overall, the first video is performing better.

There is also a dip that happens at the beginning in the second example, which indicates that viewers are skipping forward and about 20% then deciding it’s not worth continuing. It’s good data to help you improve your introduction and the hook.

If there is important information that you are presenting at a given point and in the Audience Retention you see that only a small percentage of your viewers actually see it, then for the next video, you might want to position the details in a different point in the video.

How to Improve Audience Retention

Here are a few ways you can retain your audience’s attention if you noticed a drop in viewership:

- Film a hook (introduce your video to let the audience know what to expect)

- Add b-roll (having supplemental footage to cut to makes your video more interesting to watch)

- Have a co-host (Having someone on screen gives the video more dynamic interactions)

- Edit out the unimportant stuff

- Write a conclusion (having a conclusion prepared will allow you to transition from the content of the video to the call to action without the audience even knowing) See this example by PolyMatter below and notice how seamless their ending is.

If you have a video that is doing a good job retaining the audience, then replicate it. If there isn’t, keep experimenting with new structures. Improving audience retention is not simply important for your ranking, but it will affirm that you are building quality videos.

Knowing how to structure your video will allow you to be strategic as you build out your content.

2. Do Keyword Research:

Many viewers find YouTube videos via search, and if you aren’t using the appropriate keywords, then YouTube won’t be able to identify your content and display it for your viewers.

Where Do Keywords Appear on YouTube?

- Title: Have keywords at the beginning of the title and limit them up to approximately 60 characters so it appears in full in search.

- Tags: Include 10-15 tags from general keywords to more specific.

- Descriptions: Put important information and keywords at the beginning of the description so both searcher and the search engine understands what the video is about.

Why Keywords Matter

keyword arrangement is an integral part of YouTube optimization because the robots behind YouTube don’t associate the value of the actual video content with what the viewer is actually seeking. You should pay attention to the relevance of keywords.

Even when you add closed captions, it doesn’t mean the best keywords are present to the Youtube search engine when we speak.

That is why it is important to know your audience and what words and phrases they are going to use to search for your video.

Here is how you can see what keywords were used to find your video:

1. Enter YouTube Studio in your channel
2. Access Analytics
3. Select Reach
4. Click into Traffic Source
5. Click Traffic Source: YouTube Search

If you want to find some new keywords for your upcoming video, you will need to do some research.

1. Enter Keywords You Want to Rank for In YouTube Search: This allows you to see what the most popular phrases are in the YouTube search engine.

2. Study the Competitors: See which videos are ranking high for your search term. Use a tool called VidIQ to see the keywords that the top videos are performing.

3. Search for Related Keywords and Evaluate Relevancy: A tool called Ubersuggest can help you find related keywords and allow you to identify the search volume, cost per click (aka CPC is used for determining the budget for paid search), and the competitiveness of the word or phrase.

Search volume: The number of searches with that particular keyword. The higher the number the more popular it is. You should aim to use keywords with a high search volume.

Keyword competition score: This score is usually indicated by a number and it represents how difficult it is for a keyword to rank due to other pages already ranking for that word or phrase. You want to find a keyword with a low competition score.

Pro tip: The best combination is high search volume and low competition score. But if you can’t get that perfect mix, go for the low competitive score, as it will give you a better chance to rank, even if it isn’t searched as often.

4. Come Up With Content Related to Those Keywords: To come up with topic ideas around a keyword, you can use a tool called Answer the Public , which gives you all the most popular questions searched online.

3. Engage Your Audience:

It’s been highly discussed on forums all over the Internet, and there appears to be a strong correlation between YouTube video ranking and the number of likes, dislikes, and comments the video received.

While YouTube itself might not be using the number of likes and comments to determine where your video rank, having high engagement allows your video to be discovered through other means.

Here is an example of how it would work:

- A YouTuber with 100,000 subscribers views your video and likes it

- Then your video might be visible to a fraction of those 100,000 subscribers.

- Boom! Domino effect!

- More people will see your video and like it, increasing your network of viewers and your watch time, which is one of the main factors that YouTube takes into consideration.

Get engagements with a call to action:

- Don’t be afraid to ask for an engagement at the beginning of the video to avoid fall off on retention.

- Encourage them to leave a comment or start a discussion by asking a question at the end of your video.

- Monitor comments and responds to them so you can build a relationship with your audience over time.

It’s all about creating a community and that is what YouTube encourages.

4. Upload YouTube Video in Proper Length:

YouTube puts a lot of weight on watch time, and in addition to that, it puts more weight on session watch time.

Session watch time is counted when people watch your video and then continue to watch others, it doesn’t have to be your own. The more time people spend watching YouTube videos, as a result of your content, the more likely YouTube will increase your ranking.

Since YouTube puts importance on time spent watching videos, the length of your video will play a key role.

If you have 5 videos and all of them are a minute long, a 100% watch through will only get you 5 minutes total.

However, if you have 1 video that is 20 minutes, and an average viewer only watches half of it, then you have an average watch time of over 10 minutes. That’s more than double what your five short videos can do. This longer video is worth more. However, if that 20-minute video is really boring and people drop off in the first minute, then it’s not any better than 1 of the 5 short videos.

If your format allows, go for a longer video instead of a shorter one. But the most important thing is that you can keep people watching your videos: so use end screen and playlist links to keep them engaged.

End screen: Pick related videos for your audience, so they know exactly what they should watch next. You can even create a background template for your end screens .

Playlist: If you have multiple videos that fit a specific topic, add them to a playlist so the viewer can enjoy them all in one viewing.

Key Takeaways:

1. Use Audience Retention to better understand how to structure your video for the best results.
2. Perform Keyword Research to find the keywords that your competitors are using and your audience is searching for.
3. Increasing Subscribers gets your video in front of more people the moment it is published.
4. Encourage Comments and respond to establish a relationship with your viewers.
5. Ensure that Viewers Continue Watching videos on YouTube after they finish watching yours.

Other Things That Affects Your YouTube Ranking

Except for the above-mentioned factors, there are also other issues that affect the ranking of your YouTube video. YouTube has stated that the number of subscribers doesn’t play a key role in your video ranking.

For example, if a YouTuber has a million subscribers and then overnight they lose 100 thousand, a video they had ranking number 1 will still be ranked number 1.

However, the number of subscribers has a lot of indirect effects on your channel.

- Subscribers know the moment your video is published

- Subscribers will watch your video in the first week (YouTube will rank your video higher if they see a lift in the first week of publishing)

- YouTube put a higher value on subscribers than views and social shares, because it’s harder to fake subscribers

Growing subscribers take time and effort, and even though it shouldn’t be your main focus, there are tactics you can do to gain more subscribers .

Don’t miss a chance to optimize your YouTube video, download, and print out this checklist for your next video project. For more information on SEO(Search Engine Optimization) on YouTube, you can also read the following article.

How to Fast Rank Video Higher with Video SEO >>

10 Best YouTube Keyword Tools to Use with Bonus Tips>>

If you want to find a video editing solution that empowers your imagination and creativity yet takes less effort, please try this robust and user-friendly video editing software Wondershare Filmora. It provides special effects, stock photo & video, sound library, etc., which will definitely enhance your productivity and helps to make money by making videos much accessible.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

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