A Novice’s Navigational Guide on YouTube: Channel Creation and Making Dough

Hello, I’m looking to start my journey as a YouTuber, but I do not know how the process works. Please, can you share with me how I can create a YouTube channel and make money from it? Kindly, help.

Starting a successful YouTube channel is very tricky. So, if you’re wondering how to create a YouTube channel and make money, worry less, we understand your struggle, and that is why we’ve created this YouTube beginners guide.

Regardless of whether you’re looking to start a tech YouTube channel, a money-making online YouTube channel, a lifestyle YouTube channel, or other topics, this guide will walk you through the simple process of how to create a YouTube channel and make money from it.

1. Video Editor – Wondershare Filmora
2. Google Keyword Planner
3. YouTube Studio
4. VidIQ

• Tips & Tricks to Make your YouTube Grow Faster

Part 1: Why choose YouTube to make money?

Boasting over 2 billion active users globally, YouTube remains the most used video-playing platform on the internet with all kinds of videos.

Today, many folks use YouTube as a means of generating income because it offers users more opportunities to reach a wide range of audiences, and the means of generating income via YouTube easily. As of when this article is written, research shows that an average YouTuber could earn up to $10,000 yearly.

Also, YouTube is a free marketing platform. So, if you have a website, you can add links to your website in the video description, thus enabling you to boost your website traffic via the platform. And it’ll allow you to advertise your product or services 100% free.

Part 2: 5-Step Formula to Start a YouTube Channel

Now you understand why you should choose YouTube to make money, the following steps will teach you how to create a YouTube channel within a few clicks. So, read on.

Step1 Create a google account

To get started, you need to create a google account. But if you already have a Google account you can skip this step.

Head to Google Account and click Create Account at the top right corner.

On the new screen, enter the necessary details and click Next.

Provide your phone number and other required details. Then, click Next.

On the new page, click I Agree to accept Google’s terms and conditions. Then finish the Google Account setup.

Step2 Create a YouTube account

Once you’ve successfully created a Google account, the next thing is to create your YouTube account. You just have to do the following to carry out the operation;

Open YouTube’s official website in your browser and click Sign in from the top right corner.

On the new page, sign in to the Google account that you want to use in creating your YouTube channel.

After you sign in to your Google account, you’ll be prompted back to the YouTube home interface. Click on your profile icon from the top right corner and select Create A Channel from the drop-down list.

Choose the Name you want to appear on your YouTube channel profile and upload a preferred Picture. Then, click Create Channel to proceed.

Step3 Customize your YouTube channel

After you’ve successfully created the channel, the next thing is to customize the channel as per requirement. Click Customise Channel from the left-hand side.

You’ll be prompted to the YouTube creator studio. There, you’ll find Layout, Branding, and Basic Info options displayed at the top of the page.

In the Layout section, you’ll be allowed to apply customization of how you want your YouTube channel homepage to look.

Under Branding, you can upload your brand logo as a profile photo, upload a banner image, and add the video watermark that you want to appear on all videos you upload on YouTube.

Under Basic Info, you’ll be able to enter a description for your YouTube channel, edit your channel URL, and do lots more. However, remember to always use the PUBLISH button to save customization.

Step4 Upload your first YouTube video

Now, it’s to upload your first YouTube video. To do so, navigate to the top-right corner of the page and click Create New. Select Upload Video.

If you have a video ready, click Select Files and upload the video you want to post.

Complete the required editing/settings after the video is uploaded.

Speaking of videos, you upload on YouTube, there are certain types of videos that can make you popular within a short time. Such YouTube video category includes;

1. Singing
2. Teaching
3. Fashion Advice
4. Cooking Tutorial
5. Make-Up Tutorial

Step5 Make your YouTube channel discoverable

It’s time to start making your YouTube channel discoverable online. You need the subscribers, views, and all that a creator like you is worth having. However, to make this possible, you need to do the following;

Optimize Video Titles

Using Google-friendly titles for your videos is vital to allow them to rank well on Google search ranking. It should be catchy and compelling that users will be prompted to want to know what the video is about. Make sure it contains keywords too.

Optimize Video Description

Adding descriptions to your video is as important as the title. This will help search engines understand what your video is all about. So, make sure you add rich keywords to your video description and keep it concise.

Promote Your Channel on Other Social Media Platforms

You shouldn’t limit yourself to just creating videos and uploading them on YouTube. Make sure you always make it a priority to promote your YouTube videos on other platforms like Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. This will help you give your existing fans a heads-up that you’re starting a YouTube channel.

Add Tags to your videos

When we say add tags to your videos, it does not mean you should add any tag to any video you upload on YouTube. Only add tags that’s relating to the theme of your video.

Tags will help YouTube understand the kind of video you’re uploading, and it’ll help you maintain the quality of not just your videos but your YouTube channel.

Use Keywords in Your Videos

Using rich keywords in your YouTube videos is a great way to increase the chances of your videos being seen online. Make sure you use the right keyword in the video title, as it’ll help guide viewers to your video when they search for similar words or phrases online.

Part 3: YouTube Must-Have Tools: What Are They?

Congratulations on creating your YouTube channel. But, before you get over-excited, there are essential tools you need as a YouTuber to help you stand out in the industry. These tools include the following;

1. Video Editor – Wondershare Filmora

As a YouTuber, regardless of your niche of expertise, you need an efficient video editing tool like Wondershare Filmora to create quality videos. Filmora is different from the regular video editor you find online, and it offers a plethora of video editing features that you can rely on to edit your videos and spice them up without requiring any kind of video editing knowledge.

See how you can use Filmora video editor on your YouTube videos;

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Step1 Go to the official website and install the Filmora video editing software on your computer. Then, launch the tool and import the video you want to edit using the Import button.

Drag-n-drop the video to the timeline.

Step2 Click Effects from the top of the screen. Select AI Portrait from the left-hand side and find a preferred AI Portrait effect. Then, click on it and drag-n-drop the effect to the Timeline.

Adjust the effect starting and ending point of where you want the AI Portrait effect to be displayed.

Step3 Again, adjust the AI Portrait effect settings by double-clicking on it, then, from the pop-up, apply the preferred settings.

Step4 You can also add a “Subscribe” watermark to your YouTube video. To do so, just click the >> icon next to Export at the top of the screen, then select Element.

Select the ‘Social Media Show Element 07’ Effects. Then, drag-n-drop it to the Timeline.

Step5 Lastly, preview the edited video, and if you’re okay with it, click Export from the top bar and select Burn DVD from the drop-down list.

From the pop-up window that appears on your PC screen, select the Folder Path and give the video file a preferred name. Then, click Export to complete the operation.

2. Google Keyword Planner

The Google keyword planner is vital to help you do keyword research and see the trends of how a particular keyword is searched in a particular month, within a given year, or more. It’ll help you understand how people are searching for a particular keyword and what time of the year it usually has more searches from folks.

By using Google Keyword planner, you’ll put yourself ahead of your competitors by using the right keyword that you need for your SEO and PPC strategies at the right time. From search volume to trends, CPC, competition scores, and more, it’s crucial you have this tool at your fingertips. Besides, it’s 100% free to use.

3. YouTube Studio

YouTube Studio is a crucial analytic tool that can come in handy to help you improve your video as you grow your YouTube channel. It is like Google Analytics in a way. It’ll allow you to track the analytics of how people view your videos, comment on your video, and more. YouTube Studio is available for free. You can use it through the Android App, on your PC or online from YouTube itself.

4. VidIQ

Are you looking for a tool to grow your YouTube channel efficiently? Then VidIQ is the ideal tool for you. Yes, with VidIQ, you’ll get access to essential tools to grow your YouTube audience faster than you can think. It’s just a scorecard that offers you in-depth analytics of how your YouTube videos are performing compared to your competitors, thus allowing you to get helpful info on how you can get ahead of them and stand out in the industry.

With VidIQ, you’ll get access to a checklist that will highlight titles, descriptions, cards, end screens, closed captions, and lots more in your videos. And of all, it’ll suggest tags that you can use in your videos to get more traffic and improve SEO.

Part 4: Tips & Tricks to Make your YouTube Grow Faster

Stay Consistent

There’s no doubt that the key to succeeding in whatever you do is to stay consistent. It can be quite hard for anyone, especially newbies to keep up with different difficulties encountered in the pursuit to create a successful YouTube channel.

So, for you to achieve your dreams of being a popular YouTuber, you must keep up with the consistency of creating quality videos, promoting your videos, and doing the right thing that’s needed for your YouTube channel to stand out online.

Collaborate With Other YouTubers

Don’t be shy to reach out to your fellow YouTubers for collaboration. Yes, by collaborating with popular YouTubers, you get to enhance your online presence, thereby increasing your subscriber base and increasing your video views.

YouTube SEO Is Crucial

You might have heard of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) being crucial for websites to rank well, but the truth is it also applies to YouTube channels. YouTube SEO is a great way to optimize your YouTube channel and video to make it rank well on online search results.

It’s important you understand how YouTube SEO works and implement it in your YouTube channel, as it’ll increase your chances of more viewers visiting your channel and watching your videos.

Final Words

That’s all you need to know about creating a successful YouTube channel. If you fancy creating videos, the above tips will teach you how to create a YouTube channel and make money. Also, if you read the article to this point, we believe you’ve understood different ways you can make your YouTube channel stand out and enhance your chances of making more money on YouTube. Don’t hesitate to start your journey now!

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Part 1: Why choose YouTube to make money?

Boasting over 2 billion active users globally, YouTube remains the most used video-playing platform on the internet with all kinds of videos.

Today, many folks use YouTube as a means of generating income because it offers users more opportunities to reach a wide range of audiences, and the means of generating income via YouTube easily. As of when this article is written, research shows that an average YouTuber could earn up to $10,000 yearly.

Also, YouTube is a free marketing platform. So, if you have a website, you can add links to your website in the video description, thus enabling you to boost your website traffic via the platform. And it’ll allow you to advertise your product or services 100% free.

Part 2: 5-Step Formula to Start a YouTube Channel

Now you understand why you should choose YouTube to make money, the following steps will teach you how to create a YouTube channel within a few clicks. So, read on.

Step1 Create a google account

To get started, you need to create a google account. But if you already have a Google account you can skip this step.

Head to Google Account and click Create Account at the top right corner.

On the new screen, enter the necessary details and click Next.

Provide your phone number and other required details. Then, click Next.

On the new page, click I Agree to accept Google’s terms and conditions. Then finish the Google Account setup.

Step2 Create a YouTube account

Once you’ve successfully created a Google account, the next thing is to create your YouTube account. You just have to do the following to carry out the operation;

Open YouTube’s official website in your browser and click Sign in from the top right corner.

On the new page, sign in to the Google account that you want to use in creating your YouTube channel.

After you sign in to your Google account, you’ll be prompted back to the YouTube home interface. Click on your profile icon from the top right corner and select Create A Channel from the drop-down list.

Choose the Name you want to appear on your YouTube channel profile and upload a preferred Picture. Then, click Create Channel to proceed.

Step3 Customize your YouTube channel

After you’ve successfully created the channel, the next thing is to customize the channel as per requirement. Click Customise Channel from the left-hand side.

You’ll be prompted to the YouTube creator studio. There, you’ll find Layout, Branding, and Basic Info options displayed at the top of the page.

In the Layout section, you’ll be allowed to apply customization of how you want your YouTube channel homepage to look.

Under Branding, you can upload your brand logo as a profile photo, upload a banner image, and add the video watermark that you want to appear on all videos you upload on YouTube.

Under Basic Info, you’ll be able to enter a description for your YouTube channel, edit your channel URL, and do lots more. However, remember to always use the PUBLISH button to save customization.

Step4 Upload your first YouTube video

Now, it’s to upload your first YouTube video. To do so, navigate to the top-right corner of the page and click Create New. Select Upload Video.

If you have a video ready, click Select Files and upload the video you want to post.

Complete the required editing/settings after the video is uploaded.

Speaking of videos, you upload on YouTube, there are certain types of videos that can make you popular within a short time. Such YouTube video category includes;

1. Singing
2. Teaching
3. Fashion Advice
4. Cooking Tutorial
5. Make-Up Tutorial

Step5 Make your YouTube channel discoverable

It’s time to start making your YouTube channel discoverable online. You need the subscribers, views, and all that a creator like you is worth having. However, to make this possible, you need to do the following;

Optimize Video Titles

Using Google-friendly titles for your videos is vital to allow them to rank well on Google search ranking. It should be catchy and compelling that users will be prompted to want to know what the video is about. Make sure it contains keywords too.

Optimize Video Description

Adding descriptions to your video is as important as the title. This will help search engines understand what your video is all about. So, make sure you add rich keywords to your video description and keep it concise.

Promote Your Channel on Other Social Media Platforms

You shouldn’t limit yourself to just creating videos and uploading them on YouTube. Make sure you always make it a priority to promote your YouTube videos on other platforms like Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. This will help you give your existing fans a heads-up that you’re starting a YouTube channel.

Add Tags to your videos

When we say add tags to your videos, it does not mean you should add any tag to any video you upload on YouTube. Only add tags that’s relating to the theme of your video.

Tags will help YouTube understand the kind of video you’re uploading, and it’ll help you maintain the quality of not just your videos but your YouTube channel.

Use Keywords in Your Videos

Using rich keywords in your YouTube videos is a great way to increase the chances of your videos being seen online. Make sure you use the right keyword in the video title, as it’ll help guide viewers to your video when they search for similar words or phrases online.

Part 3: YouTube Must-Have Tools: What Are They?

Congratulations on creating your YouTube channel. But, before you get over-excited, there are essential tools you need as a YouTuber to help you stand out in the industry. These tools include the following;

1. Video Editor – Wondershare Filmora

As a YouTuber, regardless of your niche of expertise, you need an efficient video editing tool like Wondershare Filmora to create quality videos. Filmora is different from the regular video editor you find online, and it offers a plethora of video editing features that you can rely on to edit your videos and spice them up without requiring any kind of video editing knowledge.

See how you can use Filmora video editor on your YouTube videos;

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Step1 Go to the official website and install the Filmora video editing software on your computer. Then, launch the tool and import the video you want to edit using the Import button.

Drag-n-drop the video to the timeline.

Step2 Click Effects from the top of the screen. Select AI Portrait from the left-hand side and find a preferred AI Portrait effect. Then, click on it and drag-n-drop the effect to the Timeline.

Adjust the effect starting and ending point of where you want the AI Portrait effect to be displayed.

Step3 Again, adjust the AI Portrait effect settings by double-clicking on it, then, from the pop-up, apply the preferred settings.

Step4 You can also add a “Subscribe” watermark to your YouTube video. To do so, just click the >> icon next to Export at the top of the screen, then select Element.

Select the ‘Social Media Show Element 07’ Effects. Then, drag-n-drop it to the Timeline.

Step5 Lastly, preview the edited video, and if you’re okay with it, click Export from the top bar and select Burn DVD from the drop-down list.

From the pop-up window that appears on your PC screen, select the Folder Path and give the video file a preferred name. Then, click Export to complete the operation.

2. Google Keyword Planner

The Google keyword planner is vital to help you do keyword research and see the trends of how a particular keyword is searched in a particular month, within a given year, or more. It’ll help you understand how people are searching for a particular keyword and what time of the year it usually has more searches from folks.

By using Google Keyword planner, you’ll put yourself ahead of your competitors by using the right keyword that you need for your SEO and PPC strategies at the right time. From search volume to trends, CPC, competition scores, and more, it’s crucial you have this tool at your fingertips. Besides, it’s 100% free to use.

3. YouTube Studio

YouTube Studio is a crucial analytic tool that can come in handy to help you improve your video as you grow your YouTube channel. It is like Google Analytics in a way. It’ll allow you to track the analytics of how people view your videos, comment on your video, and more. YouTube Studio is available for free. You can use it through the Android App, on your PC or online from YouTube itself.

4. VidIQ

Are you looking for a tool to grow your YouTube channel efficiently? Then VidIQ is the ideal tool for you. Yes, with VidIQ, you’ll get access to essential tools to grow your YouTube audience faster than you can think. It’s just a scorecard that offers you in-depth analytics of how your YouTube videos are performing compared to your competitors, thus allowing you to get helpful info on how you can get ahead of them and stand out in the industry.

With VidIQ, you’ll get access to a checklist that will highlight titles, descriptions, cards, end screens, closed captions, and lots more in your videos. And of all, it’ll suggest tags that you can use in your videos to get more traffic and improve SEO.

Part 4: Tips & Tricks to Make your YouTube Grow Faster

Stay Consistent

There’s no doubt that the key to succeeding in whatever you do is to stay consistent. It can be quite hard for anyone, especially newbies to keep up with different difficulties encountered in the pursuit to create a successful YouTube channel.

So, for you to achieve your dreams of being a popular YouTuber, you must keep up with the consistency of creating quality videos, promoting your videos, and doing the right thing that’s needed for your YouTube channel to stand out online.

Collaborate With Other YouTubers

Don’t be shy to reach out to your fellow YouTubers for collaboration. Yes, by collaborating with popular YouTubers, you get to enhance your online presence, thereby increasing your subscriber base and increasing your video views.

YouTube SEO Is Crucial

You might have heard of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) being crucial for websites to rank well, but the truth is it also applies to YouTube channels. YouTube SEO is a great way to optimize your YouTube channel and video to make it rank well on online search results.

It’s important you understand how YouTube SEO works and implement it in your YouTube channel, as it’ll increase your chances of more viewers visiting your channel and watching your videos.

Final Words

That’s all you need to know about creating a successful YouTube channel. If you fancy creating videos, the above tips will teach you how to create a YouTube channel and make money. Also, if you read the article to this point, we believe you’ve understood different ways you can make your YouTube channel stand out and enhance your chances of making more money on YouTube. Don’t hesitate to start your journey now!

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Starting YouTube: Essential SEO Tips

The 12-step YouTube SEO Guide for Beginners Who Want More Views

Shanoon Cox

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

The joy of creating on YouTube is often dampened by the disappointment of underperforming videos. You have published your content and it’s not getting the views you had hoped.

Well, let’s change that!

In this guide, I’m going to walk you through YouTube SEO from the very start to the very end.

Nothing complicated. No paid programs or expensive apps needed. We are going back to basics and get your videos discovered.

Ready?

Let’s Go!

Part 1: Research Your Topic and Competitors

Come up with a video idea . Can’t come up with one? Let me help. I heard you can make a mean scrambled egg, why don’t you show the world how you do it?

Excellent! Let’s go with that idea.

Wait, don’t go making the video yet. First, we have to do some research. We need to know what videos already exist out there.

Step 1: Find Related Videos

Do a quick search on YouTube to see what videos already exist on your topic.

Uh oh… your video will be competing against celebrities like Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver.

Okay, don’t panic! There is a fantastic quote, credited to bestselling author, Jon Acuff , that goes:

While researching your competition, you will feel overwhelmed, but remember, you are at the beginning, and Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver are not even at their middle, they are way passed the finish line. You still have a long journey to go, so don’t get discouraged, get inspired!

Watch those videos and understand what they are all about.

Understand that people watch YouTube for 3 key reasons:

- To be entertained

- To learn something new

- To be inspired

A video that can hit all 3 marks is going to be positioned for success. Don’t fret too much about the competition, as long as your content is good, you will see improvement.

So if you think this scrambled egg idea can hit those 3 marks, then I encourage you to go to the next step. If you don’t, let’s regroup and brainstorm some more YouTube video ideas .

Step 2: Find Keywords

Now that we’ve decided that we are sticking with the video idea, we are ready to do some keyword research. Keywords are the words and phrases people type in the YouTube search bar to discover videos.

Come up with as many relevant keywords as you can. Start by entering a keyword into the YouTube search bar. This will tell you what are the most popular searches associated with that keyword:

Once you have an idea of what people are searching for related to your topic, you’ll want to find more relevant keywords. I like to use the free app, Ubersuggest to do that.

This app gives you a whole list of long-tail keywords, which are 3-4-word phrases which is specific to what your video is about.

Some you will use to dig deeper in and other you will deem irrelevant to your videos. A good way of determining the value of a keyword is by the stats the application shows.

How to Read Keyword Suggestions

Once you have a list of keywords, you will see some numbers on the right-hand side. Here is what each one is about:

- Search volume is the number used to identify the popularity of the keyword. The higher the number the more people are searching for it.

- CPC is the value accredited by YouTube, determining how much advertisers are paying to target audiences who search for that keyword and click on the link.

- Competition is the number used to qualify how many other content are using that keyword.

The two categories that matter most to us right now is Search Volume and Competition. We want keywords with high search volume and low competition rate.

In the example above, you can see that the keyword “avocado scrambled eggs” has a Search Volume of 1,000 and a competition rate of 0.0. This is a good keyword to target, if you can incorporate an avocado to your dish… which of course you can!

Step 3: Write Title

I know you might want to deal with the Title, Description, and Tags after you’ve filmed and edited your video. But if you want to apply a YouTube SEO-focused strategy, then these should be addressed before you even pick up a camera as it can greatly dictate the content you end up creating.

A good YouTube title sparks curiosity, evokes emotional reaction, and promises value to your viewers.

Of course you can title your video simply: Making Scrambled Eggs

But does it spark curiosity? Not really… most people can make scrambled eggs.

Does it evoke any emotion? Maybe hunger… but even then, not really…

Finally, does it promise value? Well, assuming that most people can at least crack an egg into a pan, then hardly.

Your scrambled egg is special! Your video is special! We need to evoke that in the title — and as long as you are not writing any clickbait and deliver on what the title suggest, you can do this.

So, how about this: Are My Amazing Scrambled Eggs Better Than Gordon Ramsay’s?

Hmmm… Well, is it? We know that the Gordon Ramsay’s video has almost 30M views. Many people have already tried cooking it, I’m sure. There is only one way to find out, by encouraging others to try it over Gordon’s.

You don’t need to go for a somewhat contentious title like this, but that’s the idea, you want something that gets people curious, make them feel a certain way, and in the end, make them better for having watched your video.

See how a good title can guide the rest of your video?

Step 4: Write Description

You aren’t going to be writing the description for the viewers necessarily, you are going to be writing it for YouTube’s algorithms. The better YouTube understands what your video is about, the better they can show it to people searching for it.

This means you need to include the keywords you were researching at the beginning of your description, as YouTube will be using them to identify the content of your video. 1 or 2 keywords that best represent your video is enough. Don’t stuff the title with too many keywords or you’ll risk sounding like a robot.

But also use the description for practical uses too, if you have additional information such as supportive links, outline of the video’s content, a list of materials, step-by-step guide, or a recipe that you think your human viewers will find useful, you should input that in the description as well.

Step 5: Write Tags

Thank goodness we did the keyword research in Step 2, because coming up with tags is not as easy as it looks.

Pull 15 keywords from the list and keep it somewhere safe.

Note: The keywords you used in the title should be found in your tags, and since they are the most important ones, you should place them first.

Organize your keywords in the tag as such:

Have the specific keywords at the top, followed by more general keywords, and then branded ones:

Specific: How to make scrambled eggs

General: Scrambled eggs

Branded: Gordon Ramsay scrambled eggs

Part 2: Make The Best Darn Video Possible

It doesn’t matter how relevant your keywords are or how epic your title is, if you video sucks (i.e. your viewers click in and leave right away), YouTube will not show it in search.

Even if you haven’t created any videos yet, you can follow these next steps to ensure you are following the best practices to structure your video.

Step 6: Plan and Film the Hook

The first few seconds is where the largest percentage of your earned viewership will drop off. Odds are 20% of your viewers won’t even get past the first 10 seconds .

What you need is a hook, an intro that ensures this video is what they want to watch and let’s them know what they can expect.

Step 7: Film B-Roll

One static camera shot of you talking or cooking or giving a tutorial can cause your viewers to lose attention.

In order to keep your viewers interest, you will need b-roll, or supplemental footage you can cut to give you video more life.

While jump cuts (cuts made on a sequential clip of the same subject or in the same camera position) are fine, having additional footage to cut to will make your video feel more fluid.

So when you are filming your scrambled egg video, make sure you get some footage of you cracking the egg, scrambling it, and serving it on the plate.

Step 8: Encourage Viewers to Engage in Video

Liking, disliking, subscribing, and commenting on your video will all help your performance indirectly.

While YouTube wouldn’t rank your video higher simply because you have more likes subscribers, or comments, engagement from viewers help your video get discovered. If you get a like or comment from a YouTuber with a lot of subscribers, your video may be visible to those who are following that YouTuber for a while.

The best way to get engagement from your audience is to encourage them to like and subscribe or ask them a question or start a dialogue.

For example, in this scrambled egg video you are making, at the end you can ask, “So what do you think, is this better than Gordon Ramsay?”

Who knows, who will respond.

Step 9: Design a Thumbnail

You could have made a brilliant video, but if you have a poor quality thumbnail that is unattractive, then the overall performance of your video will suffer — and good SEO can only do so much after that.

Your viewers will absolutely judge your video by its cover so it’s important to put some thought into it and not solely rely on the three random thumbnail choices that YouTube picks for you.

Take a look at your competition. If they all look the same, do something different. Add text or a human face (preferably yours) to evoke emotion, as viewers are more likely to click into a video if they see an expressive image.

Don’t want to pay money for a photo editing software such as Photoshop?

You can use an online service called Canva or download GIMP , an open-source photo editor much like Photoshop, but far less powerful. These will help you get the job done as you are starting out.

Want to know more thumbnail maker? Check our picks of the best free YouTube thumbnail makers .

Part 3: Publishing With Attention to Optimization

Well done finishing the video! You are almost there… but not there yet.

Come on, keep going!

Step 10: Fill Out Your Videos Assets

The video is done, the thumbnail is designed, and you have all your title, description, and tags ready to go. This step is easy, upload the video, and fill out the assets, and give yourself a pat on the back.

Step 11: Add Transcripts

In addition to making your content accessible for people who don’t want to or can’t listen to the audio in your video, adding subtitles and closed captions will help YouTube understand the spoken content in your video.

While YouTube does have an automatic subtitle generator, it’s not reliable enough to be used for identifying the keywords you use in your video.

You can choose to write out the whole transcript of your video yourself, but if you are press on time, which of course you are, you can simply go and edit the automatic transcript already available in your video. By the way, you can also use some automatic transcription software.

Step 12: Add Video to Playlist

Finally the last thing you need to do for your video is to add it to a playlist. Even though it might be the first video in the playlist, it helps YouTube identify your video if you organize it in a playlist. As you accumulate more content, having videos in playlists makes content easier to find and keeps relevant videos together.

When viewers searches, having your videos in playlists increases the chance of it being discovered.

So if your first video is about scrambled eggs, maybe you next video can be about the awesome butter toasts.

I guess, you are on your way to making a pretty badass breakfast playlist. I personally can’t wait to see it!

If you treat SEO as an afterthought, only after your video is created, you are not using it to its full potential. If you follow these 12 steps during the course of your production, you will find that SEO doesn’t simply help your video perform at the end, but contributes in all the other phases of creating your video as well.

Besides considering YouTube SEO, you should make a good YouTube video as well. Filmora is a powerful video editing software that features lots of templates and effects. Get the free trial version below and have a try today.

Do you have any questions about SEO? Please leave us a comment below.

Shanoon Cox

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

Follow @Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

The joy of creating on YouTube is often dampened by the disappointment of underperforming videos. You have published your content and it’s not getting the views you had hoped.

Well, let’s change that!

In this guide, I’m going to walk you through YouTube SEO from the very start to the very end.

Nothing complicated. No paid programs or expensive apps needed. We are going back to basics and get your videos discovered.

Ready?

Let’s Go!

Part 1: Research Your Topic and Competitors

Come up with a video idea . Can’t come up with one? Let me help. I heard you can make a mean scrambled egg, why don’t you show the world how you do it?

Excellent! Let’s go with that idea.

Wait, don’t go making the video yet. First, we have to do some research. We need to know what videos already exist out there.

Step 1: Find Related Videos

Do a quick search on YouTube to see what videos already exist on your topic.

Uh oh… your video will be competing against celebrities like Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver.

Okay, don’t panic! There is a fantastic quote, credited to bestselling author, Jon Acuff , that goes:

While researching your competition, you will feel overwhelmed, but remember, you are at the beginning, and Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver are not even at their middle, they are way passed the finish line. You still have a long journey to go, so don’t get discouraged, get inspired!

Watch those videos and understand what they are all about.

Understand that people watch YouTube for 3 key reasons:

- To be entertained

- To learn something new

- To be inspired

A video that can hit all 3 marks is going to be positioned for success. Don’t fret too much about the competition, as long as your content is good, you will see improvement.

So if you think this scrambled egg idea can hit those 3 marks, then I encourage you to go to the next step. If you don’t, let’s regroup and brainstorm some more YouTube video ideas .

Step 2: Find Keywords

Now that we’ve decided that we are sticking with the video idea, we are ready to do some keyword research. Keywords are the words and phrases people type in the YouTube search bar to discover videos.

Come up with as many relevant keywords as you can. Start by entering a keyword into the YouTube search bar. This will tell you what are the most popular searches associated with that keyword:

Once you have an idea of what people are searching for related to your topic, you’ll want to find more relevant keywords. I like to use the free app, Ubersuggest to do that.

This app gives you a whole list of long-tail keywords, which are 3-4-word phrases which is specific to what your video is about.

Some you will use to dig deeper in and other you will deem irrelevant to your videos. A good way of determining the value of a keyword is by the stats the application shows.

How to Read Keyword Suggestions

Once you have a list of keywords, you will see some numbers on the right-hand side. Here is what each one is about:

- Search volume is the number used to identify the popularity of the keyword. The higher the number the more people are searching for it.

- CPC is the value accredited by YouTube, determining how much advertisers are paying to target audiences who search for that keyword and click on the link.

- Competition is the number used to qualify how many other content are using that keyword.

The two categories that matter most to us right now is Search Volume and Competition. We want keywords with high search volume and low competition rate.

In the example above, you can see that the keyword “avocado scrambled eggs” has a Search Volume of 1,000 and a competition rate of 0.0. This is a good keyword to target, if you can incorporate an avocado to your dish… which of course you can!

Step 3: Write Title

I know you might want to deal with the Title, Description, and Tags after you’ve filmed and edited your video. But if you want to apply a YouTube SEO-focused strategy, then these should be addressed before you even pick up a camera as it can greatly dictate the content you end up creating.

A good YouTube title sparks curiosity, evokes emotional reaction, and promises value to your viewers.

Of course you can title your video simply: Making Scrambled Eggs

But does it spark curiosity? Not really… most people can make scrambled eggs.

Does it evoke any emotion? Maybe hunger… but even then, not really…

Finally, does it promise value? Well, assuming that most people can at least crack an egg into a pan, then hardly.

Your scrambled egg is special! Your video is special! We need to evoke that in the title — and as long as you are not writing any clickbait and deliver on what the title suggest, you can do this.

So, how about this: Are My Amazing Scrambled Eggs Better Than Gordon Ramsay’s?

Hmmm… Well, is it? We know that the Gordon Ramsay’s video has almost 30M views. Many people have already tried cooking it, I’m sure. There is only one way to find out, by encouraging others to try it over Gordon’s.

You don’t need to go for a somewhat contentious title like this, but that’s the idea, you want something that gets people curious, make them feel a certain way, and in the end, make them better for having watched your video.

See how a good title can guide the rest of your video?

Step 4: Write Description

You aren’t going to be writing the description for the viewers necessarily, you are going to be writing it for YouTube’s algorithms. The better YouTube understands what your video is about, the better they can show it to people searching for it.

This means you need to include the keywords you were researching at the beginning of your description, as YouTube will be using them to identify the content of your video. 1 or 2 keywords that best represent your video is enough. Don’t stuff the title with too many keywords or you’ll risk sounding like a robot.

But also use the description for practical uses too, if you have additional information such as supportive links, outline of the video’s content, a list of materials, step-by-step guide, or a recipe that you think your human viewers will find useful, you should input that in the description as well.

Step 5: Write Tags

Thank goodness we did the keyword research in Step 2, because coming up with tags is not as easy as it looks.

Pull 15 keywords from the list and keep it somewhere safe.

Note: The keywords you used in the title should be found in your tags, and since they are the most important ones, you should place them first.

Organize your keywords in the tag as such:

Have the specific keywords at the top, followed by more general keywords, and then branded ones:

Specific: How to make scrambled eggs

General: Scrambled eggs

Branded: Gordon Ramsay scrambled eggs

Part 2: Make The Best Darn Video Possible

It doesn’t matter how relevant your keywords are or how epic your title is, if you video sucks (i.e. your viewers click in and leave right away), YouTube will not show it in search.

Even if you haven’t created any videos yet, you can follow these next steps to ensure you are following the best practices to structure your video.

Step 6: Plan and Film the Hook

The first few seconds is where the largest percentage of your earned viewership will drop off. Odds are 20% of your viewers won’t even get past the first 10 seconds .

What you need is a hook, an intro that ensures this video is what they want to watch and let’s them know what they can expect.

Step 7: Film B-Roll

One static camera shot of you talking or cooking or giving a tutorial can cause your viewers to lose attention.

In order to keep your viewers interest, you will need b-roll, or supplemental footage you can cut to give you video more life.

While jump cuts (cuts made on a sequential clip of the same subject or in the same camera position) are fine, having additional footage to cut to will make your video feel more fluid.

So when you are filming your scrambled egg video, make sure you get some footage of you cracking the egg, scrambling it, and serving it on the plate.

Step 8: Encourage Viewers to Engage in Video

Liking, disliking, subscribing, and commenting on your video will all help your performance indirectly.

While YouTube wouldn’t rank your video higher simply because you have more likes subscribers, or comments, engagement from viewers help your video get discovered. If you get a like or comment from a YouTuber with a lot of subscribers, your video may be visible to those who are following that YouTuber for a while.

The best way to get engagement from your audience is to encourage them to like and subscribe or ask them a question or start a dialogue.

For example, in this scrambled egg video you are making, at the end you can ask, “So what do you think, is this better than Gordon Ramsay?”

Who knows, who will respond.

Step 9: Design a Thumbnail

You could have made a brilliant video, but if you have a poor quality thumbnail that is unattractive, then the overall performance of your video will suffer — and good SEO can only do so much after that.

Your viewers will absolutely judge your video by its cover so it’s important to put some thought into it and not solely rely on the three random thumbnail choices that YouTube picks for you.

Take a look at your competition. If they all look the same, do something different. Add text or a human face (preferably yours) to evoke emotion, as viewers are more likely to click into a video if they see an expressive image.

Don’t want to pay money for a photo editing software such as Photoshop?

You can use an online service called Canva or download GIMP , an open-source photo editor much like Photoshop, but far less powerful. These will help you get the job done as you are starting out.

Want to know more thumbnail maker? Check our picks of the best free YouTube thumbnail makers .

Part 3: Publishing With Attention to Optimization

Well done finishing the video! You are almost there… but not there yet.

Come on, keep going!

Step 10: Fill Out Your Videos Assets

The video is done, the thumbnail is designed, and you have all your title, description, and tags ready to go. This step is easy, upload the video, and fill out the assets, and give yourself a pat on the back.

Step 11: Add Transcripts

In addition to making your content accessible for people who don’t want to or can’t listen to the audio in your video, adding subtitles and closed captions will help YouTube understand the spoken content in your video.

While YouTube does have an automatic subtitle generator, it’s not reliable enough to be used for identifying the keywords you use in your video.

You can choose to write out the whole transcript of your video yourself, but if you are press on time, which of course you are, you can simply go and edit the automatic transcript already available in your video. By the way, you can also use some automatic transcription software.

Step 12: Add Video to Playlist

Finally the last thing you need to do for your video is to add it to a playlist. Even though it might be the first video in the playlist, it helps YouTube identify your video if you organize it in a playlist. As you accumulate more content, having videos in playlists makes content easier to find and keeps relevant videos together.

When viewers searches, having your videos in playlists increases the chance of it being discovered.

So if your first video is about scrambled eggs, maybe you next video can be about the awesome butter toasts.

I guess, you are on your way to making a pretty badass breakfast playlist. I personally can’t wait to see it!

If you treat SEO as an afterthought, only after your video is created, you are not using it to its full potential. If you follow these 12 steps during the course of your production, you will find that SEO doesn’t simply help your video perform at the end, but contributes in all the other phases of creating your video as well.

Besides considering YouTube SEO, you should make a good YouTube video as well. Filmora is a powerful video editing software that features lots of templates and effects. Get the free trial version below and have a try today.

Do you have any questions about SEO? Please leave us a comment below.

Shanoon Cox

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

Follow @Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

The joy of creating on YouTube is often dampened by the disappointment of underperforming videos. You have published your content and it’s not getting the views you had hoped.

Well, let’s change that!

In this guide, I’m going to walk you through YouTube SEO from the very start to the very end.

Nothing complicated. No paid programs or expensive apps needed. We are going back to basics and get your videos discovered.

Ready?

Let’s Go!

Part 1: Research Your Topic and Competitors

Come up with a video idea . Can’t come up with one? Let me help. I heard you can make a mean scrambled egg, why don’t you show the world how you do it?

Excellent! Let’s go with that idea.

Wait, don’t go making the video yet. First, we have to do some research. We need to know what videos already exist out there.

Step 1: Find Related Videos

Do a quick search on YouTube to see what videos already exist on your topic.

Uh oh… your video will be competing against celebrities like Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver.

Okay, don’t panic! There is a fantastic quote, credited to bestselling author, Jon Acuff , that goes:

While researching your competition, you will feel overwhelmed, but remember, you are at the beginning, and Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver are not even at their middle, they are way passed the finish line. You still have a long journey to go, so don’t get discouraged, get inspired!

Watch those videos and understand what they are all about.

Understand that people watch YouTube for 3 key reasons:

- To be entertained

- To learn something new

- To be inspired

A video that can hit all 3 marks is going to be positioned for success. Don’t fret too much about the competition, as long as your content is good, you will see improvement.

So if you think this scrambled egg idea can hit those 3 marks, then I encourage you to go to the next step. If you don’t, let’s regroup and brainstorm some more YouTube video ideas .

Step 2: Find Keywords

Now that we’ve decided that we are sticking with the video idea, we are ready to do some keyword research. Keywords are the words and phrases people type in the YouTube search bar to discover videos.

Come up with as many relevant keywords as you can. Start by entering a keyword into the YouTube search bar. This will tell you what are the most popular searches associated with that keyword:

Once you have an idea of what people are searching for related to your topic, you’ll want to find more relevant keywords. I like to use the free app, Ubersuggest to do that.

This app gives you a whole list of long-tail keywords, which are 3-4-word phrases which is specific to what your video is about.

Some you will use to dig deeper in and other you will deem irrelevant to your videos. A good way of determining the value of a keyword is by the stats the application shows.

How to Read Keyword Suggestions

Once you have a list of keywords, you will see some numbers on the right-hand side. Here is what each one is about:

- Search volume is the number used to identify the popularity of the keyword. The higher the number the more people are searching for it.

- CPC is the value accredited by YouTube, determining how much advertisers are paying to target audiences who search for that keyword and click on the link.

- Competition is the number used to qualify how many other content are using that keyword.

The two categories that matter most to us right now is Search Volume and Competition. We want keywords with high search volume and low competition rate.

In the example above, you can see that the keyword “avocado scrambled eggs” has a Search Volume of 1,000 and a competition rate of 0.0. This is a good keyword to target, if you can incorporate an avocado to your dish… which of course you can!

Step 3: Write Title

I know you might want to deal with the Title, Description, and Tags after you’ve filmed and edited your video. But if you want to apply a YouTube SEO-focused strategy, then these should be addressed before you even pick up a camera as it can greatly dictate the content you end up creating.

A good YouTube title sparks curiosity, evokes emotional reaction, and promises value to your viewers.

Of course you can title your video simply: Making Scrambled Eggs

But does it spark curiosity? Not really… most people can make scrambled eggs.

Does it evoke any emotion? Maybe hunger… but even then, not really…

Finally, does it promise value? Well, assuming that most people can at least crack an egg into a pan, then hardly.

Your scrambled egg is special! Your video is special! We need to evoke that in the title — and as long as you are not writing any clickbait and deliver on what the title suggest, you can do this.

So, how about this: Are My Amazing Scrambled Eggs Better Than Gordon Ramsay’s?

Hmmm… Well, is it? We know that the Gordon Ramsay’s video has almost 30M views. Many people have already tried cooking it, I’m sure. There is only one way to find out, by encouraging others to try it over Gordon’s.

You don’t need to go for a somewhat contentious title like this, but that’s the idea, you want something that gets people curious, make them feel a certain way, and in the end, make them better for having watched your video.

See how a good title can guide the rest of your video?

Step 4: Write Description

You aren’t going to be writing the description for the viewers necessarily, you are going to be writing it for YouTube’s algorithms. The better YouTube understands what your video is about, the better they can show it to people searching for it.

This means you need to include the keywords you were researching at the beginning of your description, as YouTube will be using them to identify the content of your video. 1 or 2 keywords that best represent your video is enough. Don’t stuff the title with too many keywords or you’ll risk sounding like a robot.

But also use the description for practical uses too, if you have additional information such as supportive links, outline of the video’s content, a list of materials, step-by-step guide, or a recipe that you think your human viewers will find useful, you should input that in the description as well.

Step 5: Write Tags

Thank goodness we did the keyword research in Step 2, because coming up with tags is not as easy as it looks.

Pull 15 keywords from the list and keep it somewhere safe.

Note: The keywords you used in the title should be found in your tags, and since they are the most important ones, you should place them first.

Organize your keywords in the tag as such:

Have the specific keywords at the top, followed by more general keywords, and then branded ones:

Specific: How to make scrambled eggs

General: Scrambled eggs

Branded: Gordon Ramsay scrambled eggs

Part 2: Make The Best Darn Video Possible

It doesn’t matter how relevant your keywords are or how epic your title is, if you video sucks (i.e. your viewers click in and leave right away), YouTube will not show it in search.

Even if you haven’t created any videos yet, you can follow these next steps to ensure you are following the best practices to structure your video.

Step 6: Plan and Film the Hook

The first few seconds is where the largest percentage of your earned viewership will drop off. Odds are 20% of your viewers won’t even get past the first 10 seconds .

What you need is a hook, an intro that ensures this video is what they want to watch and let’s them know what they can expect.

Step 7: Film B-Roll

One static camera shot of you talking or cooking or giving a tutorial can cause your viewers to lose attention.

In order to keep your viewers interest, you will need b-roll, or supplemental footage you can cut to give you video more life.

While jump cuts (cuts made on a sequential clip of the same subject or in the same camera position) are fine, having additional footage to cut to will make your video feel more fluid.

So when you are filming your scrambled egg video, make sure you get some footage of you cracking the egg, scrambling it, and serving it on the plate.

Step 8: Encourage Viewers to Engage in Video

Liking, disliking, subscribing, and commenting on your video will all help your performance indirectly.

While YouTube wouldn’t rank your video higher simply because you have more likes subscribers, or comments, engagement from viewers help your video get discovered. If you get a like or comment from a YouTuber with a lot of subscribers, your video may be visible to those who are following that YouTuber for a while.

The best way to get engagement from your audience is to encourage them to like and subscribe or ask them a question or start a dialogue.

For example, in this scrambled egg video you are making, at the end you can ask, “So what do you think, is this better than Gordon Ramsay?”

Who knows, who will respond.

Step 9: Design a Thumbnail

You could have made a brilliant video, but if you have a poor quality thumbnail that is unattractive, then the overall performance of your video will suffer — and good SEO can only do so much after that.

Your viewers will absolutely judge your video by its cover so it’s important to put some thought into it and not solely rely on the three random thumbnail choices that YouTube picks for you.

Take a look at your competition. If they all look the same, do something different. Add text or a human face (preferably yours) to evoke emotion, as viewers are more likely to click into a video if they see an expressive image.

Don’t want to pay money for a photo editing software such as Photoshop?

You can use an online service called Canva or download GIMP , an open-source photo editor much like Photoshop, but far less powerful. These will help you get the job done as you are starting out.

Want to know more thumbnail maker? Check our picks of the best free YouTube thumbnail makers .

Part 3: Publishing With Attention to Optimization

Well done finishing the video! You are almost there… but not there yet.

Come on, keep going!

Step 10: Fill Out Your Videos Assets

The video is done, the thumbnail is designed, and you have all your title, description, and tags ready to go. This step is easy, upload the video, and fill out the assets, and give yourself a pat on the back.

Step 11: Add Transcripts

In addition to making your content accessible for people who don’t want to or can’t listen to the audio in your video, adding subtitles and closed captions will help YouTube understand the spoken content in your video.

While YouTube does have an automatic subtitle generator, it’s not reliable enough to be used for identifying the keywords you use in your video.

You can choose to write out the whole transcript of your video yourself, but if you are press on time, which of course you are, you can simply go and edit the automatic transcript already available in your video. By the way, you can also use some automatic transcription software.

Step 12: Add Video to Playlist

Finally the last thing you need to do for your video is to add it to a playlist. Even though it might be the first video in the playlist, it helps YouTube identify your video if you organize it in a playlist. As you accumulate more content, having videos in playlists makes content easier to find and keeps relevant videos together.

When viewers searches, having your videos in playlists increases the chance of it being discovered.

So if your first video is about scrambled eggs, maybe you next video can be about the awesome butter toasts.

I guess, you are on your way to making a pretty badass breakfast playlist. I personally can’t wait to see it!

If you treat SEO as an afterthought, only after your video is created, you are not using it to its full potential. If you follow these 12 steps during the course of your production, you will find that SEO doesn’t simply help your video perform at the end, but contributes in all the other phases of creating your video as well.

Besides considering YouTube SEO, you should make a good YouTube video as well. Filmora is a powerful video editing software that features lots of templates and effects. Get the free trial version below and have a try today.

Do you have any questions about SEO? Please leave us a comment below.

Shanoon Cox

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

Follow @Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox

Oct 26, 2023• Proven solutions

0

The joy of creating on YouTube is often dampened by the disappointment of underperforming videos. You have published your content and it’s not getting the views you had hoped.

Well, let’s change that!

In this guide, I’m going to walk you through YouTube SEO from the very start to the very end.

Nothing complicated. No paid programs or expensive apps needed. We are going back to basics and get your videos discovered.

Ready?

Let’s Go!

Part 1: Research Your Topic and Competitors

Come up with a video idea . Can’t come up with one? Let me help. I heard you can make a mean scrambled egg, why don’t you show the world how you do it?

Excellent! Let’s go with that idea.

Wait, don’t go making the video yet. First, we have to do some research. We need to know what videos already exist out there.

Step 1: Find Related Videos

Do a quick search on YouTube to see what videos already exist on your topic.

Uh oh… your video will be competing against celebrities like Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver.

Okay, don’t panic! There is a fantastic quote, credited to bestselling author, Jon Acuff , that goes:

While researching your competition, you will feel overwhelmed, but remember, you are at the beginning, and Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver are not even at their middle, they are way passed the finish line. You still have a long journey to go, so don’t get discouraged, get inspired!

Watch those videos and understand what they are all about.

Understand that people watch YouTube for 3 key reasons:

- To be entertained

- To learn something new

- To be inspired

A video that can hit all 3 marks is going to be positioned for success. Don’t fret too much about the competition, as long as your content is good, you will see improvement.

So if you think this scrambled egg idea can hit those 3 marks, then I encourage you to go to the next step. If you don’t, let’s regroup and brainstorm some more YouTube video ideas .

Step 2: Find Keywords

Now that we’ve decided that we are sticking with the video idea, we are ready to do some keyword research. Keywords are the words and phrases people type in the YouTube search bar to discover videos.

Come up with as many relevant keywords as you can. Start by entering a keyword into the YouTube search bar. This will tell you what are the most popular searches associated with that keyword:

Once you have an idea of what people are searching for related to your topic, you’ll want to find more relevant keywords. I like to use the free app, Ubersuggest to do that.

This app gives you a whole list of long-tail keywords, which are 3-4-word phrases which is specific to what your video is about.

Some you will use to dig deeper in and other you will deem irrelevant to your videos. A good way of determining the value of a keyword is by the stats the application shows.

How to Read Keyword Suggestions

Once you have a list of keywords, you will see some numbers on the right-hand side. Here is what each one is about:

- Search volume is the number used to identify the popularity of the keyword. The higher the number the more people are searching for it.

- CPC is the value accredited by YouTube, determining how much advertisers are paying to target audiences who search for that keyword and click on the link.

- Competition is the number used to qualify how many other content are using that keyword.

The two categories that matter most to us right now is Search Volume and Competition. We want keywords with high search volume and low competition rate.

In the example above, you can see that the keyword “avocado scrambled eggs” has a Search Volume of 1,000 and a competition rate of 0.0. This is a good keyword to target, if you can incorporate an avocado to your dish… which of course you can!

Step 3: Write Title

I know you might want to deal with the Title, Description, and Tags after you’ve filmed and edited your video. But if you want to apply a YouTube SEO-focused strategy, then these should be addressed before you even pick up a camera as it can greatly dictate the content you end up creating.

A good YouTube title sparks curiosity, evokes emotional reaction, and promises value to your viewers.

Of course you can title your video simply: Making Scrambled Eggs

But does it spark curiosity? Not really… most people can make scrambled eggs.

Does it evoke any emotion? Maybe hunger… but even then, not really…

Finally, does it promise value? Well, assuming that most people can at least crack an egg into a pan, then hardly.

Your scrambled egg is special! Your video is special! We need to evoke that in the title — and as long as you are not writing any clickbait and deliver on what the title suggest, you can do this.

So, how about this: Are My Amazing Scrambled Eggs Better Than Gordon Ramsay’s?

Hmmm… Well, is it? We know that the Gordon Ramsay’s video has almost 30M views. Many people have already tried cooking it, I’m sure. There is only one way to find out, by encouraging others to try it over Gordon’s.

You don’t need to go for a somewhat contentious title like this, but that’s the idea, you want something that gets people curious, make them feel a certain way, and in the end, make them better for having watched your video.

See how a good title can guide the rest of your video?

Step 4: Write Description

You aren’t going to be writing the description for the viewers necessarily, you are going to be writing it for YouTube’s algorithms. The better YouTube understands what your video is about, the better they can show it to people searching for it.

This means you need to include the keywords you were researching at the beginning of your description, as YouTube will be using them to identify the content of your video. 1 or 2 keywords that best represent your video is enough. Don’t stuff the title with too many keywords or you’ll risk sounding like a robot.

But also use the description for practical uses too, if you have additional information such as supportive links, outline of the video’s content, a list of materials, step-by-step guide, or a recipe that you think your human viewers will find useful, you should input that in the description as well.

Step 5: Write Tags

Thank goodness we did the keyword research in Step 2, because coming up with tags is not as easy as it looks.

Pull 15 keywords from the list and keep it somewhere safe.

Note: The keywords you used in the title should be found in your tags, and since they are the most important ones, you should place them first.

Organize your keywords in the tag as such:

Have the specific keywords at the top, followed by more general keywords, and then branded ones:

Specific: How to make scrambled eggs

General: Scrambled eggs

Branded: Gordon Ramsay scrambled eggs

Part 2: Make The Best Darn Video Possible

It doesn’t matter how relevant your keywords are or how epic your title is, if you video sucks (i.e. your viewers click in and leave right away), YouTube will not show it in search.

Even if you haven’t created any videos yet, you can follow these next steps to ensure you are following the best practices to structure your video.

Step 6: Plan and Film the Hook

The first few seconds is where the largest percentage of your earned viewership will drop off. Odds are 20% of your viewers won’t even get past the first 10 seconds .

What you need is a hook, an intro that ensures this video is what they want to watch and let’s them know what they can expect.

Step 7: Film B-Roll

One static camera shot of you talking or cooking or giving a tutorial can cause your viewers to lose attention.

In order to keep your viewers interest, you will need b-roll, or supplemental footage you can cut to give you video more life.

While jump cuts (cuts made on a sequential clip of the same subject or in the same camera position) are fine, having additional footage to cut to will make your video feel more fluid.

So when you are filming your scrambled egg video, make sure you get some footage of you cracking the egg, scrambling it, and serving it on the plate.

Step 8: Encourage Viewers to Engage in Video

Liking, disliking, subscribing, and commenting on your video will all help your performance indirectly.

While YouTube wouldn’t rank your video higher simply because you have more likes subscribers, or comments, engagement from viewers help your video get discovered. If you get a like or comment from a YouTuber with a lot of subscribers, your video may be visible to those who are following that YouTuber for a while.

The best way to get engagement from your audience is to encourage them to like and subscribe or ask them a question or start a dialogue.

For example, in this scrambled egg video you are making, at the end you can ask, “So what do you think, is this better than Gordon Ramsay?”

Who knows, who will respond.

Step 9: Design a Thumbnail

You could have made a brilliant video, but if you have a poor quality thumbnail that is unattractive, then the overall performance of your video will suffer — and good SEO can only do so much after that.

Your viewers will absolutely judge your video by its cover so it’s important to put some thought into it and not solely rely on the three random thumbnail choices that YouTube picks for you.

Take a look at your competition. If they all look the same, do something different. Add text or a human face (preferably yours) to evoke emotion, as viewers are more likely to click into a video if they see an expressive image.

Don’t want to pay money for a photo editing software such as Photoshop?

You can use an online service called Canva or download GIMP , an open-source photo editor much like Photoshop, but far less powerful. These will help you get the job done as you are starting out.

Want to know more thumbnail maker? Check our picks of the best free YouTube thumbnail makers .

Part 3: Publishing With Attention to Optimization

Well done finishing the video! You are almost there… but not there yet.

Come on, keep going!

Step 10: Fill Out Your Videos Assets

The video is done, the thumbnail is designed, and you have all your title, description, and tags ready to go. This step is easy, upload the video, and fill out the assets, and give yourself a pat on the back.

Step 11: Add Transcripts

In addition to making your content accessible for people who don’t want to or can’t listen to the audio in your video, adding subtitles and closed captions will help YouTube understand the spoken content in your video.

While YouTube does have an automatic subtitle generator, it’s not reliable enough to be used for identifying the keywords you use in your video.

You can choose to write out the whole transcript of your video yourself, but if you are press on time, which of course you are, you can simply go and edit the automatic transcript already available in your video. By the way, you can also use some automatic transcription software.

Step 12: Add Video to Playlist

Finally the last thing you need to do for your video is to add it to a playlist. Even though it might be the first video in the playlist, it helps YouTube identify your video if you organize it in a playlist. As you accumulate more content, having videos in playlists makes content easier to find and keeps relevant videos together.

When viewers searches, having your videos in playlists increases the chance of it being discovered.

So if your first video is about scrambled eggs, maybe you next video can be about the awesome butter toasts.

I guess, you are on your way to making a pretty badass breakfast playlist. I personally can’t wait to see it!

If you treat SEO as an afterthought, only after your video is created, you are not using it to its full potential. If you follow these 12 steps during the course of your production, you will find that SEO doesn’t simply help your video perform at the end, but contributes in all the other phases of creating your video as well.

Besides considering YouTube SEO, you should make a good YouTube video as well. Filmora is a powerful video editing software that features lots of templates and effects. Get the free trial version below and have a try today.

Do you have any questions about SEO? Please leave us a comment below.

Shanoon Cox

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

Follow @Shanoon Cox

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