Video Editing: Fixing YouTube Short Fails

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YouTube streaming service has kept online users glued to their screens. You can access and share videos and music from any part of the world. Users resolve to YouTube for personal and business affairs. You can use it for a tutorial, promotional event, or just share the fun with other users. Several avenues are available for users to post and share their minds worldwide. So far, it has rolled out a short-form video service, Shorts, which was initially inspired by TikTok.

With Shorts, you can shoot videos, edit, and upload them for your audience. However, YouTube shorts not showing is a common issue for those wishing to share their videos in regular channel feed. You might be wondering how to solve such issues when pushed to the wall. Check out possible solutions in the next section. But first, let’s find out what really are YouTube Shorts.

In this article

01 What is YouTube Shorts?

02 Where can I find YouTube Shorts?

03 Here are the solutions for YouTube Common Issues

What is YouTube Shorts?

YouTube Shorts is an app that you can use to shoot and share short-form videos using your mobile phone. Furthermore, you can record and edit your videos as well as music overlays and video segmenting abilities. Viewers will access the videos for 60 seconds or less but will remain on your channel, unlike Stories that disappear after a short while. It was first released in September 2020, having started in the US and India. It has so far encroached many countries and is currently accessed by 6 billion users in over 100 countries.

Where can I find YouTube Shorts?

Many users are curious about how to make full use of YouTube Shorts. You can get the Short at the bottom of the YouTube app on either the homepage or on their channel page.

Is YouTube Shorts available on Google Play or App Store?

No. Unlike other streaming apps, you can’t find YouTube app on Google Play or App Store as it is not a standalone service. YouTube Shorts are found within the service’s main mobile app. It is, therefore, accessible from the YouTube app on your computer or phone at the bottom of the screen.

How to access YouTube Shorts on YouTube app

1. First, go to the YouTube app at the bottom of the screen to find the “Shorts” button.
2. You’ll then see a selection of thumbnails that harbors popular Shorts.
3. Choose any video then click on it to bring you into the vertical video player.
4. You can then watch the clip and like or dislike the video as it plays. Just use the “thumbs up” or “down” icon. Likewise, you can share and subscribe to the “Short creator’s” channel.

How to create YouTube Shorts

Do you wish to create YouTube Shorts but you don’t know how to? Here’s the kicker!

Step 1. You first need to install the YouTube app on your device then sign in to your account.

Step 2. Now, tap on the “Create” button. The icon is a “+” symbol in the bottom center of the screen.

Step 3. A pop-up window will open. Tap the “Create a Short” tab. If prompted, allow YouTube to use your phone’s camera and microphone.

Step 4. You’ll then land on the “YouTube Shorts” recording page.

Step 5. Set the length to 60 seconds and bellow. You have the option to slow down or speed up the recording by tapping the “Speed” icon on the right.

Step 6. Likewise, set a time for the camera to start recording automatically. Check below the “Speed” for the “Timer” for setting.

Step 7. Go ahead to edit your Short before posting. You can use “Filters” to apply visual effects.

Step 8. When your camera is set, hit the “Record” button. You can stop the recording by tapping on the Record button, then resume as you wish.

Step 9. Tap on the “Checkmark” when you are done recording. You can add some music and text as well. Then tap on the “Next” button to finish the recording.

Step 10. Then add a title and adjust “Sharing” settings. Also, add the “#shorts” to the title to make it promotional together with other Shorts videos.

Step 11. Finally, tap the “Upload” tab to add your “Shorts” to YouTube.

Here are the solutions for YouTube Common Issues

Since YouTube Shorts is still in the “Beta” mode, users are likely to experience issues while using it. Below are some fixes for YouTube shorts common issues like YouTube Shorts not showing up, unable to post video to YouTube Shorts and etc.

Solution 1. Update YouTube app

Remember apps are ever on the upgrade mode. You are likely to face some connection issues if you are operating on an older version. Here’s is how to update the YouTube app on your Android or iPhone device.

On Android device

1. Launch Google Play Store.
2. Next, tap on the “three diagonal lines” at the top section of your screen.
3. Then select the “My Apps & Games” option.
4. Search for YouTube app and tap on the “Update” button.

On iOS device

1. Open the “App Store”
2. Tap on your “Profile” icon.
3. Then tap on the “Update” tab to fix the issue.

On your computer

1. Search for YouTube streaming app from the Google Play Store.
2. Here, you’ll see an update button in case your app needs an update.
3. Next, click on the “Update” button and wait for the update to complete.
4. Launch YouTube once more and see whether the YouTube Shorts not showing issue is resolved.

Solution 2. Clear Cache

A corrupt system may also cause issues with the normal operation of your application.

1. Go to the “Settings” button on your phone.
2. Then go to the “Apps” section and tap on “All Apps”
3. Select the “YouTube” app from the list.
4. Next, go to the “App Settings” and click on the “Storage” section.
5. Tap on the “Clear cache and data” option.
6. Finally, relaunch the YouTube app and check whether the issue is resolved.

Solution 3. Check if Shorts is available in your country

Remember that “Shorts” isn’t available in all the countries yet. So, you can confirm whether it is already in your country. If not, you can bypass GEO restrictions by using free VPNs.

1. First, download and install a VPN app.
2. Next, select the USA or India server location to fake a GPS location.
3. Then clear the cache from the YouTube app and click it open.
4. You should now find the option to view and even upload Shorts from your device.

Solution 4. Ensure your video is set as YouTube Shorts

Your video should be set as YouTube Shorts before posting.

1. Identify the video that you wish to post.
2. Add the “#shorts” in your title and description.
3. See that each video is up to 60 seconds only.
4. Post the video and see whether the issue isn’t reoccurring.

Conclusion

It’s a nice feeling to learn how to upload YouTube Shorts and share the fun with others worldwide. However, you may experience YouTube Shorts not showing due to restrictions in your country or other issues. We have tackled adequate solutions to solve such scenarios and make your Shorts go online. Nonetheless, check out the steps to access and create YouTube Shorts in just a few steps.

Try It Free Try It Free

YouTube streaming service has kept online users glued to their screens. You can access and share videos and music from any part of the world. Users resolve to YouTube for personal and business affairs. You can use it for a tutorial, promotional event, or just share the fun with other users. Several avenues are available for users to post and share their minds worldwide. So far, it has rolled out a short-form video service, Shorts, which was initially inspired by TikTok.

With Shorts, you can shoot videos, edit, and upload them for your audience. However, YouTube shorts not showing is a common issue for those wishing to share their videos in regular channel feed. You might be wondering how to solve such issues when pushed to the wall. Check out possible solutions in the next section. But first, let’s find out what really are YouTube Shorts.

In this article

01 What is YouTube Shorts?

02 Where can I find YouTube Shorts?

03 Here are the solutions for YouTube Common Issues

What is YouTube Shorts?

YouTube Shorts is an app that you can use to shoot and share short-form videos using your mobile phone. Furthermore, you can record and edit your videos as well as music overlays and video segmenting abilities. Viewers will access the videos for 60 seconds or less but will remain on your channel, unlike Stories that disappear after a short while. It was first released in September 2020, having started in the US and India. It has so far encroached many countries and is currently accessed by 6 billion users in over 100 countries.

Where can I find YouTube Shorts?

Many users are curious about how to make full use of YouTube Shorts. You can get the Short at the bottom of the YouTube app on either the homepage or on their channel page.

Is YouTube Shorts available on Google Play or App Store?

No. Unlike other streaming apps, you can’t find YouTube app on Google Play or App Store as it is not a standalone service. YouTube Shorts are found within the service’s main mobile app. It is, therefore, accessible from the YouTube app on your computer or phone at the bottom of the screen.

How to access YouTube Shorts on YouTube app

1. First, go to the YouTube app at the bottom of the screen to find the “Shorts” button.
2. You’ll then see a selection of thumbnails that harbors popular Shorts.
3. Choose any video then click on it to bring you into the vertical video player.
4. You can then watch the clip and like or dislike the video as it plays. Just use the “thumbs up” or “down” icon. Likewise, you can share and subscribe to the “Short creator’s” channel.

How to create YouTube Shorts

Do you wish to create YouTube Shorts but you don’t know how to? Here’s the kicker!

Step 1. You first need to install the YouTube app on your device then sign in to your account.

Step 2. Now, tap on the “Create” button. The icon is a “+” symbol in the bottom center of the screen.

Step 3. A pop-up window will open. Tap the “Create a Short” tab. If prompted, allow YouTube to use your phone’s camera and microphone.

Step 4. You’ll then land on the “YouTube Shorts” recording page.

Step 5. Set the length to 60 seconds and bellow. You have the option to slow down or speed up the recording by tapping the “Speed” icon on the right.

Step 6. Likewise, set a time for the camera to start recording automatically. Check below the “Speed” for the “Timer” for setting.

Step 7. Go ahead to edit your Short before posting. You can use “Filters” to apply visual effects.

Step 8. When your camera is set, hit the “Record” button. You can stop the recording by tapping on the Record button, then resume as you wish.

Step 9. Tap on the “Checkmark” when you are done recording. You can add some music and text as well. Then tap on the “Next” button to finish the recording.

Step 10. Then add a title and adjust “Sharing” settings. Also, add the “#shorts” to the title to make it promotional together with other Shorts videos.

Step 11. Finally, tap the “Upload” tab to add your “Shorts” to YouTube.

Here are the solutions for YouTube Common Issues

Since YouTube Shorts is still in the “Beta” mode, users are likely to experience issues while using it. Below are some fixes for YouTube shorts common issues like YouTube Shorts not showing up, unable to post video to YouTube Shorts and etc.

Solution 1. Update YouTube app

Remember apps are ever on the upgrade mode. You are likely to face some connection issues if you are operating on an older version. Here’s is how to update the YouTube app on your Android or iPhone device.

On Android device

1. Launch Google Play Store.
2. Next, tap on the “three diagonal lines” at the top section of your screen.
3. Then select the “My Apps & Games” option.
4. Search for YouTube app and tap on the “Update” button.

On iOS device

1. Open the “App Store”
2. Tap on your “Profile” icon.
3. Then tap on the “Update” tab to fix the issue.

On your computer

1. Search for YouTube streaming app from the Google Play Store.
2. Here, you’ll see an update button in case your app needs an update.
3. Next, click on the “Update” button and wait for the update to complete.
4. Launch YouTube once more and see whether the YouTube Shorts not showing issue is resolved.

Solution 2. Clear Cache

A corrupt system may also cause issues with the normal operation of your application.

1. Go to the “Settings” button on your phone.
2. Then go to the “Apps” section and tap on “All Apps”
3. Select the “YouTube” app from the list.
4. Next, go to the “App Settings” and click on the “Storage” section.
5. Tap on the “Clear cache and data” option.
6. Finally, relaunch the YouTube app and check whether the issue is resolved.

Solution 3. Check if Shorts is available in your country

Remember that “Shorts” isn’t available in all the countries yet. So, you can confirm whether it is already in your country. If not, you can bypass GEO restrictions by using free VPNs.

1. First, download and install a VPN app.
2. Next, select the USA or India server location to fake a GPS location.
3. Then clear the cache from the YouTube app and click it open.
4. You should now find the option to view and even upload Shorts from your device.

Solution 4. Ensure your video is set as YouTube Shorts

Your video should be set as YouTube Shorts before posting.

1. Identify the video that you wish to post.
2. Add the “#shorts” in your title and description.
3. See that each video is up to 60 seconds only.
4. Post the video and see whether the issue isn’t reoccurring.

Conclusion

It’s a nice feeling to learn how to upload YouTube Shorts and share the fun with others worldwide. However, you may experience YouTube Shorts not showing due to restrictions in your country or other issues. We have tackled adequate solutions to solve such scenarios and make your Shorts go online. Nonetheless, check out the steps to access and create YouTube Shorts in just a few steps.

Try It Free Try It Free

YouTube streaming service has kept online users glued to their screens. You can access and share videos and music from any part of the world. Users resolve to YouTube for personal and business affairs. You can use it for a tutorial, promotional event, or just share the fun with other users. Several avenues are available for users to post and share their minds worldwide. So far, it has rolled out a short-form video service, Shorts, which was initially inspired by TikTok.

With Shorts, you can shoot videos, edit, and upload them for your audience. However, YouTube shorts not showing is a common issue for those wishing to share their videos in regular channel feed. You might be wondering how to solve such issues when pushed to the wall. Check out possible solutions in the next section. But first, let’s find out what really are YouTube Shorts.

In this article

01 What is YouTube Shorts?

02 Where can I find YouTube Shorts?

03 Here are the solutions for YouTube Common Issues

What is YouTube Shorts?

YouTube Shorts is an app that you can use to shoot and share short-form videos using your mobile phone. Furthermore, you can record and edit your videos as well as music overlays and video segmenting abilities. Viewers will access the videos for 60 seconds or less but will remain on your channel, unlike Stories that disappear after a short while. It was first released in September 2020, having started in the US and India. It has so far encroached many countries and is currently accessed by 6 billion users in over 100 countries.

Where can I find YouTube Shorts?

Many users are curious about how to make full use of YouTube Shorts. You can get the Short at the bottom of the YouTube app on either the homepage or on their channel page.

Is YouTube Shorts available on Google Play or App Store?

No. Unlike other streaming apps, you can’t find YouTube app on Google Play or App Store as it is not a standalone service. YouTube Shorts are found within the service’s main mobile app. It is, therefore, accessible from the YouTube app on your computer or phone at the bottom of the screen.

How to access YouTube Shorts on YouTube app

1. First, go to the YouTube app at the bottom of the screen to find the “Shorts” button.
2. You’ll then see a selection of thumbnails that harbors popular Shorts.
3. Choose any video then click on it to bring you into the vertical video player.
4. You can then watch the clip and like or dislike the video as it plays. Just use the “thumbs up” or “down” icon. Likewise, you can share and subscribe to the “Short creator’s” channel.

How to create YouTube Shorts

Do you wish to create YouTube Shorts but you don’t know how to? Here’s the kicker!

Step 1. You first need to install the YouTube app on your device then sign in to your account.

Step 2. Now, tap on the “Create” button. The icon is a “+” symbol in the bottom center of the screen.

Step 3. A pop-up window will open. Tap the “Create a Short” tab. If prompted, allow YouTube to use your phone’s camera and microphone.

Step 4. You’ll then land on the “YouTube Shorts” recording page.

Step 5. Set the length to 60 seconds and bellow. You have the option to slow down or speed up the recording by tapping the “Speed” icon on the right.

Step 6. Likewise, set a time for the camera to start recording automatically. Check below the “Speed” for the “Timer” for setting.

Step 7. Go ahead to edit your Short before posting. You can use “Filters” to apply visual effects.

Step 8. When your camera is set, hit the “Record” button. You can stop the recording by tapping on the Record button, then resume as you wish.

Step 9. Tap on the “Checkmark” when you are done recording. You can add some music and text as well. Then tap on the “Next” button to finish the recording.

Step 10. Then add a title and adjust “Sharing” settings. Also, add the “#shorts” to the title to make it promotional together with other Shorts videos.

Step 11. Finally, tap the “Upload” tab to add your “Shorts” to YouTube.

Here are the solutions for YouTube Common Issues

Since YouTube Shorts is still in the “Beta” mode, users are likely to experience issues while using it. Below are some fixes for YouTube shorts common issues like YouTube Shorts not showing up, unable to post video to YouTube Shorts and etc.

Solution 1. Update YouTube app

Remember apps are ever on the upgrade mode. You are likely to face some connection issues if you are operating on an older version. Here’s is how to update the YouTube app on your Android or iPhone device.

On Android device

1. Launch Google Play Store.
2. Next, tap on the “three diagonal lines” at the top section of your screen.
3. Then select the “My Apps & Games” option.
4. Search for YouTube app and tap on the “Update” button.

On iOS device

1. Open the “App Store”
2. Tap on your “Profile” icon.
3. Then tap on the “Update” tab to fix the issue.

On your computer

1. Search for YouTube streaming app from the Google Play Store.
2. Here, you’ll see an update button in case your app needs an update.
3. Next, click on the “Update” button and wait for the update to complete.
4. Launch YouTube once more and see whether the YouTube Shorts not showing issue is resolved.

Solution 2. Clear Cache

A corrupt system may also cause issues with the normal operation of your application.

1. Go to the “Settings” button on your phone.
2. Then go to the “Apps” section and tap on “All Apps”
3. Select the “YouTube” app from the list.
4. Next, go to the “App Settings” and click on the “Storage” section.
5. Tap on the “Clear cache and data” option.
6. Finally, relaunch the YouTube app and check whether the issue is resolved.

Solution 3. Check if Shorts is available in your country

Remember that “Shorts” isn’t available in all the countries yet. So, you can confirm whether it is already in your country. If not, you can bypass GEO restrictions by using free VPNs.

1. First, download and install a VPN app.
2. Next, select the USA or India server location to fake a GPS location.
3. Then clear the cache from the YouTube app and click it open.
4. You should now find the option to view and even upload Shorts from your device.

Solution 4. Ensure your video is set as YouTube Shorts

Your video should be set as YouTube Shorts before posting.

1. Identify the video that you wish to post.
2. Add the “#shorts” in your title and description.
3. See that each video is up to 60 seconds only.
4. Post the video and see whether the issue isn’t reoccurring.

Conclusion

It’s a nice feeling to learn how to upload YouTube Shorts and share the fun with others worldwide. However, you may experience YouTube Shorts not showing due to restrictions in your country or other issues. We have tackled adequate solutions to solve such scenarios and make your Shorts go online. Nonetheless, check out the steps to access and create YouTube Shorts in just a few steps.

Try It Free Try It Free

YouTube streaming service has kept online users glued to their screens. You can access and share videos and music from any part of the world. Users resolve to YouTube for personal and business affairs. You can use it for a tutorial, promotional event, or just share the fun with other users. Several avenues are available for users to post and share their minds worldwide. So far, it has rolled out a short-form video service, Shorts, which was initially inspired by TikTok.

With Shorts, you can shoot videos, edit, and upload them for your audience. However, YouTube shorts not showing is a common issue for those wishing to share their videos in regular channel feed. You might be wondering how to solve such issues when pushed to the wall. Check out possible solutions in the next section. But first, let’s find out what really are YouTube Shorts.

In this article

01 What is YouTube Shorts?

02 Where can I find YouTube Shorts?

03 Here are the solutions for YouTube Common Issues

What is YouTube Shorts?

YouTube Shorts is an app that you can use to shoot and share short-form videos using your mobile phone. Furthermore, you can record and edit your videos as well as music overlays and video segmenting abilities. Viewers will access the videos for 60 seconds or less but will remain on your channel, unlike Stories that disappear after a short while. It was first released in September 2020, having started in the US and India. It has so far encroached many countries and is currently accessed by 6 billion users in over 100 countries.

Where can I find YouTube Shorts?

Many users are curious about how to make full use of YouTube Shorts. You can get the Short at the bottom of the YouTube app on either the homepage or on their channel page.

Is YouTube Shorts available on Google Play or App Store?

No. Unlike other streaming apps, you can’t find YouTube app on Google Play or App Store as it is not a standalone service. YouTube Shorts are found within the service’s main mobile app. It is, therefore, accessible from the YouTube app on your computer or phone at the bottom of the screen.

How to access YouTube Shorts on YouTube app

1. First, go to the YouTube app at the bottom of the screen to find the “Shorts” button.
2. You’ll then see a selection of thumbnails that harbors popular Shorts.
3. Choose any video then click on it to bring you into the vertical video player.
4. You can then watch the clip and like or dislike the video as it plays. Just use the “thumbs up” or “down” icon. Likewise, you can share and subscribe to the “Short creator’s” channel.

How to create YouTube Shorts

Do you wish to create YouTube Shorts but you don’t know how to? Here’s the kicker!

Step 1. You first need to install the YouTube app on your device then sign in to your account.

Step 2. Now, tap on the “Create” button. The icon is a “+” symbol in the bottom center of the screen.

Step 3. A pop-up window will open. Tap the “Create a Short” tab. If prompted, allow YouTube to use your phone’s camera and microphone.

Step 4. You’ll then land on the “YouTube Shorts” recording page.

Step 5. Set the length to 60 seconds and bellow. You have the option to slow down or speed up the recording by tapping the “Speed” icon on the right.

Step 6. Likewise, set a time for the camera to start recording automatically. Check below the “Speed” for the “Timer” for setting.

Step 7. Go ahead to edit your Short before posting. You can use “Filters” to apply visual effects.

Step 8. When your camera is set, hit the “Record” button. You can stop the recording by tapping on the Record button, then resume as you wish.

Step 9. Tap on the “Checkmark” when you are done recording. You can add some music and text as well. Then tap on the “Next” button to finish the recording.

Step 10. Then add a title and adjust “Sharing” settings. Also, add the “#shorts” to the title to make it promotional together with other Shorts videos.

Step 11. Finally, tap the “Upload” tab to add your “Shorts” to YouTube.

Here are the solutions for YouTube Common Issues

Since YouTube Shorts is still in the “Beta” mode, users are likely to experience issues while using it. Below are some fixes for YouTube shorts common issues like YouTube Shorts not showing up, unable to post video to YouTube Shorts and etc.

Solution 1. Update YouTube app

Remember apps are ever on the upgrade mode. You are likely to face some connection issues if you are operating on an older version. Here’s is how to update the YouTube app on your Android or iPhone device.

On Android device

1. Launch Google Play Store.
2. Next, tap on the “three diagonal lines” at the top section of your screen.
3. Then select the “My Apps & Games” option.
4. Search for YouTube app and tap on the “Update” button.

On iOS device

1. Open the “App Store”
2. Tap on your “Profile” icon.
3. Then tap on the “Update” tab to fix the issue.

On your computer

1. Search for YouTube streaming app from the Google Play Store.
2. Here, you’ll see an update button in case your app needs an update.
3. Next, click on the “Update” button and wait for the update to complete.
4. Launch YouTube once more and see whether the YouTube Shorts not showing issue is resolved.

Solution 2. Clear Cache

A corrupt system may also cause issues with the normal operation of your application.

1. Go to the “Settings” button on your phone.
2. Then go to the “Apps” section and tap on “All Apps”
3. Select the “YouTube” app from the list.
4. Next, go to the “App Settings” and click on the “Storage” section.
5. Tap on the “Clear cache and data” option.
6. Finally, relaunch the YouTube app and check whether the issue is resolved.

Solution 3. Check if Shorts is available in your country

Remember that “Shorts” isn’t available in all the countries yet. So, you can confirm whether it is already in your country. If not, you can bypass GEO restrictions by using free VPNs.

1. First, download and install a VPN app.
2. Next, select the USA or India server location to fake a GPS location.
3. Then clear the cache from the YouTube app and click it open.
4. You should now find the option to view and even upload Shorts from your device.

Solution 4. Ensure your video is set as YouTube Shorts

Your video should be set as YouTube Shorts before posting.

1. Identify the video that you wish to post.
2. Add the “#shorts” in your title and description.
3. See that each video is up to 60 seconds only.
4. Post the video and see whether the issue isn’t reoccurring.

Conclusion

It’s a nice feeling to learn how to upload YouTube Shorts and share the fun with others worldwide. However, you may experience YouTube Shorts not showing due to restrictions in your country or other issues. We have tackled adequate solutions to solve such scenarios and make your Shorts go online. Nonetheless, check out the steps to access and create YouTube Shorts in just a few steps.

From Startup to Stardom with YouTube SEO Basics

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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