Yes, YouTube Marketing Requires SEO Savvy
At ASTRALCOM, we make it our business to keep up with top trends and changes to Google’s search algorithm. As a part of Google, YouTube is also beholden to algorithmic tweaks and evolutions – and these can make or break marketing strategies for influencers, vloggers, and creators across channels. If you’re a content creator, you are only as relevant as you are visible. Here’s what you should prioritize in your YouTube marketing efforts to ensure that your work is visible and highly surfaceable by YouTube’s newest algorithm.
- Quality over quantity: YouTube’s updated algorithm prioritizes quality content and viewer satisfaction. It will surface videos that are more likely to engage and retain viewers who watch a video from start to finish. Creators should focus on producing high-quality, engaging content that resonates with their target audience and leaves them wanting more.
- Importance of watch time and session time: YouTube’s algorithm significantly favors high watch time and session time as key metrics for ranking videos. This means that creators should aim to produce longer videos that keep viewers engaged and encourage them to watch multiple videos in a single session.
- Viewer retention: When did you last check out your audience retention graphs on YouTube? Become an expert in these metrics to identify points where viewers tend to drop off in your videos. By understanding viewer behavior, creators can improve their content to maintain audience interest throughout the video. Analyzing additional data such as audience demographics, watch time, and traffic sources can provide valuable information for optimizing content and understanding what your viewers enjoy.
- Choose your words wisely: The language surrounding your video is integral to its SEO health. Optimize your video titles, descriptions, and tags with relevant keywords. This helps YouTube’s algorithm understand the content of the video and improves the chances of it being discovered by viewers.
- Build a loyal subscriber base: YouTube’s algorithm favors a high number of subscribers who frequently engage with a channel. Find creative ways to build a community and foster viewer loyalty through regular uploads, responding to comments, and reminding viewers to subscribe.
In summary, YouTube released major algorithmic updates in 2023 with make-or-break implications for creators. Whether you’re exploring SEO across your landing page and other online destinations where you have a web presence and are new to YouTube optimization, or if YouTube is your primary channel and you’d like to increase your visibility, ASTRALCOM can be your guide. We help grow businesses through digital strategy, content marketing, and bespoke SEO services.
