From SMX East 2013 - YouTube Optimization Tips For the Second Most Popular Search Engine - How To Win Subscribers and Influence Visitors on YouTube by Purna Virji #SMX #31C
3. ⢠Senior Marketing Manager at Stroll
⢠7+ years in Search
⢠Columnist at Search Engine Watch
⢠Speaker at SMX, Affiliate Summit,
eTail & More
Purna Virji
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Key Takeaways
⢠How to build a strong foundation
⢠How to curate content the right way
⢠How to best engage your visitors
⢠How to strategically use analytics
5. Top Tip 1: Lay a
Strong Foundation
Ensure all the basics
are optimized correctly,
to give your channel more
prominence and appeal
to visitors.
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Video Metadata
⢠Used to Index Videos
⢠Optimize to Maximize Promotion
⢠Includes: Title, Tags and Description
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Video Metadata â Title
⢠Make it compelling
⢠Core keywords first, branding later
⢠Test to optimize CTR
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Video Metadata â Tags
⢠Descriptive keywords
⢠Create a Set of Standard tags
⢠Mix general and specific
⢠Use enough to be accurate
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Video Metadata â Description
⢠First few sentences really count
⢠Pay attention to content hierarchy
⢠Be interesting!
⢠Add links to subscribe page or social
media
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Video Thumbnail Selection
⢠Custom for each video
⢠640px x 360px min.,
16:9 aspect ratio
⢠Faces or visually
compelling imagery
⢠Looks good in all sizes
⢠Upload with video
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Featured & Related Channels
⢠Seen on the right-hand side
⢠Featured: You select
⢠Related: Similar channels, populated by YouTube
ďImportant! Can include competitors
⢠Can choose to disable
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Top Tip 2:
Curating Content
for your Audiences
How to most effectively
share content with
subscribers and
non-subscribers.
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Why Encourage Subscribers?
⢠Strongest brand advocates
⢠2x Video Consumed vs. Non-subscribers
⢠Content more visible, better for TOMA
⢠Community engagement + Brand building
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Tips for Engaging Subscribers:
⢠60-30-10 formula
⢠Create playlists to
engage
⢠Be regular
⢠Strategic CTAs
⢠Community management
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Encouraging Non-Subs to Subscribe
⢠Browse Tab:
â Pick as default LP
â Show off your content!
â Use analytics to pick top performers
⢠Channel Trailer:
â Auto-plays
â Essence of your channel
â No ads when playing
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Trailer Tips
⢠Think elevator pitch
⢠Show, donât tell
⢠Use CTAs
⢠Leverage special promos
⢠Test, test, test
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Annotations
⢠Clickable text overlays
⢠Use to:
â Ask for likes
â Link to other videos
â Link to social media
â Ask questions to engage
â Add clarification
â Link back to your site
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Annotations â Best Practices
⢠Avoid lower third of
video
⢠Donât obstruct content
⢠Little goes a long way
⢠Repeat âsubscribeâ
requests at end
⢠Use analytics to test
timing & placement
⢠Be creative
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⢠Organize Browse tab
⢠Showcase your best
content
⢠Can contain videos
& playlists
⢠Create themes based
on tags
⢠Can curate other
channelsâ content
Sections
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Channel Description
⢠Why should they
subscribe?
⢠Important info upfront
⢠Include upload schedule
⢠Use relevant KWs
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Top Tip 4: Channel
Analytics
Assess channel
performance to make
strategic optimization
decisions.
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Connect GA to YouTube
â âAdd new Accountâ in existing
GA account
â Locate GA profile ID
â âAdvancedâ option on YouTube
channel settings
â Data will populate within 24
hours
Google Analytics Tie-In
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1. Who are your users?
â Helps create & optimize content & channel
design to appeal most to your demo.
â Pull demo & geo data reports
YouTube Analytics
www.youtube.com/analytics
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YouTube Analytics
www.youtube.com/analytics
2. Where are users finding your videos?
â Know which traffic sources are most valuable
â Use playback locations & traffic sources reports
â Be sure to review avg. view duration column
â Look at subscriber-only data as well.
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YouTube Analytics
www.youtube.com/analytics
3. How much are you engaging users?
â Discover how users interact & identify patterns
to create more engaging content
â Low retention rate videos=less likely to appear
in search & suggested placements
â Use absolute retention & relative retention
reports