If you have a YouTube channel, you probably want to grow your audience and reach more potential viewers. One of the ways to do that is to optimize your channel for search engines, or SEO (search engine optimization). SEO is the process of improving the visibility and relevance of your content for search queries related to your topic. In this blog post, we will discuss 10 common things to check when doing a YouTube channel SEO analysis.

Why YouTube Channel SEO Analysis is a Must?

It's a process of evaluating the performance and optimization of a YouTube channel and its videos. It helps to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the channel, as well as the opportunities and threats in the competitive landscape. By conducting a YouTube Channel SEO Analysis, you can gain insights into how to improve your channel's visibility, reach, engagement, and conversions.

Some benefits are:

• It helps you to understand your target audience and their preferences, needs, and pain points.
• It helps you to optimize your channel's branding, design, layout, keywords, tags, descriptions, playlists, and thumbnails.
• Furthermore, it helps you to optimize your video content's quality, relevance, value, keywords, tags, titles, descriptions, captions, and end screens.
• It helps you to monitor your channel's performance metrics such as views, watch time, subscribers, likes, dislikes, comments, shares, and click-through rate.
• It helps you to compare your channel with your competitors and identify the gaps and opportunities for improvement.
• Not only that, but it helps you to devise and implement effective strategies for growing your channel and achieving your goals.

There are many more benefits are there; these are the crucial benefits you need to hop on. Let's see the checklist now!

Things to Check

So now we know the importance of SEO for YouTube channels; let's check the common things that need your attention.

1. Channel name and description

Your channel name and description are the first things that viewers and search engines see when they visit your channel page. They should clearly communicate what your channel is about and what value you offer to your audience. You should also include relevant keywords that describe your niche and target audience.

For example, if you have a channel about cooking vegan recipes, you could name it "Vegan Cooking with Jane" and write a description like "Welcome to my channel, where I share easy and delicious vegan recipes for everyone. Subscribe for new videos every week and join me on my vegan journey."

2. Channel keywords

It's a word and phrase that you want your channel to rank for in a YouTube search. They help YouTube understand what your channel is about and match it with relevant queries. You can add up to 500 characters of channel keywords in your channel settings. To find the best keywords for your channel, you can use tools like Google Keyword Planner, YouTube Analytics, or TubeBuddy. You should choose keywords that are relevant to your niche, have high search volume, and have low competition.

For example, some possible keywords for a vegan cooking channel are "vegan recipes", "vegan food", "vegan diet", "vegan lifestyle", etc.

3. Video titles and descriptions

Your video titles and descriptions are also very important for SEO, as they tell viewers and search engines what your videos are about and why they should watch them. You should craft catchy and informative titles that include your main keyword and a benefit or a hook.

For example, a good title for a vegan cooking video could be "How to Make Vegan Cheese in 5 Minutes | Easy and Delicious Recipe". You should also write detailed and engaging descriptions that expand on your title, include relevant keywords, and add a call to action.

For Instance, a good description for the same video could be "In this video, I will show you how to make vegan cheese in 5 minutes using only 4 ingredients. This vegan cheese is creamy, melty, and perfect for sandwiches, pizzas, or nachos. If you like this recipe, please give this video a thumbs up, leave a comment below, and subscribe to my channel for more vegan recipes."

4. Video tags.

It's an another way to help YouTube understand what your videos are about and rank them for relevant queries. You can add up to 500 characters of video tags in your video settings. You should use tags that are specific to your video topic, as well as broader tags that relate to your niche and audience.

For example, some possible tags for a vegan cooking video are "vegan cheese", "vegan cheese recipe", "how to make vegan cheese", "vegan cooking", "vegan food", etc.

5. Video thumbnails

Video thumbnails are the images that appear next to your video titles in YouTube search results and recommendations. They are one of the main factors that influence viewers' click-through rate (CTR), which is the percentage of people who click on your video after seeing it. You should create eye-catching and relevant thumbnails that capture the attention of your audience and convey the essence of your video content.

You can use tools like Canva, Photoshop, or Snappa to design your thumbnails. You should also follow some best practices for thumbnails, such as using high-resolution images, adding text overlays, using bright colors and contrast, and showing faces or emotions.

6. Video subtitles and captions

Video subtitles and captions are the text versions of your video audio that appear on the screen. They help viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing, as well as viewers who speak different languages or watch videos in noisy environments.

They also help YouTube index your video content and rank it for relevant queries. You can add subtitles and captions to your videos in different languages using YouTube's built-in tools or third-party services like Rev or Subly. You should make sure that your subtitles and captions are accurate, synchronized, and formatted properly.

7. Engagement metrics

Engagement metrics are the measures of how viewers interact with your channel and videos. They are important indicators of your channel's relevance, popularity, and quality, and they also influence your search rankings.

Some common engagement metrics include views, likes, dislikes, comments, shares, and watch time. You should monitor your engagement metrics regularly using YouTube Analytics or other third-party tools, and try to improve them by creating more engaging and valuable content, responding to comments, asking for feedback, and collaborating with other creators in your niche.

8. Backlinks and social signals

Backlinks are the links from other websites and channels that point to your channel and videos. They are important for SEO because they signal to search engines that your content is authoritative and valuable. You can build backlinks by creating high-quality content that other websites and channels want to link to, promoting your channel on social media and other online platforms, and participating in relevant forums, communities, and events.

Social signals are the signals of your channel's activity and popularity on social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. They can also influence your search rankings, especially for trending topics and news events.

9. Channel structure and navigation

Your channel structure and navigation are the ways that viewers can browse and access your videos and playlists. They should be intuitive, user-friendly, and consistent with your brand and niche. You should organize your videos and playlists into categories, series, or themes, and use descriptive titles and descriptions for them.

You should also create a customized channel homepage that highlights your best videos, playlists, and features, and add links to your website, social media, and other online profiles. Eventually, you should optimize your channel's metadata and settings, such as your channel icon, banner, and featured channels, to enhance your brand image and credibility.

10. Competition and trends analysis

Finally, you should conduct a competition and trends analysis to identify your competitors, learn from their strategies and tactics, and stay up-to-date with the latest trends and innovations in your niche. You can use tools like TubeBuddy, VidIQ, or Social Blade to analyze your competitors' channels and videos, track their metrics and rankings, and discover new keywords and topics to target.

You should also follow industry blogs, podcasts, and conferences and participate in online communities and forums related to your niche. By staying informed and connected, you can build a stronger and more successful YouTube channel.

Bottom Line

In conclusion, optimizing your YouTube channel for search engines is a crucial step in growing your audience and reaching more viewers. By focusing on the key elements, you can improve your channel's visibility, relevance, and engagement. By following the best practices and using the right tools, you can create a compelling and effective YouTube channel that attracts and retains loyal viewers.

So take the time to analyze your channel's SEO and make the necessary improvements, and watch your channel's success soar!

A special thanks to Luca and the team at LenosTube, who helped us to write this article. They made for us a YouTube channel SEO audit, and the things we learnt from it were repurposed to produce this article.