How to Optimise Your YouTube Video Descriptions for SEO Success

When you upload a video to YouTube, there’s a few places where you can add some extra info besides the video itself to help attract an audience. Popular areas to put your focus include the title and thumbnail, but the video description is an often-underutilised area – especially when it comes to SEO.

At MinMxD, we help you make the most out of every asset available to you, ensuring the maximum result for minimum effort. In this blog we’ll discuss the ins and outs of YouTube descriptions, and how you can use search engine optimisation techniques to boost your place in YouTube search results.

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Why SEO is Essential for YouTube Video Descriptions

Having a great video is the foundation to success, and visual elements like the thumbnail let audiences see at a glance what your content’s all about – both in terms of the videos, and your personality.

However, getting YouTube to understand what your content is and put it in front of the right people is a little trickier.

SEO, or search engine optimisation, is the ticket to success. SEO involves utilising keywords to let search engines build an understanding of your content, allowing them to direct users who are searching for it to your video – or to place it on the feed pages of users with similar interests.

Your video title is one key location where you can use SEO; the other is your description. Here, you’re allowed far more words, meaning you can provide much more information as to what the video is about. While your title should be refined and specific, your description enables you to tailor your content towards a broader audience, hopefully building a large net to draw them in.

Key Elements of a YouTube Video Description

There’s lots of different components to a YouTube video description that you’ll commonly see on popular videos. Some of these are for SEO value, while others are there for different reasons. Here’s a brief rundown of some of the key features you can include:

Tags

You can tag your video with appropriate words or phrases that help YouTube understand the core of what it’s about. Building the right tag list for your content ensures it’s put in front of the right viewers, and can require many iterations over a long time before you get the perfect one. As trends change, the way users search will change as well, so this will be a constantly evolving beast.

Keywords

As well as in the tags, your description will also include content. You should put the important keywords here as well – not only does this give viewers a better idea of what they’re going to see after they’ve clicked on your video, but it also holds some sway with who it is shown to, making it a safe idea to double down on.

Socials

To build your community, you may also want to include links to your socials in your YouTube description. This makes it easier for viewers to find you and engage with you outside of the platform, building better bonds and community engagement. At the same time, you can also give links to things like your store or Patreon, resulting in better visibility for your revenue streams.

Learn how to better engage with your gaming community >

Credits

If you’ve used an artist’s work such as a thumbnail or music, or collaborated with other YouTubers, your description should also include a mention of them. Whether this comes as a link to their channel or just an accreditation of their involvement, this helps them feel appreciated, while also giving curious viewers a way to engage with them further.

Sponsorships or Affiliate Links

For sponsored videos, you may be required under contract to include a link to the sponsor in your YouTube video description. A pinned comment is also a common requirement. Pay attention to the requirements in your contract, and make sure you carry them out in full to prevent any hassle down the line.

Find out more about how to get sponsorships with our complete guide to affiliate marketing >

The Description Itself

Finally, we can get on to the video’s actual description. You should have an accurate, detailed, SEO-optimised bit of content that describes what the video is about and indicates who it is for. This is also a great place to show off your personality, adding some unique charm to keep users engaged and prevent it from seeming robotic.

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Creating Descriptions that Captivate Your Audience

Stuck on how to write your description? Here’s three top tips to follow to get you started.

Accurately Describe Your Content

Think about what your video is about, and try and put that into words in a succinct, entertaining way. Look at the best moments, allude to any unexpected twists. Mention the game, any collaborators, and try and describe your video with the same vibe and personality it portrays.

Provide All the Details a Viewer Could Need

There’s nothing worse than checking a description for something, only to find it void and having to look somewhere else. Be it song credits, background on the video idea, or links to your other platforms, make sure everything is there for a viewer to find. Put yourself in their shoes – what do they want to see? Check comments and update your checklist regularly.

Don’t Just Repeat the Script

If you script your content, it may seem like the easiest option is to just reuse the script as your description. After all, what’s more accurate to a video’s content than the words you’re saying in it? However, any viewer that’s watching your video and wants to learn more about it will be disappointed if they go to the description and see the same things being said in the same way.

Add some value, show your personality! This is your chance to engage with the viewer and build a connection that will hopefully lead to them coming back for more.

Tools to Optimise Your YouTube SEO and Meta Data

SEO isn’t a journey you have to struggle through by yourself. There’s plenty of tools and online resources out there, even ones you can get for free!

Take a look at the market: popular choices like vidIQ, TubeBuddy, or TubeRanker all come with their own features and merits. Finding the best one to suit your needs can be a challenge itself, but by working with a channel growth partner like MinMxD, you can be sure you’re getting the right fit.

Maximise Your YouTube SEO Efforts with MinMxD

Utilising these tools and techniques will give you a great head start when it comes to your YouTube video description SEO, placing you ahead of the competition. However, to truly make the most of your time and pursue your passions, working with a partner like MinMxD is the way to go.

We take care of the details, and can connect you with the right people and resources to help you do your job with ease. Less time spent worrying about SEO and technicalities, and more time making the videos you love and engaging with your community.

Start your content revolution today – get in touch!

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