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YouTube: As Social Media Platform

Caspar Lee1237 22-Jun-2019

YouTube: As Social Media Platform

If there is anything you can hear from an expert digital marketer, it would be videos that are becoming the premier platform for marketing and SEO. People around the world watch videos of all types on a number of platforms, and this makes it necessary for you to utilize this platform to the best of its abilities. The power of video-based marketing should not be underestimated, as video streaming platforms have a massive amount of viewers and followers. The interactive nature of videos, combined with their ease of access across numerous devices and platforms makes them the best way you can promote your product or service. 

YouTube is the biggest video streaming site on the internet and one of the biggest social media platforms at the same time. Most of the traffic that comes to this site is incredibly loyal, and have a wide range of content consumption and preferences. You will find videos on nearly every topic and subject on YouTube, with nearly every topic being covered by dozens of different channels. For that reason, it is imperative for any channel to fully optimize their content so that their channel comes out on top.  

How do your videos get ranked on YouTube?

In short, YouTube is effectively a search engine designed to search videos uploaded on its servers and like any search engine, uses a custom-designed algorithm to allow users to get the videos they are looking for. This algorithm is designed to rank videos based on a number of key factors. The algorithm detects which videos are being watched the longest and takes that as a sign of user engagement. Interesting videos are a lot more likely to be watched in full, and that is the logic used here. Another factor that is considered is the time the video was uploaded.

If you search something on YouTube, the chances are that the majority of videos you find would've been uploaded within the last few days or so. It is a known fact that new videos are more likely to be watched, and YouTube's algorithm rightly identifies that. Additionally, the algorithm is also reliant on the information provided by the owner such as tags, descriptions and video titles.

The factors listed above are vital if you want your video to dominate the rankings and come out on top. In this case, the only factor you can alter yourself is the information. Called metadata, these details are to be tweaked before the video is uploaded to completely optimize your video for YouTube’s competitive atmosphere.

Why should I pay attention to metadata?

You can think of metadata as the labelling of a product. If you just decide to go with a label-less can or bottle, the chances of your product being sold are next to zero. You need to esure that your product is targeted to the market you are aiming for and is easily visible to your audience. Your label is also used to set your product apart from the competition, allowing you to forge your own identity.

The battle to dominate YouTube's search engine is highly competitive, to say the least. For your videos to stand out in this environment, you need to be strategic to the kind of metadata your videos are uploaded with. As a matter of fact, the first step in creating a video is to not create it. We mean that initially, you need to research on the kind of content you are going to produce and look at competing channels for ideas. Depending on the kind of videos you are planning to upload, you should assess videos uploaded by competing channels for metadata and content quality. In a nutshell, your video needs to be better than your competitors in every way for it to rank higher and level the playing field. 

Once your video is fully edited and ready to upload, your metadata also needs to be adjusted and optimized adequately. The thing to remember is that these details need to be optimized before you go ahead with uploading your video. Optimized metadata is key to a successful video and ideal search rankings.   

What keywords should I use for my YouTube videos?

Choosing the right keywords for your video can be tricky, especially if you have no idea what to look for. As a general rule of thumb, you need to look for videos that are good at generating traffic. You have two ways through which you can find keywords; the first is through YouTube itself, and the other is through searching tools such as Moz, SEMrush, and so on.

When uploading your video, you will be given the opportunity to add tags to your videos to make it easier for YouTube to sort them. Depending on your topic, you can either go for a tag that uses multiple words for a more specific approach. Alternatively, you can use single words to assist your tags and use general terms for an added benefit. 

As an example, if you decide to make a video on law dissertation help, you can use the terms: ‘legal dissertation help’, ‘legal thesis assistance’, ‘law dissertation help’ and so on. Single tags include ‘online’, ‘best’ and ‘top’, while general tags include ‘academics’, ‘dissertations’ and ‘assistance’. 

Although, it is difficult for you to exactly determine what tags your competitors are using as YouTube does its best to hide that information. This makes it significantly more difficult for you to find the recipe your rivals are using, preventing you from designing a suitable counterpart. However, all hope isn't lost as you have the ability to use third-party applications that can help you find these details and much more to find out what strategies your opponents are using.

Among the most popular applications are TubeBuddy and VidIQ. These tools allow you to see the information which would normally be hidden on rival videos and fine-tune your own videos for a competitive edge. This allows you to see the tags contained in highly ranked videos so that you can add them to your own content. Software like this also allows finding other useful details such as view count, view duration, SEO score and other details that can be used to improve your channel stats. 

How can I develop the best keyword strategy?

You can think of keyword strategies as marketing plans used in the traditional sense. You can start by thinking of your channel like a business. Initially, you are going to sell products which appeal to a variety of audiences, and once your plan gains traction, you can then focus on a select few. The primary obstacle is generating an inflow of customers, and once that is achieved, you can then switch your strategies to compete with other businesses. Again, like traditional businesses, you should aim for having multiple ways to promote your business as opposed to a more specific approach.

It is extremely possible for you to make your videos show up in YouTube's search results given you have a competent metadata plan in motion. This field is on a constant uphill climb, and by making all the preparations in the present, you can substantially increase your benefits and profits in the years to come.


This is Caspar Lee from the UK. He is an expert writer in the domain of custom dissertation writing services and working for Dissertation Firm. All UK students are getting high-grade coursework papers at the lowest price and achieving success. His aim is to satisfy a student's paper writing requirement and supplies before the deadline.

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