If you want to learn how to grow your YouTube channel from nothing, you need to master YouTube SEO. How else do you expect on a platform that is already very saturated?
Nonetheless, anyone can rank number one on YouTube. You just have to know which strategies to religiously follow. One in particular, and a gold mine for YouTubers, is YouTube SEO.
In this blog post, we will define YouTube SEO for beginners, and explore the different free and paid YouTube SEO tools available. Let’s get started!
What is YouTube SEO?
YouTube is the second-largest search engine in the world. Thus, knowing how to get its algorithm on your side, the world will be your oyster.
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation and YouTube SEO is all about optimizing your channel’s content to rank higher in search results on YouTube. This gives you all the visibility you need by boosting views.
Remember, it’s not enough to just get seen, you need to be able to get yourself heard too. Hence, creating informative and well-produced videos is the way to go. People are more likely to watch, listen, and subscribe to channels that deliver valuable and interesting content.
Regardless, you don’t have to take a YouTube SEO course to understand the platform (unless you really want to). You can simply opt for a YouTube SEO tool free.
It’s all about making YouTube’s algorithm understand how relevant and valuable your video is to viewers. Implementing handpicked SEO strategies will help you get seen by the masses and ultimately continue to grow your loyal subscriber base.
How does YouTube SEO work?
Here’s a quick rundown on how to get YouTube’s algorithm on your side using YouTube SEO AI:
Similar to Google SEO
YouTube is also a search engine – think Google, for videos. Just like you optimise a website for search engines, YouTube SEO also demands the use of relevant keywords and phrases carefully distributed throughout your content. This can include; titles, descriptions, captions, and tags.
Focus on text
YouTube shows you videos but it can’t watch your videos itself. The platform relies on text cues to understand your content. Make sure you’re up to speed with your text elements to help YouTube’s algorithm understand your video and recommend it to viewers searching for similar topics.
Understanding YouTube’s algorithm
While the exact details are a secret, YouTube’s search algorithm takes various factors into account, to rank videos. One of those is providing a good user experience which includes watch time, engagement (likes, comments), and click-through rate.
High-quality content
Quality over quantity has always been the way to go. And while SEO is crucial to help you get your rating, it’s not the only factor. YouTube prioritizes high-quality, engaging content which is what ultimately factors in to whether your viewers end up watching your videos. Even the best SEO can’t save a video that viewers don’t enjoy.
How can AI tools be effectively used for YouTube SEO?
You’ve probably heard the scare headline, “AI will take our jobs!” thrown around aimlessly. What if instead of feeling baselessly threatened by it, you could get it to work for you, instead of against you? It’s a no-brainer! AI can be your YouTube channel’s super-smart research assistant.
Let’s have a look at some of the ways AI tools can streamline your workflow and give you a leg up in search results, by making the SEO process easier.
Keyword generator
No more guess work, targeting relevant viewers, data-forward. Researching YouTube SEO keywords can be a slog. AI tools have the ability to analyse trends and pick up on sweet-spot keywords that not only have high search volume, but lower competition too.
VidIQ
VidIQ has a free plan, helping you discover keywords and text with high search volume but less competition saturation. You can also access the following options via VidIQ: Daily Ideas, Keyword Inspector, Competitors, Trend Alerts, Most Viewed, and Channel Audit.
If you tap on Daily Ideas, for example, you’ll be able to view the topics you can make videos on. It’ll also go one step further and analyze how well the video will do, if you decide to work on the topic.
TubeBuddy’s free chrome extension
This tool is a great addition to your YouTube SEO free AI tool stack. Some of its features do require a paid plan, however, the free version offers basic tag suggestions based on your video content. Moreover, these tags can help people find your video when they’re browsing and searching on YouTube.
RapidTags
This tool is your one-stop shop for generating effective SEO hashtags to supercharge your YouTube video reach. Simply enter your keywords and watch a flood of relevant hashtags appear, ready to optimize your content and attract new viewers.
Title and description generator
Coming up with catchy titles, descriptions and scripts that keep viewers hooked is definitely an art with which AI tools can most definitely help. They can analyze high performing videos for you, and suggest titles that are more likely to grab attention and of course, traffic.
They can also help you optimise descriptions with all the relevant keywords without sounding like a robot or repetitive like a parrot.
SocialBu AI generator
Get ready to ditch the writer’s block. The AI Generator by SocialBu takes the guesswork out of crafting captions for your YouTube videos. Moreover, it helps you create clear, concise, and engaging descriptions, all while optimizing for search with relevant keywords. This helps to get your video seen by more viewers.
Ahref’s YouTube video description generator
Ahrefs’ YouTube Video Description Generator uses the power of AI to craft compelling descriptions in seconds. Just provide some basic details about your video, and this free tool will whip up an SEO-friendly description rich in relevant keywords to boost your search ranking and entice viewers to click.
Optimo
This website serves as an efficient YouTube SEO tool. It can generate video scripts, titles as well as descriptions for you. It can also generate content for you in different languages, including Urdu and Hindi.
Spy on competitors and trends
AI tools can keep tabs on what’s working for channels with a similar niche to yours. Some are even able to analyse your competitors’ content and even suggest video ideas based on trending topics within your niche.
YouTube Studio
Not only can this tool help generate keywords for you, but it can also gives you what your audience searches for, all in your YouTube Studio space. Simply click Analytics and then Research, you can find what your subscribers search for under ‘Your Viewers’ Searches’, helping you to generate relevant content that your viewers are actually interested in.
Google Trends
Google Trends can help in showing you statistics. Although not purely AI, Google Trends will be able to show you what people are searching for.
Thumbnail AI
Thumbnail AI provides AI ratings of YouTube thumbnails. Look at thumbnails of your competitors and understand how this tool ranks them. You can then rank your own on it, where it’ll not only give you an overall score, but also tips on how to improve your YouTube thumbnail and make it more effective for clickbait. You can use SEO for your thumbnail too.
Paid YouTube SEO AI tools
The best in the game obviously come at a premium, and it’s no different for AI tools. There’s no right or wrong answer as to which one’s best. It depends on your budget, the features that are absolutely non-negotiables for you and which ones you can choose to keep a light hand on and compromise with.
Keywordtool.io
This one website, keywordtool, helps you find keyword suggestions, questions, and hashtags, using Google autocomplete and you can rank your videos and blog posts. All you have to do is select the relevant social media platform, type a keyword, enter your country and language and watch the magic happen. It’ll generate upwards of 600 keywords for you! The premium version allows you to access search volume, trends and CPC. It can also generate questions for you, relating to your keywords, sorting out the title of your videos too.
Price: Comes with a 30-days money back guarantee.
PRO BASIC: $69/mo
PRO PLUS: $79/mo
PRO BUSINESS: $159/mo
Surfer SEO
If you want in depth content optimization, Surfer is an excellent choice. Not only does it analyse the highest performing videos for your target keywords, but it also provides you with a comprehensive analysis, and then a final score for your content. All this is based on statistical comparison between factors like content length, how easy it is to consume, and how relevant is it to the topic?
Surfer also offers keyword research tools, scours your competitors for you and analyses their content comprehensively for you, along with on-page optimization suggestions for your titles, descriptions, and tags. This data helps you tailor your video content for maximum SEO impact, to boost your views and grow your community.
Price: Get started with 7 days free and then choose a plan that fits your needs
- ESSENTIAL: For small business owners and freelancers at $89/mo
- SCALE: For mid-sized agencies & marketing teams at $129/mo
- SCALE AI: For agencies and teams looking to scale up with AI at $219/mo
- ENTERPRISE: For large agencies & marketing teams at Custom per month, billed yearly
VidIQ Pro
VidIQ is an extremely well-rounded platform, especially, if you’re opting for the paid version. It offers the run-of-the mill services that you expect from it, like keyword research and competitor tracking. Their Pro plan provides in-depth keyword research with search volume, competition level, and real-time keyword trends.
However, what sets it apart and puts it a step further is VidIQ’s competitor video analysis tools, audience retention insights, and social media promotion features which not only help you optimize your YouTube channel to the tee, but also helps you extend your reach beyond YouTube.
Price: You can choose between the following options after a 7-days free trial
- BOOST at $24.50 /month, with 12 months at $294
- COACHING at $159 /month, with 12 months at $1,908
Semrush
Semrush is another powerful AI SEO toolkit, worth considering paying a premium for, and having under your belt. It promises comprehensive keyword research, backed with data, of course, and keyword difficulty scores. Not only that, in true value added fashion, it goes beyond YouTube, and works in collaboration with all your other social media platforms to reduce friction between them.
Semrush provides features to anylse data from competitor websites and YouTube channels, backlink tracking, and on-page SEO optimization to broaden the horizons of your online presence. This makes it a great choice for creators who also have a website, and, or blog.
Price
- PRO at $129.95/mo, designed for newbies and small teams
- GURU at $249.95/mo, designed for agencies and mid-size businesses
- BUSINESS at $499.95/mo, designed for large agencies and enterprises
Conclusion
YouTube SEO can feel overwhelming, but with the help of a YouTube SEO checker, you can streamline the process and gain a significant edge.
Moreover, whether you’re utilizing free options or considering a paid subscription, remember, AI is here to assist you, not replace your creative vision.
Nevertheless, keyword research, competitor analysis, and content optimization suggestions offered by AI tools, can facilitate you in creating high-quality content.
Besides, content that resonates with your audience ultimately helps you climb the YouTube search rankings. All in all, YouTube SEO AI is your secret weapon to save time, refine your strategy, and eventually reach a wider audience for your videos.
FAQs
What is SEO on YouTube?
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) on YouTube refers to optimizing your videos to rank higher in YouTube search results and get discovered by more viewers. This involves understanding how YouTube’s search algorithm works and tailoring your content accordingly.
How can I use YouTube SEO for free?
Take advantage of free tools like YouTube autocomplete and Google Trends to find hot keywords. Then, craft clear, catchy titles and descriptions that include those keywords and create an eye-grabbing thumbnail. Moreover, train the algorithm understand your content with closed captions and transcripts. Finally, boost engagement by encouraging likes, comments, and shares.
Can you learn SEO on YouTube?
Absolutely! There are many resources available online to help you learn about YouTube SEO. YouTube itself offers a Creator Academy with tutorials and best practices. Additionally, many SEO experts and marketing channels provide free resources and tips on optimizing your YouTube content.
What is the best SEO tool for YouTube?
There are several SEO tools available for YouTube, both free and paid. While there’s no single “best” tool, some popular options include: YouTube Analytics (built-in), Google Trends, Ahrefs, SEMrush, and VidIQ.
