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When people say “SEO”, they usually think of Google. It often feels like optimisation is only about websites. Yet search is almost everywhere: on video hosting sites, on TikTok, across e-commerce. Any system that decides what to show first is effectively a search engine, which means you can optimise your content for it too.
YouTube follows the same logic. It reads keywords in the title and description, tracks how viewers behave, how long they watch, and whether they move on to other videos.
This article was written by our expert, Ruslan Demeev, Senior SEO Specialist. He has been working with search systems for more than eight years, handling complex projects and applying SEO thinking beyond Google. In this piece, he explains how to use an SEO-driven approach on YouTube.
SEO and YouTube
In 2025, YouTube is the second-largest search engine in the world. It works in a way that’s similar to Google: it has its own ranking algorithms, and many principles that apply to traditional SEO also work here — with adjustments for the video format.
What to optimise on YouTube
→ Titles and descriptions
If there’s one place where keywords truly matter, it’s here. The closer they are to the beginning of the tag, the better.
Recommended minimums:
- Title — at least 5 words.
- Description — at least 250 words, with the main keyword used 2–4 times.
→ Tags
Tags don’t directly influence rankings, but they help YouTube understand the topic and connect the video with related content. They work much like the old meta keywords tag.
Use 4–6 tags:
- 2–3 with your main keyword and its variations.
- 2–3 with broader or adjacent topics.
- Avoid irrelevant or repetitive tags.
→ Metadata
Duration, upload date, views, and other technical fields help the system interpret the video. Make sure all fields are filled in correctly: playlists, category, language or subtitles, and age restrictions when needed.
→ Watch time (retention)
A key ranking signal: the longer viewers stay, the higher the video tends to rank.
- Build a strong start — the first 15–30 seconds should hook the viewer. Give a clear value promise: what they will get from the video.
- Keep the structure logical — use visual markers and timestamps so viewers can navigate easily.
→ Engagement
Beyond retention, YouTube evaluates what happens after the viewing session: likes, comments, shares, and subscriptions. All of these help visibility and rankings.
To increase engagement:
- Encourage viewers to comment and keep the conversation going with quick replies.
- Pin the most interesting comments.
- Add a clear call to subscribe.
How SEO helps with YouTube optimisation
Once you understand how YouTube’s algorithms work, it becomes clear that many SEO principles apply here as well, especially in keyword research and topic selection.
→ Keyword research
YouTube semantics are simpler than in classic SEO, but the logic is similar. A useful top-level method is to rely on autocomplete suggestions in the search bar. Start typing a query, and the platform shows popular variations. This helps you collect high-volume and mid-volume keywords and choose a relevant topic.
Another approach is analysing competitor videos. Find content that ranks for your target query and check its titles, tags and descriptions. To avoid replicating poor practices, filter for the strongest videos — those with the highest view counts or the best performance on the creator’s channel.
→ Behavioural signals
Keyword research alone isn’t enough. YouTube promotes videos that viewers respond to. For that, it relies on several behavioural metrics.
- 👉 Subscriptions during or after viewing
Creators constantly ask viewers to subscribe for a reason. A subscription immediately after watching is a strong signal for YouTube. The platform treats it as proof of value — essentially, the viewer is “bookmarking” the channel.
This converts traffic into direct rather than organic, so SEO-style metrics won’t grow. But it launches a useful loop: views → subscriptions → recommendations → new views.
- 👉 Likes and comments
YouTube doesn’t care much whether the rating is positive or negative — both count as activity. Likes carry slightly more weight, but the difference is small.
Comments, however, are far more influential. Longer, more meaningful comments are especially valuable, which is why creators often ask viewers to write more than a few words. The logic is simple: active discussion signals high interest, which improves retention and allows YouTube to show more ads.
- 👉 CTR
Unlike classic search, YouTube’s result page is built around the thumbnail — essentially a visual snippet that directly affects click-through rate.
Requirements vary by niche, but the basics stay the same: good visuals, readable text, strong colours and an element of motion or intrigue. Metaphors and expressive imagery also work well. The rest is testing. Just like in SEO, A/B testing is key.
- 👉 External optimisation and “host-level” signals
Link-building is a core SEO practice. On YouTube, it works differently, but the logic is similar. Instead of link exchanges — an outdated tactic — collaborations with other creators perform much better. Paid mentions or cross-channel networks can help channels pull each other up by sharing audiences.
There are also “host-level” signals — the channel’s overall setup: banner, description, links to social media and website, contact information. Clear, cohesive branding builds trust for both viewers and the algorithm.
Structure matters too: playlists, categories, a channel trailer — everything that helps viewers navigate and stay longer.
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Tools for growing a YouTube channel
You can do many tasks manually, but the right tools make the workflow faster and more consistent. Here are the most widely used ones.
Keyword research
Beyond autocomplete, you can use Google Trends with the YouTube Search filter. It shows how interest in a topic changes over time.
Among paid tools, the most popular are the browser extensions VidIQ and TubeBuddy. They display keyword data directly in YouTube’s interface: tags, search volume and competition.
Thumbnail creation and A/B testing
For visual work, tools like Pixlr or Snappa help create thumbnails. Both offer ready-made templates and essential editing features.
To run A/B tests for thumbnails, you can use TubeBuddy. It lets you upload several versions and automatically tracks which one gets more clicks. This is especially useful for channels with active audiences, where the system collects data faster.
Analytics and performance tracking
YouTube provides comprehensive built-in analytics. It helps track core metrics: watch time, retention, traffic sources, thumbnail CTR and engagement. This is usually enough to evaluate performance and adjust content strategy.
You can also connect Google Analytics if your videos send viewers to your website. Add UTM parameters to the links in the description or inside the video to track these visits.
In the end
We’ve covered how SEO principles can support video promotion on YouTube. It’s important to understand what users search for, how intent works and how the algorithm reacts to audience behaviour.
In any niche, promotion starts with search demand. You need to know what people type in before they click on a video. After that, everything depends on behavioural signals: CTR, retention, subscriptions, and comments. YouTube uses all of these when ranking videos, and this logic is already familiar to SEO specialists.
SEO experience gives a strong advantage on YouTube. It helps you understand the algorithm faster, form hypotheses and find an effective approach.
