YouTube is the 2nd largest search engine in the world, second to only Google. Most travellers consume video content heavily during the inspiration and research stages of the travel buying cycle. An effective YouTube strategy can be a surefire way to beat the competition for attention and top of funnel customer engagement.
Optimizing a YouTube video for YouTube search involves several key steps to ensure your content is discoverable and ranks well in search results. Here are our thoughts to get the best out of YouTube for your hotel.
Search marketing is intent driven; keywords / search terms used give us an idea of what the potential user wants. Using keyword research to understand existing demand among potential bookers and creating your videos to position yourself for this demand will help get your videos seen faster.
Tools such as Ahrefs and TubeBuddy can be used to find relevant keywords and phrases that people are searching for. If you are just starting out, using YouTubes auto-prompting feature and trending video categories is also a good way to get a basic idea of what people want.
We suggest focusing on long-tail keywords, which are usually less competitive, increasing your chances of ranking higher.
Ensure your main keyword appears in the video title, preferably at the beginning. Your video title also needs to be compelling enough to attract clicks without click-bait.
The perfect video title is 30% to 40% of the effort in optimizing your video and a significant decider in getting engagement.
Ensure you explain your video well and provide context as to what the video is about, key points, timestamps, and relevant links. Use your main keywords and related phrases naturally in the description.
Include call to actions such as encouraging viewers to like, comment, subscribe, share, and include links to your website or other social media channels.
Add a mix of broad and specific tags related to your video content. Include your main keyword as the first tag. Check what tags popular videos in your niche are using and include similar ones if they are relevant.
Create high-resolution thumbnails that stand out. Use contrasting colors, clear text, and compelling images. Maintain a consistent style across your thumbnails to build brand recognition.
Ask viewers to like, comment, and share your videos. Engaged viewers signal to YouTube that your content is valuable. Have someone monitor your videos and channel, engage with your audience by responding to comments, which can increase viewer retention and loyalty.
Adding transcripts helps YouTube understand your video content better and can improve search rankings. Use closed captions to make your videos more accessible and improve SEO.
With YouTube, you need to hook viewers early. Grab the viewer’s attention in the first few seconds to reduce the bounce rate. The value of the content is what keeps viewers engaged longer. Authenticity and unedited videos are increasingly considered more trustworthy than traditional productions. High-quality production is always advised, but high quality does not necessarily mean high cost, studios and expensive cameras.
Create Playlists and organize your videos based on themes or topics. Playlists can improve watch time and discoverability. Use relevant keywords in your playlist titles and descriptions to help them rank in search.
Promote your videos across all your social media platforms to drive traffic and increase views. Embed your videos in blog posts, on your website, and in email newsletters to increase visibility.
Monitor performance using YouTube Analytics and track how your videos are performing on metrics like watch time, click-through rate (CTR), and audience retention. Based on your analytics, tweak your titles, descriptions, tags, and thumbnails to improve performance over time.
By following these optimization strategies, you can improve your video’s visibility on YouTube, attract more viewers, and enhance overall engagement.