Even before you\u2019ve uploaded your video, you need to rename the video file itself with a key word or phrase.\u00a0 This is because google has no way of watching the video and uses the file name to recognise what it is.<\/p>\n
For example for Bounce, our key phrase is \u2018video production oxford\u2019 so we would name our file accordingly:<\/p>\n
Old file name, something like: \u2018showreel_FINAL_004.mov\u2019<\/p>\n
New file name: \u2018video-production-oxford-showeel.mov\u2019.<\/p>\n
2. Use a \u2018custom thumbnail\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n A thumbnail is the main image the viewer sees when scrolling through videos on YouTube.\u00a0 It\u2019s like a book cover and sends an important message to the viewer.\u00a0 Having the right thumbnail will encourage people to click on your video.<\/p>\n When you upload your video to YouTube, you will be given the option to use one of their autogenerated thumbnail images, but it\u2019s really important that you upload your own custom designed one. YouTube reports<\/a> that 90% of their best performing videos use a custom thumbnail.<\/p>\n The custom thumbnail should include a key image that represents the subject of the video.\u00a0 Images including faces and people often work best.\u00a0 You may also wish to add some text and\/or a company logo.<\/p>\n Images need to be under 2MB,1280×720 pixels (16:9 ratio) and saved as jpg, gif, bmp, or png files.<\/p>\n A video production company should be able to design you a custom thumbnail but you can also make them yourself using free software like Canva.<\/a><\/p>\n 3. Use a key phrase in your title<\/strong><\/p>\n Just like your image, a strong title is key, not only for encouraging people to click, but also so your video is found in search engines.<\/p>\n You are allowed up 100 characters (including spaces) but it\u2019s best to keep your title under 60 characters.\u00a0 This ensures that none of it gets cut off in the search listings.<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve created a promo for your company, you\u2019ll want to include the name of your company but also a key search phrase for your product or service.<\/p>\n You should include the key phrase as close to the front of the title as possible.<\/p>\n For example for our showreel listing we put Video Production Company in Oxford: Bounce Video Showreel.<\/p>\n 4. Add a description<\/strong><\/p>\n Previous schools of thought suggested including key words in your YouTube description. \u00a0However, a recent study by Banklinko<\/a> found no correlation between keyword optimised descriptions and rankings.<\/p>\n That said, it\u2019s still a good idea to include a short summary, a call to action and a website link in your description.\u00a0 Then people know how to find you.\u00a0 You may also want to include your social media links.<\/p>\n 5. Tag your video<\/strong><\/p>\n Backlinko\u2019s study did, however, find a correlation between key word video tags and rankings.\u00a0 Here\u2019s their guide<\/a> on how to add video tags.<\/p>\n 6. Add an SRT caption file<\/strong><\/p>\n It\u2019s a good idea to upload a caption file with your video.\u00a0 Captions, also known as subtitles, are great for accessibility but they also help with search engine optimisation by highlighting important key words to Google.<\/p>\n There\u2019s a function to allow YouTube to auto generate captions for you but they tend to be really inaccurate we suggest another method.\u00a0 The website Rev.com will transcribe your video for just $1 dollar a minute and their captions are accurate and also be easy to edit.\u00a0 They\u2019ll send you an SRT file to upload with your video.\u00a0 Here\u2019s how to do it:<\/p>\n![\"Youtube](\"https:\/\/www.bouncevideo.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Screen-Shot-2019-09-06-at-15.56.00.png\")
<\/p>\nDISCOVER MORE VIDEO MARKETING TIPS\u00a0<\/a><\/h3>\n
![\"YouTube](\"https:\/\/www.bouncevideo.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/02\/Screen-Shot-2019-09-06-at-16.04.57.png\")
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