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The world of YouTube is vast and diverse, and standing out amidst millions of videos can be quite a challenge. Especially in 2023, it seems to be more difficult to grow your YouTube channel than ever. One critical yet often overlooked tool to boost your visibility is a well-crafted YouTube video description.
If you've ever wondered what to actually put in a YouTube video description, this article will help you master the art of writing compelling descriptions that drive engagement and enhance visibility.
Video Description vs Channel Description
In the YouTube ecosystem, two types of descriptions hold significant weightage - the channel description and the video description. Here's a brief primer on both:
Channel Descriptions: This serves as a quick summary of your channel's content and mission. It's a place to highlight your brand, sprinkle in some keywords, and establish the tone and theme for your channel.
Video Descriptions: These are the heart of your video's SEO strategy. A well-written video description can drive viewer interest, increase search visibility, and serve as a valuable space to include relevant links and information.
In this article, we'll be looking specifically at video descriptions and how to optimize them.
Why YouTube Video Descriptions Matter
YouTube descriptions, both for channels and individual videos, serve as a powerful SEO tool. They enable your content to be discovered more easily by users and search engines alike. Here's why they're so crucial:
Attention-Grabbing: A compelling, keyword-rich description can intrigue potential viewers and influence their decision to watch your video.
Search Engine Optimization: Descriptions filled with relevant keywords can boost your video's visibility on YouTube and Google search results.
Clarity: Descriptions provide additional context about your video, helping viewers understand what to expect.
Encourages Engagement: A well-written description can prompt viewers to engage with your content, be it through commenting, liking, sharing, or even subscribing to your channel.
Funnel Viewers to Products: You can use descriptions to guide viewers towards specific actions, like visiting your website, buying a product, or checking out other videos on your channel.
Crafting Amazing YouTube Video Descriptions: 11 Tips
Now, let's delve into the nitty-gritty of crafting top-notch YouTube video descriptions:
1. Align Your Video Description with Your Video Title
Your video title should serve as the foundation for your description. Use keywords from your title within your description to create a cohesive message and reinforce your SEO strategy. The algorithm loves when Creators do this.
2. Make The First 200 Characters Count
The first 200 characters of your description are crucial. They can appear in search results and "above the fold" on the video page, making them useful for grabbing viewer attention.
3. Leverage Keywords
Identify and incorporate relevant keywords throughout your description. This not only helps your video rank better in search results but also aids viewers in finding your content.
4. Include Complementary Keywords
Don't stop at primary keywords. Consider including complementary or related keywords to bolster your video's search visibility.
5. Add Call-to-Action Words & Links
Your description is also an excellent place to drive viewer action. Include relevant links, such as to your website, social media profiles, or related videos, and use persuasive language to encourage viewers to click.
6. Write Naturally
Ensure your descriptions are easy to read and relatable. Write like a human, not a robot, and adopt a conversational tone that reflects your brand's personality.
7. Use Hashtags Sparingly
Including a few relevant hashtags in your description can further improve your video's discoverability. However, don't go overboard; too many hashtags can make your description appear cluttered.
8. Maintain Consistency with Your Brand Voice
Your description should reflect your brand's voice and persona. Whether it's professional, casual, humorous, or something else, consistency is key.
9. Format for Readability
Break up your description into sections with clear headings or bullet points to make it easy to skim and digest.
10. Preview Your Description
Ensure your description looks good on all devices, including desktop, mobile, and tablet. Also, make sure that links work and that you don't have any egregious grammar mistakes.
11. Monitor Your Analytics
Track the performance of your videos and video links and adjust your descriptions based on what's working and what's not. Sometimes this means that even if a video doesn't do great, links in the descriptions may be getting higher than average clicks. Track everything and adjust accordingly.
An Example YouTube Video Description Template
If you're unsure of where to start, here's a simple template I put together to help you craft your YouTube video description. Other things can be added but including the following is a great starting point:
1. Introduction (1-2 sentences): A brief summary of your video content. Try to include your primary keyword here.
2. Extended Summary (2-3 paragraphs): Detail what your video is about, including key points, themes, or topics covered.
3. Call-to-Action (1-2 sentences): Prompt viewers to like, share, comment, subscribe, visit your website, etc.
4. Links: Include relevant links, such as to your website, social media profiles, related videos, or products mentioned in the video.
5. Channel Description: Including your channel description can assist in tying all of your videos together in the eyes of the algorithm and recommending more of your videos to users. It can also describe your channel to first-time viewers without leaving the video.
6. Hashtags: Include 2-3 relevant hashtags. This helps drive traffic and is another data point that YouTube uses when determining who to suggest your video to.
7. Disclaimers or Extra Information: If necessary, include any disclaimers, credit attributions, or additional information related to your video. This is a great part of the description to callout any sponsors of the video.
Remember, this template is just a starting point. Feel free to adapt it to suit your unique needs and brand voice.
Start Optimizing Your Videos Today!
A well-optimized, engaging YouTube video description can significantly enhance your video's visibility and viewer engagement. While it may seem like a small detail, it's an essential component of your overall YouTube marketing strategy. So, take the time to craft descriptions that not only accurately represent your video content but also drive viewer action and boost your SEO efforts.
As always, I'm here to help you craft SEO-friendly videos to help your videos reach the right audience! Contact me today to get started.
Written by Rob Miller
Founder, Creator Essentials
Rob has been on YouTube since 2016 and has worked on dozens of channels and websites, including his own, amassing hundreds of millions of views and hundreds of thousands of subscribers.
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