Google YouTube Creator Playbook Guide Version 2 - Manual (Page 40)

YouTube is the world’s 2nd largest search engine; optimize your video
to take advantage of this fact. Metadata is the information that
surrounds your video: Title, Tags, Description, Thumbnail. This set of
data informs the YouTube algorithm of a video’s content, indexing it for
search, features, related videos, and ad-serving.
Title
•
Compelling
•
Keywords first
•
Branding at end
•
Accurately represents content
Description
•
Optimize the first 1-2 sentences
•
Most compelling info first
•
Include keywords, links
•
Channel description, helpful information
Tags
•
Mix of common & specific
•
Ordering
•
Variations and enough to fully describe content
•
Use quotes for keyword phrases: “short film”
40
Metadata
Metadata as Packaging
Metadata can also be used as packaging or rebranding a video. Adding
in relevant keywords to the title of an archive video can help you
repurpose the content for new search trends, or tent-pole events.
Publishing & Optimization
Optimization Tips Overview
(See appendix for keyword resources)
Remember that it is a violation of YouTube Terms of
Service to use misleading metadata on your videos