Welcome to The Mighty 110 YouTube SEO Ranking Factors for Customer Growth! If you're a small business owner looking to attract new customers through your YouTube channel, you're in the right place. This guide is designed specifically for those who may not have a background in marketing or technical know-how but want to make the most of YouTube to grow their business.
YouTube is an incredibly powerful tool for reaching new audiences and showcasing what your business has to offer. However, with so much content out there, it can be challenging to get your videos noticed. That’s where this guide comes in. We’ve broken down the 110 most important factors that affect how your videos are ranked on YouTube, explained in simple, easy-to-follow terms.
You don’t need to be a tech expert to start using these tips. Each factor is designed to help you optimise your videos step by step, making them easier for potential customers to find. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to improve your existing channel, these strategies will help you reach a wider audience, build stronger connections, and ultimately, grow your customer base.
Let's Delve into those 110 YouTube SEO Ranking Factors
Title
What You Need to Know: Your video title is one of the first things viewers and YouTube's algorithm see.
Why It Matters: Titles help YouTube understand the content of your video, affecting search rankings and click-through rates (CTR).
How to Optimise: Include target keywords naturally, keep it concise (60-70 characters), and ensure it's compelling.
Best Practice: Use a balance of keywords and curiosity-driven language to encourage clicks.
Ranking Factor Type: Direct
Description
What You Need to Know: The video description provides context for your video content.
Why It Matters: It helps with searchability and provides additional information for the algorithm and viewers.
How to Optimise: Use relevant keywords in the first 100-150 characters, include links to relevant content, and add a call to action.
Best Practice: Write a 200-300 word description that includes keywords naturally and provides value to the viewer.
Ranking Factor Type: Direct
Tags
What You Need to Know: Tags are keywords or phrases that categorise your video.
Why It Matters: They assist YouTube in understanding the video’s content and context, impacting where it appears in search and suggested videos.
How to Optimise: Use a mix of broad and specific keywords, including both your main keyword and related phrases.
Best Practice: Use 5-10 highly relevant tags, focusing on accuracy over quantity.
Ranking Factor Type: Direct
Thumbnail
What You Need to Know: Thumbnails are the visual preview of your video.
Why It Matters: A high-quality thumbnail can significantly increase CTR, which in turn impacts ranking.
How to Optimise: Create custom thumbnails that are clear, high-resolution, and related to the video content.
Best Practice: Use contrasting colours, readable text, and a compelling image that represents the video.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Engagement (Likes, Dislikes, Comments)
What You Need to Know: Viewer interaction is a strong indicator of video quality and relevance.
Why It Matters: Higher engagement signals to YouTube that your video is valuable, potentially boosting its ranking.
How to Optimise: Encourage viewers to like, comment, and share your videos through direct requests within the video.
Best Practice: Respond to comments to foster a community and further engagement.
Ranking Factor Type: Direct
Watch Time
What You Need to Know: The total amount of time viewers spend watching your video.
Why It Matters: Watch time is a key metric for YouTube's algorithm in determining video quality and relevance.
How to Optimise: Create engaging content that retains viewer attention throughout the video.
Best Practice: Use hooks in the first few seconds, maintain a fast-paced, engaging style, and deliver value consistently.
Ranking Factor Type: Direct
Audience Retention
What You Need to Know: The percentage of your video that viewers watch.
Why It Matters: High retention rates indicate to YouTube that your content is relevant and engaging.
How to Optimise: Keep your video concise and engaging, with clear structure and purpose.
Best Practice: Analyse retention data to identify drop-off points and adjust future content accordingly.
Ranking Factor Type: Direct
Video Quality (Resolution)
What You Need to Know: The resolution of your video (e.g., 720p, 1080p, 4K).
Why It Matters: High-definition videos are preferred by viewers and rank higher in search results.
How to Optimise: Upload videos in at least 1080p resolution.
Best Practice: Aim for the highest resolution possible within your production capabilities.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Closed Captions and Subtitles
What You Need to Know: Text overlays that transcribe spoken content.
Why It Matters: They improve accessibility and can enhance the video’s SEO through additional text for the algorithm to index.
How to Optimise: Add accurate, timed captions to all videos, and translate them where possible.
Best Practice: Use YouTube’s automatic captioning as a base, then manually correct errors.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Video Length
What You Need to Know: The duration of your video.
Why It Matters: Longer videos can provide more value, increasing watch time and retention, but only if they remain engaging.
How to Optimise: Ensure your video length matches the content’s complexity—don’t make it longer or shorter than necessary.
Best Practice: Create a balance between depth and engagement; avoid padding content.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Click-Through Rate (CTR)
What You Need to Know: The percentage of people who click on your video after seeing the thumbnail/title.
Why It Matters: A high CTR signals to YouTube that your video is compelling to viewers.
How to Optimise: Use eye-catching thumbnails and intriguing titles that promise value.
Best Practice: Monitor CTR and experiment with different thumbnail and title combinations to improve it.
Ranking Factor Type: Direct
Channel Authority
What You Need to Know: The overall strength and reputation of your channel based on historical performance.
Why It Matters: Established channels with consistent high-quality content rank better.
How to Optimise: Consistently publish valuable content, engage with your audience, and maintain a regular upload schedule.
Best Practice: Focus on building a niche and becoming a trusted source in that area.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Session Time
What You Need to Know: The total time a viewer spends on YouTube after watching your video.
Why It Matters: Videos that lead to longer session times (viewing other content) are favoured by YouTube.
How to Optimise: Create content that encourages viewers to stay on YouTube, such as series or playlists.
Best Practice: End videos with suggestions for other videos or playlists on your channel.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Video Shares
What You Need to Know: How often your video is shared on social media and other platforms.
Why It Matters: Shares can amplify your video’s reach, increasing views and engagement.
How to Optimise: Encourage sharing by creating shareable, high-value content and adding share prompts.
Best Practice: Make sharing easy with visible share buttons and occasional reminders.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
End Screens and Cards
What You Need to Know: Interactive elements that appear during or at the end of your video.
Why It Matters: They can drive further engagement and increase session time by directing viewers to more content.
How to Optimise: Use end screens to link to related videos or playlists; use cards to highlight key moments.
Best Practice: Place cards strategically where viewers might be losing interest, and use end screens to encourage a next action.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Playlists
What You Need to Know: Grouping related videos into a series or collection.
Why It Matters: Playlists can increase watch time by encouraging viewers to watch multiple videos in a row.
How to Optimise: Create playlists that guide viewers through a topic or series in a logical order.
Best Practice: Optimise playlist titles and descriptions with keywords; regularly update playlists with new content.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Video Format (e.g., Tutorials, Reviews, Vlogs)
What You Need to Know: The type of content your video represents.
Why It Matters: Different formats perform differently depending on your audience and niche.
How to Optimise: Match your content type to audience preferences and the purpose of the video.
Best Practice: Test various formats to see which resonates best with your audience and adjust your strategy accordingly.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Video Topic/Niche
What You Need to Know: The subject matter of your video.
Why It Matters: Niche topics can attract highly engaged audiences, and YouTube rewards content that appeals to specific viewer interests.
How to Optimise: Focus on a niche where you can become an authority and consistently create content around that subject.
Best Practice: Dive deep into niche topics that are underserved but have a dedicated audience.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
External Links and Embeds
What You Need to Know: When your video is linked or embedded on external websites.
Why It Matters: External links can drive traffic to your video, improving its ranking and visibility.
How to Optimise: Promote your videos through blog posts, social media, and embed them on relevant websites.
Best Practice: Partner with other content creators or websites in your niche for mutual promotion.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Frequency of Uploads
What You Need to Know: How often you upload new content to your channel.
Why It Matters: Regular uploads can keep your audience engaged and signal to YouTube that your channel is active.
How to Optimise: Set a consistent upload schedule that you can realistically maintain.
Best Practice: Aim for at least one video per week, but prioritise quality over quantity.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Viewer Demographics
What You Need to Know: The characteristics of your audience (age, location, etc.).
Why It Matters: Videos that appeal to broader or more specific demographic groups can perform better.
How to Optimise: Tailor content to the demographics most likely to engage with it.
Best Practice: Use YouTube Analytics to understand your audience demographics and adjust content accordingly.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Content Relevance
What You Need to Know: How closely your video matches the viewer’s search intent or interests.
Why It Matters: Relevant content is more likely to be recommended and ranked higher in search results.
How to Optimise: Ensure your content aligns with popular search terms and trending topics within your niche.
Best Practice: Stay updated with industry trends and incorporate relevant topics into your content strategy.
Ranking Factor Type: Direct
Use of Keywords in Video Script
What You Need to Know: The inclusion of relevant keywords in the spoken content of your video.
Why It Matters: YouTube can transcribe your video, and the presence of keywords can help with SEO.
How to Optimise: Naturally incorporate primary and secondary keywords into the dialogue.
Best Practice: Plan your script to include keywords without compromising on the natural flow of conversation.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Time of Upload
What You Need to Know: The timing of when you publish your video.
Why It Matters: Uploading at the right time can increase the likelihood of immediate engagement, boosting your video’s performance.
How to Optimise: Identify when your target audience is most active and schedule uploads accordingly.
Best Practice: Use YouTube Analytics to find the optimal upload time based on past performance.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Content Freshness
What You Need to Know: How recently your video was uploaded.
Why It Matters: YouTube often prioritises newer content, especially for trending topics.
How to Optimise: Regularly produce content on trending topics to capture timely interest.
Best Practice: Balance evergreen content with timely videos to maintain relevance.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Backlinks to Video
What You Need to Know: Links to your video from other websites.
Why It Matters: Backlinks can drive traffic and enhance your video’s credibility, influencing its ranking.
How to Optimise: Promote your videos to gain backlinks from reputable sites.
Best Practice: Create high-quality content that others want to link to, and engage in outreach to build backlinks.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Live Video Engagement
What You Need to Know: Interaction during live streams, such as chat messages, likes, and concurrent viewers.
Why It Matters: High engagement during live streams can boost your channel’s visibility and ranking.
How to Optimise: Encourage interaction during live streams by responding to comments and asking questions.
Best Practice: Plan live streams around topics of high interest to your audience and promote them in advance.
Ranking Factor Type: Direct
Viewer Behaviour Post-Watch
What You Need to Know: What viewers do after watching your video (e.g., do they subscribe, watch more content, etc.).
Why It Matters: Positive post-watch behaviour (such as subscribing or watching more videos) signals to YouTube that your content is valuable.
How to Optimise: Encourage viewers to take specific actions after watching, like subscribing or clicking on suggested videos.
Best Practice: End videos with clear calls to action and link to relevant content.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Video Embeds
What You Need to Know: Embedding your video on external websites.
Why It Matters: Embeds increase your video’s exposure and can drive additional views and engagement.
How to Optimise: Share your video with bloggers and websites relevant to your niche.
Best Practice: Ensure your video is embeddable and actively seek out opportunities to have it embedded on high-traffic sites.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
User Reports and Flags
What You Need to Know: Reports or flags from users about inappropriate or misleading content.
Why It Matters: Videos that receive multiple reports may be demoted or removed, negatively affecting your channel’s ranking.
How to Optimise: Ensure your content adheres to YouTube’s community guidelines to avoid penalties.
Best Practice: Regularly review YouTube’s policies and ensure your content complies.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Video Comments
What You Need to Know: The number and quality of comments on your video.
Why It Matters: Comments are a key engagement metric, signalling to YouTube that viewers are interacting with your content.
How to Optimise: Prompt viewers to leave comments by asking questions or encouraging discussions within the video.
Best Practice: Engage with comments regularly to foster community interaction, which can lead to more comments and engagement.
Ranking Factor Type: Direct
Channel Subscriptions Driven by the Video
What You Need to Know: The number of viewers who subscribe to your channel after watching your video.
Why It Matters: Videos that lead to subscriptions indicate strong viewer interest and satisfaction, which YouTube rewards with higher rankings.
How to Optimise: Include a clear call to action (CTA) to subscribe within your video, especially towards the end when engagement is high.
Best Practice: Use visual or verbal prompts to remind viewers to subscribe, and highlight the benefits of subscribing.
Ranking Factor Type: Direct
Video Age
What You Need to Know: The time since the video was uploaded.
Why It Matters: Older videos may lose relevance over time, but evergreen content can continue to perform well if consistently valuable.
How to Optimise: Create timeless content that remains relevant, or update older videos with new information.
Best Practice: Periodically review and refresh older videos, either by updating descriptions or re-promoting them.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Video Embedding and External Linking
What You Need to Know: The frequency with which your video is embedded on other sites and linked externally.
Why It Matters: These actions can significantly expand your reach and indicate to YouTube that your content is valuable and shareable.
How to Optimise: Encourage others to embed your video by creating content that’s valuable to their audience and easy to share.
Best Practice: Build relationships with influencers and websites in your niche to increase the chances of your video being embedded or linked.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Social Media Activity
What You Need to Know: How often your video is shared and discussed on social media platforms.
Why It Matters: Social signals can drive traffic to your video and contribute to higher visibility and engagement, which YouTube’s algorithm may take into account.
How to Optimise: Share your video across multiple social media platforms and encourage viewers to do the same.
Best Practice: Create shareable content that resonates with your target audience and is easy to share on platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Reddit.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Video Topic Popularity
What You Need to Know: The overall interest in the topic of your video at any given time.
Why It Matters: Trending topics can lead to higher search volume and increased visibility, as YouTube tends to promote content related to current interests.
How to Optimise: Create content around trending topics in your niche, but ensure it aligns with your channel’s focus.
Best Practice: Use tools like Google Trends or YouTube Trends to identify and capitalise on trending topics quickly.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Geographical Location of the Viewer
What You Need to Know: Where your viewers are located geographically.
Why It Matters: YouTube may prioritise videos based on the viewer's location, showing regionally relevant content higher in search results.
How to Optimise: If targeting a specific region, use location-specific keywords and consider creating content that appeals to that audience.
Best Practice: Analyse your audience’s geographic data in YouTube Analytics and tailor some content to match those locations.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Mobile Responsiveness
What You Need to Know: How well your video performs and appears on mobile devices.
Why It Matters: With a significant portion of YouTube traffic coming from mobile devices, mobile-friendly content is crucial for engagement and rankings.
How to Optimise: Ensure that your video is easily viewable on mobile, with clear visuals and audio that doesn’t require large screens to understand.
Best Practice: Test your videos on mobile devices before uploading to ensure optimal viewer experience.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
CTR from Notifications
What You Need to Know: The click-through rate from viewers who receive notifications about your new video.
Why It Matters: A high CTR from notifications can signal strong subscriber interest and loyalty, which YouTube values.
How to Optimise: Encourage subscribers to turn on notifications for your channel, emphasising the value of being the first to see new content.
Best Practice: Release videos at times when your audience is most active to increase the likelihood of them acting on notifications.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Video Titles in Playlists
What You Need to Know: The titles of videos within a playlist can influence how well the playlist performs.
Why It Matters: Playlists with optimised titles can rank higher in search and suggested videos, increasing overall visibility.
How to Optimise: Ensure that each video title in a playlist is optimised for SEO and clearly describes the content.
Best Practice: Create descriptive, keyword-rich titles for each video in a playlist, making the purpose of the playlist clear.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Video Chapters
What You Need to Know: Adding chapters to your video to segment it into different parts.
Why It Matters: Chapters make videos more user-friendly, allowing viewers to jump to the parts they’re most interested in, which can increase engagement and watch time.
How to Optimise: Add clear, descriptive chapter titles that accurately reflect each segment of the video.
Best Practice: Use chapters for longer videos or tutorials where viewers may want to skip to specific information.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Monetisation and Ad Placement
What You Need to Know: How monetised your video is, including the types and frequency of ads shown.
Why It Matters: While not directly affecting SEO, monetised videos with ads can impact viewer experience and engagement, which may indirectly affect rankings.
How to Optimise: Balance monetisation with viewer experience; avoid placing too many ads that could lead to higher bounce rates.
Best Practice: Choose ad placements carefully, and consider skippable ads to minimise viewer disruption.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Branding Watermark
What You Need to Know: A small image or logo placed in the corner of your video to reinforce your brand identity.
Why It Matters: Branding can enhance channel recognition and encourage subscribers, indirectly affecting your channel’s authority and video performance.
How to Optimise: Use a simple, unobtrusive watermark that doesn’t distract from the content but reinforces your brand.
Best Practice: Consistently use the same watermark across all videos to build brand recognition.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Channel Keywords
What You Need to Know: Keywords added to your channel to help YouTube understand your content’s focus.
Why It Matters: Properly set channel keywords can improve the discoverability of your videos in search results.
How to Optimise: Use relevant keywords that best describe your overall channel content and niche.
Best Practice: Update channel keywords periodically to reflect any changes in content focus or trends.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Multi-language Subtitles
What You Need to Know: Providing subtitles in multiple languages for your videos.
Why It Matters: Multi-language subtitles can increase your video’s accessibility to a global audience, potentially boosting views and engagement.
How to Optimise: Translate subtitles into languages most relevant to your audience demographics or target markets.
Best Practice: Use professional translation services to ensure accuracy, or allow community contributions if you have a dedicated international audience.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Community Tab Engagement
What You Need to Know: The level of interaction on your channel’s community tab posts.
Why It Matters: Active engagement on the community tab can enhance viewer loyalty and channel visibility, indirectly influencing video performance.
How to Optimise: Regularly post engaging content in the community tab, such as polls, behind-the-scenes updates, and previews.
Best Practice: Use the community tab to build a relationship with your audience, posting content that invites interaction and discussion.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Video Accessibility Features
What You Need to Know: Features like audio descriptions for the visually impaired and sign language interpretations.
Why It Matters: Accessibility features can broaden your audience by making content available to viewers with disabilities, potentially increasing engagement.
How to Optimise: Add accessibility features where possible, such as providing detailed audio descriptions or including sign language interpretations.
Best Practice: Consider accessibility during video production to make your content more inclusive and potentially reach a wider audience.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
In-video Product Links
What You Need to Know: Links to products mentioned or featured in the video.
Why It Matters: While primarily for monetisation, product links can drive additional engagement and provide value to viewers, influencing viewer satisfaction and retention.
How to Optimise: Clearly present product links within the video or in the description, ensuring they are relevant and not intrusive.
Best Practice: Use affiliate links where appropriate and provide honest recommendations to build trust with your audience.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Collaborations and Guest Appearances
What You Need to Know: Featuring other content creators or guests in your videos.
Why It Matters: Collaborations can introduce your channel to new audiences and increase viewer engagement.
How to Optimise: Collaborate with creators who share a similar audience or niche to maximise the benefit.
Best Practice: Plan collaborations strategically, ensuring that the guest brings value to the content and aligns with your brand.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
YouTube Stories
What You Need to Know: Short, temporary videos that can be viewed on your channel.
Why It Matters: YouTube Stories can drive engagement and keep your audience engaged between longer video uploads.
How to Optimise: Use Stories to promote new videos, share quick updates, or offer behind-the-scenes content.
Best Practice: Post regularly but avoid overwhelming your audience with too many Stories.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
YouTube Algorithm Updates
What You Need to Know: YouTube frequently updates its algorithm, which can affect how videos are ranked and recommended.
Why It Matters: Keeping up with algorithm changes is crucial for maintaining or improving your video rankings and adapting your strategies accordingly.
How to Optimise: Stay informed about algorithm updates by following YouTube’s official announcements and industry news.
Best Practice: Be flexible and ready to adjust your content strategy based on changes in the algorithm, focusing on consistently delivering value to your audience.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Channel Trailer Engagement
What You Need to Know: The performance and engagement level of your channel trailer, which is often the first video new visitors see.
Why It Matters: A high-engagement trailer can lead to more subscriptions and signal to YouTube that your channel is attractive to new viewers.
How to Optimise: Create a concise, engaging trailer that introduces your channel’s value proposition and encourages viewers to subscribe.
Best Practice: Keep the trailer under 60 seconds, highlight your best content, and include a strong call to action.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Audio Quality
What You Need to Know: The clarity and quality of your video’s audio.
Why It Matters: Poor audio quality can lead to viewer drop-off, negatively affecting watch time and engagement, which are crucial ranking factors.
How to Optimise: Invest in a good microphone, reduce background noise, and ensure clear, crisp audio in your videos.
Best Practice: Test your audio before recording, and consider using post-production software to enhance sound quality.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Use of Analytics
What You Need to Know: Regularly reviewing YouTube Analytics to understand your video’s performance.
Why It Matters: Analysing performance data helps you identify what’s working and what needs improvement, allowing you to optimise future content.
How to Optimise: Track key metrics such as watch time, audience retention, and engagement rates.
Best Practice: Use analytics to make data-driven decisions and continually refine your content strategy.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Video Sharing Within YouTube
What You Need to Know: The frequency with which your video is shared directly within YouTube, such as via the "Share" button.
Why It Matters: Internal shares can increase your video’s exposure and signal to YouTube that your content is worth recommending to others.
How to Optimise: Encourage viewers to share your video with others directly on YouTube, especially if the content is particularly useful or entertaining.
Best Practice: Add a call to action asking viewers to share the video if they found it valuable.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Content Consistency
What You Need to Know: Maintaining a consistent style, tone, and subject matter across your videos.
Why It Matters: Consistency helps in building a loyal audience, which can lead to better viewer retention and higher engagement over time.
How to Optimise: Develop a content plan that ensures regular uploads with consistent themes and styles.
Best Practice: Stick to a defined niche or theme that resonates with your audience and maintain a regular upload schedule.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Content Originality
What You Need to Know: Creating unique, original content rather than copying or reusing content from others.
Why It Matters: Original content is more likely to engage viewers and can set your channel apart from others, leading to higher rankings.
How to Optimise: Focus on producing fresh, original ideas that provide unique value to your audience.
Best Practice: Regularly brainstorm new content ideas and stay informed about trends to inspire originality while maintaining relevance.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
YouTube Shorts Engagement
What You Need to Know: Performance of short-form content (YouTube Shorts), including views, likes, and shares.
Why It Matters: YouTube is increasingly promoting Shorts, and high engagement here can boost your channel's overall visibility.
How to Optimise: Create attention-grabbing, concise Shorts that align with your channel’s theme and encourage quick interactions.
Best Practice: Use Shorts to highlight key moments, share quick tips, or provide teasers for longer content.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Viewer Sentiment (Likes vs. Dislikes)
What You Need to Know: The ratio of likes to dislikes on your videos.
Why It Matters: A higher ratio of likes can indicate positive viewer sentiment, which YouTube may consider when ranking your videos.
How to Optimise: Focus on creating content that resonates positively with your audience to maximise likes and minimise dislikes.
Best Practice: Encourage viewers to like the video if they found it helpful or enjoyable, and use feedback from dislikes to improve future content.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Channel Playlists
What You Need to Know: The creation and optimisation of playlists on your channel.
Why It Matters: Playlists can increase watch time and viewer engagement by encouraging viewers to watch multiple videos in succession.
How to Optimise: Group related videos into thematic playlists and ensure each playlist has a clear title and description.
Best Practice: Update playlists regularly with new content and promote them within your videos and on your channel page.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Channel Tags
What You Need to Know: Tags that describe your channel’s content as a whole.
Why It Matters: Properly optimised channel tags can help YouTube categorise your content and improve discoverability.
How to Optimise: Use relevant and specific keywords that reflect your channel’s main topics and themes.
Best Practice: Periodically review and update your channel tags to align with your evolving content strategy.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Video Publishing Consistency
What You Need to Know: Regularity and timing of your video uploads.
Why It Matters: Consistent publishing schedules help build audience expectations and can lead to better engagement and loyalty.
How to Optimise: Choose a realistic upload schedule that you can maintain consistently.
Best Practice: Stick to a specific day and time for uploads, so your audience knows when to expect new content.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Influencer and External Channel Collaboration
What You Need to Know: Collaborating with influencers or external channels to create joint content.
Why It Matters: Collaborations can expose your channel to a broader audience and increase engagement through shared viewership.
How to Optimise: Partner with influencers or channels that have a similar audience demographic and content style.
Best Practice: Plan collaborative content that provides value to both audiences and promotes cross-channel engagement.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
YouTube Premieres Engagement
What You Need to Know: The use of YouTube Premieres to launch new videos with a scheduled live viewing.
Why It Matters: Premieres can build anticipation and encourage immediate engagement through live chat and real-time viewing.
How to Optimise: Promote your Premiere in advance and engage with viewers during the live chat to maximise interaction.
Best Practice: Use Premieres for special content, such as major announcements, series launches, or highly anticipated videos.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Cross-promotion on Other Platforms
What You Need to Know: Sharing your YouTube videos across other social media and digital platforms.
Why It Matters: Cross-promotion can drive additional traffic to your videos, increasing views, engagement, and potentially boosting rankings.
How to Optimise: Share your videos on platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, tailoring the message to each audience.
Best Practice: Create platform-specific content snippets to entice viewers to watch the full video on YouTube.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) Beyond YouTube
What You Need to Know: Optimising your video to rank in search engines like Google, in addition to YouTube.
Why It Matters: Videos that rank well on Google can drive significant traffic to your YouTube content.
How to Optimise: Use SEO best practices for video titles, descriptions, and tags, ensuring that they are optimised for Google as well as YouTube.
Best Practice: Conduct keyword research for both YouTube and Google, and include relevant terms in your metadata.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Content Virality
What You Need to Know: The potential for your video to go viral, gaining rapid and widespread attention.
Why It Matters: Viral content can dramatically increase views and engagement, leading to higher rankings in a short period.
How to Optimise: Create content with mass appeal, incorporating elements that encourage sharing, such as humour, emotion, or trending topics.
Best Practice: Monitor trends and social conversations to identify opportunities for viral content, and be prepared to capitalise on these quickly.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Interactive Polls and Surveys
What You Need to Know: Including polls or surveys in your video or through YouTube’s community features.
Why It Matters: Interactive elements can boost engagement and provide valuable insights into viewer preferences.
How to Optimise: Incorporate polls and surveys that are relevant to your video content or channel theme.
Best Practice: Use the results from polls and surveys to inform future content decisions and show your audience that their input is valued.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Content Teasers and Trailers
What You Need to Know: Short promotional videos or clips that tease upcoming content.
Why It Matters: Teasers and trailers can build anticipation and encourage viewers to return for the full video, increasing engagement.
How to Optimise: Release teasers a few days before the full video and use compelling, high-energy content to attract attention.
Best Practice: Make teasers shareable and use them to highlight the most exciting or valuable parts of the upcoming content.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Audience Feedback Implementation
What You Need to Know: Listening to and implementing feedback from your audience.
Why It Matters: Showing that you value and act on audience feedback can improve viewer loyalty and engagement, indirectly boosting rankings.
How to Optimise: Regularly ask for feedback in comments or through polls, and make visible changes based on this feedback.
Best Practice: Acknowledge viewer suggestions and credit them where possible when implementing changes.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
YouTube Channel Age
What You Need to Know: The age of your YouTube channel since it was created.
Why It Matters: Older channels often have more authority and trust, both from viewers and YouTube’s algorithm, potentially boosting video rankings.
How to Optimise: Focus on building a strong history of consistent, high-quality content over time.
Best Practice: While new channels should work on rapid growth, established channels should maintain consistency and leverage their history.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Completion Rate of Videos
What You Need to Know: The percentage of viewers who watch your video from start to finish.
Why It Matters: High completion rates indicate that your content is engaging and relevant, which YouTube’s algorithm favours.
How to Optimise: Create compelling intros and maintain a narrative that encourages viewers to watch until the end.
Best Practice: Analyse where viewers drop off and refine your content to keep engagement high throughout the entire video.
Ranking Factor Type: Direct
Content Delivery Pace
What You Need to Know: The speed at which information and content are delivered in your video.
Why It Matters: The pace can affect viewer retention; too slow, and viewers might lose interest, too fast, and they may become overwhelmed.
How to Optimise: Match the pace of your content delivery to the complexity of the topic and the preferences of your audience.
Best Practice: Use audience feedback and analytics to find the optimal pace for your content.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Use of Calls to Action (CTAs)
What You Need to Know: Direct prompts within your video that encourage viewers to take specific actions, such as liking, commenting, or subscribing.
Why It Matters: Effective CTAs can significantly increase engagement, driving higher rankings.
How to Optimise: Integrate CTAs naturally within the video at points where viewer engagement is high.
Best Practice: Use a mix of verbal, visual, and text-based CTAs, but avoid overwhelming the viewer with too many requests.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Video Title and Description Language
What You Need to Know: The language used in your video title and description.
Why It Matters: The language of your title and description can affect how your video is indexed and discovered by users who speak that language.
How to Optimise: Tailor your title and description language to the primary language of your target audience.
Best Practice: Consider providing translations or multilingual descriptions if your audience is international.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Channel Engagement Rate
What You Need to Know: The overall engagement rate across all videos on your channel.
Why It Matters: A high channel-wide engagement rate can enhance the ranking potential of all videos on your channel.
How to Optimise: Foster engagement by creating content that resonates with your audience and encourages interaction.
Best Practice: Monitor engagement metrics regularly and adjust your content strategy to improve overall interaction.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Video Response Time to Trends
What You Need to Know: How quickly you produce and release videos in response to current trends or news.
Why It Matters: Timely content can capitalise on current search trends, increasing visibility and engagement.
How to Optimise: Stay alert to trending topics in your niche and be ready to produce relevant content quickly.
Best Practice: Balance speed with quality; ensure that your response videos are well-produced despite the quick turnaround.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Viewer Retention Time
What You Need to Know: The average amount of time viewers spend watching your video.
Why It Matters: Higher retention time signals to YouTube that your content is engaging and relevant, which can boost rankings.
How to Optimise: Use strong hooks at the beginning of your video and maintain a consistent level of interest throughout.
Best Practice: Regularly review retention analytics to identify and address any segments of your videos that cause drop-offs.
Ranking Factor Type: Direct
YouTube Search Suggestion Visibility
What You Need to Know: How often your video appears in YouTube’s search suggestions as users type in search queries.
Why It Matters: Being suggested by YouTube’s search feature can significantly increase video views and engagement.
How to Optimise: Optimise your video titles and descriptions with keywords that match commonly searched phrases.
Best Practice: Use YouTube’s auto-suggest feature during keyword research to find relevant search terms.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Video Output Frequency
What You Need to Know: The frequency with which you produce and upload new videos to your channel.
Why It Matters: A regular and frequent upload schedule can keep your audience engaged and signal to YouTube that your channel is active.
How to Optimise: Set a realistic schedule for video uploads and stick to it consistently.
Best Practice: Consider quality over quantity; don’t sacrifice the quality of your content for the sake of frequency.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Engagement with Video Annotations
What You Need to Know: Interaction with any annotations or interactive elements (like cards) within your video.
Why It Matters: Engagement with annotations can enhance the viewer experience and extend session time on your channel.
How to Optimise: Place annotations strategically to guide viewers to additional content or encourage interaction.
Best Practice: Use annotations sparingly to avoid cluttering the video, and make sure they are relevant and non-intrusive.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Video Updates and Re-publishing
What You Need to Know: Refreshing or updating older videos and re-publishing them.
Why It Matters: Updating videos can give them new life, improve relevance, and boost rankings, especially for evergreen content.
How to Optimise: Revise outdated information, update descriptions, and re-promote the video as a refreshed resource.
Best Practice: Highlight updates in the video title or description to attract both new and returning viewers.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Seasonal Content Timing
What You Need to Know: Aligning your video content with seasonal trends and holidays.
Why It Matters: Seasonal content can attract more views during specific times of the year, enhancing engagement and visibility.
How to Optimise: Plan your content calendar to include videos relevant to upcoming holidays, events, or seasons.
Best Practice: Re-promote seasonal content annually, updating it as necessary to maintain relevance.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Video Impact on Channel Growth
What You Need to Know: The contribution of individual videos to overall channel growth, including subscribers gained.
Why It Matters: Videos that significantly boost channel growth can positively influence the ranking of future content.
How to Optimise: Analyse which types of videos attract the most subscribers and create more of that content.
Best Practice: Focus on replicating the success of high-impact videos while experimenting with new content ideas.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Video Transcription Quality
What You Need to Know: The accuracy and quality of transcriptions provided for your video.
Why It Matters: Accurate transcriptions can improve accessibility, viewer engagement, and SEO, indirectly boosting video rankings.
How to Optimise: Manually review and correct YouTube’s auto-generated transcriptions or upload your own accurate subtitles.
Best Practice: Provide transcriptions in multiple languages if your audience is international.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Video Information Cards
What You Need to Know: Interactive elements that can provide additional information or direct viewers to other content within the video.
Why It Matters: Proper use of information cards can increase viewer interaction and keep them on your channel longer.
How to Optimise: Place cards at points in the video where they are most relevant and likely to be clicked.
Best Practice: Use cards to link to related videos or playlists, enhancing the viewer’s journey through your content.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Content Monetisation Strategy
What You Need to Know: The way in which you monetise your content, such as through ads, sponsorships, or product placements.
Why It Matters: While monetisation itself doesn’t directly affect rankings, the way it’s implemented can impact viewer experience and engagement.
How to Optimise: Balance monetisation efforts with viewer experience; avoid overwhelming your audience with ads.
Best Practice: Choose ad placements that are least disruptive and consider other revenue streams like sponsorships that add value to the content.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Viewer Device Types
What You Need to Know: The types of devices your viewers use to watch your videos (e.g., mobile, desktop, tablet).
Why It Matters: Understanding device usage can help you optimise content delivery and engagement strategies.
How to Optimise: Ensure your content is mobile-friendly, as a large percentage of YouTube views come from mobile devices.
Best Practice: Use analytics to tailor content for the most common devices your audience uses.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
YouTube Membership and Monetisation Features
What You Need to Know: Utilising YouTube’s membership and monetisation features like Super Chat, channel memberships, and merch shelves.
Why It Matters: Active use of these features can enhance community engagement and create a more dedicated viewer base, indirectly affecting rankings.
How to Optimise: Promote these features during your videos and make them appealing by offering exclusive content or perks.
Best Practice: Regularly remind your audience of membership benefits and keep the perks enticing to maintain engagement.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
YouTube Studio Utilisation
What You Need to Know: Effectively using YouTube Studio tools for video management, analytics, and optimisation.
Why It Matters: Proper use of YouTube Studio can provide valuable insights that help you refine your content strategy for better rankings.
How to Optimise: Regularly review YouTube Studio analytics to track performance and adjust your content strategy accordingly.
Best Practice: Use YouTube Studio’s features like end screen templates, metadata editors, and audience insights to optimise your videos.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
YouTube Algorithm Personalisation
What You Need to Know: YouTube's algorithm personalises content recommendations based on individual user behaviour, preferences, and viewing history.
Why It Matters: Personalised recommendations can significantly increase your video’s visibility to the right audience, enhancing engagement and retention.
How to Optimise: Create content that appeals to your target audience’s preferences and is likely to be favoured by the algorithm.
Best Practice: Study your audience’s behaviour using YouTube Analytics and tailor your content to align with their viewing patterns.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Upload Time and Day
What You Need to Know: The specific time and day you upload your video can affect its initial performance, which in turn can influence its overall ranking.
Why It Matters: Uploading at optimal times can lead to higher initial views and engagement, which YouTube’s algorithm may reward with better ranking.
How to Optimise: Analyse your audience’s active times and schedule uploads accordingly to maximise initial exposure.
Best Practice: Use YouTube Analytics to determine when your audience is most active and consistently upload at those times.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Video File Name
What You Need to Know: The name of the video file before it’s uploaded to YouTube.
Why It Matters: Although a minor factor, having a keyword-rich file name can provide additional context to YouTube’s algorithm.
How to Optimise: Include relevant keywords in the video file name using a hyphen between each word (e.g., "how-to-make-pasta.mp4").
Best Practice: Always name your video files descriptively and with SEO in mind before uploading them to YouTube.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Video Format and Codec
What You Need to Know: The technical specifications of the video file, such as format (e.g., MP4) and codec (e.g., H.264).
Why It Matters: The right format and codec can affect video quality and load times, which can impact viewer retention and satisfaction.
How to Optimise: Use recommended formats (e.g., MP4) and codecs (e.g., H.264) to ensure optimal quality and compatibility.
Best Practice: Follow YouTube’s guidelines for video format and encoding to avoid technical issues that could negatively impact viewer experience.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Video Description Links
What You Need to Know: Including links in your video description to other relevant content or resources.
Why It Matters: Links can drive traffic to related content and encourage longer session times, which may indirectly boost rankings.
How to Optimise: Include links to related videos, playlists, or external resources that provide additional value to the viewer.
Best Practice: Make sure your links are relevant, useful, and clearly labelled in the video description.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Subscriber Notifications
What You Need to Know: When subscribers have enabled notifications for your channel, they receive alerts when you upload new content.
Why It Matters: Notifications can drive immediate traffic and engagement, which can positively impact your video’s initial ranking.
How to Optimise: Encourage your subscribers to turn on notifications by explaining the benefits within your videos.
Best Practice: Remind viewers to click the notification bell in your videos, particularly at the end or during high engagement moments.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Channel Branding Elements
What You Need to Know: Consistent use of branding elements like logos, colour schemes, and channel art across your content.
Why It Matters: Strong branding can improve viewer recognition and loyalty, indirectly affecting engagement and watch time.
How to Optimise: Ensure that your channel art, thumbnails, and video intros/outros reflect your brand consistently.
Best Practice: Develop a cohesive branding strategy that is reflected in all visual elements of your channel.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
User Session Starts
What You Need to Know: The role your video plays in starting a user’s session on YouTube.
Why It Matters: Videos that frequently start user sessions may be favoured by YouTube’s algorithm, as they drive traffic to the platform.
How to Optimise: Create engaging content that viewers want to start their YouTube sessions with, such as morning routines or news updates.
Best Practice: Promote your videos at times when viewers are likely to be beginning their YouTube viewing session.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Viewer Watch History Influence
What You Need to Know: YouTube recommends content based on a user’s watch history.
Why It Matters: If your video aligns with a viewer’s past behaviour, it is more likely to be recommended, leading to increased views.
How to Optimise: Tailor your content to fit the viewing patterns and preferences of your target audience.
Best Practice: Create playlists or series that encourage viewers to watch similar content on your channel, influencing their watch history.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Video Optimisation for Auto-Play
What You Need to Know: The preparation of your video to perform well when auto-played, such as in playlists or YouTube’s homepage.
Why It Matters: Auto-played videos often have higher retention if they capture attention quickly, boosting engagement metrics.
How to Optimise: Start your video with engaging visuals or hooks that capture attention immediately, even without sound.
Best Practice: Optimise the first few seconds of your video to be visually compelling and engaging, anticipating that it may auto-play.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Relevancy to Current Events
What You Need to Know: Creating content that is timely and relevant to current events or popular discussions.
Why It Matters: Timely content can attract more immediate views and engagement, potentially leading to higher rankings.
How to Optimise: Monitor news and trends, and create videos that offer insights or commentary on current events.
Best Practice: Ensure that your content adds value to the conversation around current events, rather than simply capitalising on trends.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Video Metadata Freshness
What You Need to Know: Regularly updating your video’s metadata, including titles, descriptions, and tags, to reflect current trends or improved SEO.
Why It Matters: Fresh metadata can help maintain or improve your video’s relevance and ranking over time.
How to Optimise: Periodically review and update your video’s metadata to include new keywords or more accurate descriptions.
Best Practice: Set reminders to revisit older videos and update their metadata as necessary to keep them optimised.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Content Collaboration with Brands
What You Need to Know: Partnering with brands to create sponsored content or collaborative videos.
Why It Matters: Collaborations with well-known brands can increase your channel’s credibility and attract new viewers.
How to Optimise: Select brand partnerships that align with your channel’s niche and audience interests.
Best Practice: Ensure that any sponsored content is transparently labelled and adds genuine value to your audience.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Viewer Engagement with Playlists
What You Need to Know: How viewers interact with your playlists, including how many videos they watch in a row.
Why It Matters: High engagement with playlists can increase session duration, which YouTube favours in its ranking algorithm.
How to Optimise: Curate playlists that logically flow from one video to the next, encouraging viewers to continue watching.
Best Practice: Regularly update playlists to keep them relevant and include your most engaging content.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Comment Moderation
What You Need to Know: Actively managing and moderating comments on your videos to maintain a positive community.
Why It Matters: A well-moderated comment section can improve viewer experience and encourage more interaction, indirectly boosting engagement metrics.
How to Optimise: Set up filters to catch inappropriate comments and engage with your audience in the comment section.
Best Practice: Respond to comments regularly to build community and use moderation tools to keep the discussion constructive.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Real-time Engagement During Upload
What You Need to Know: The engagement your video receives immediately after it’s uploaded, such as likes, comments, and shares.
Why It Matters: High engagement during the initial period can boost your video’s ranking, as YouTube’s algorithm responds to early signals.
How to Optimise: Promote your video as soon as it’s uploaded and encourage your audience to engage immediately.
Best Practice: Use social media, email newsletters, and community posts to drive initial engagement and create a buzz around the video’s release.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Adaptation to Content Seasons
What You Need to Know: Adjusting your content strategy to align with different content seasons (e.g., holidays, back-to-school, summer trends).
Why It Matters: Content that aligns with seasonal trends can experience spikes in views and engagement, leading to better rankings.
How to Optimise: Plan your content calendar around key seasons and events, tailoring your content to what’s relevant at the time.
Best Practice: Create content series or themes that can be revisited each season, such as holiday gift guides or summer fitness tips.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Engagement with YouTube Community Features
What You Need to Know: Active use of YouTube’s community features like polls, text posts, and image posts.
Why It Matters: Community engagement can increase overall channel activity and viewer loyalty, indirectly supporting video rankings.
How to Optimise: Regularly post in the community tab to keep your audience engaged and informed about upcoming content.
Best Practice: Use community posts to gather feedback, share updates, and create anticipation for future videos.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Channel and Video Cross-Promotion
What You Need to Know: Promoting your videos on other YouTube channels, either through collaborations or paid promotions.
Why It Matters: Cross-promotion can bring in new viewers who are already interested in similar content, increasing views and engagement.
How to Optimise: Collaborate with channels that share a similar audience demographic and content style.
Best Practice: Plan cross-promotions strategically to coincide with content that is particularly engaging or important to your channel’s growth.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
Interactive Elements in Live Streams
What You Need to Know: The use of interactive elements like polls, Q&A sessions, and shoutouts during live streams.
Why It Matters: High interaction during live streams can boost engagement metrics, encouraging YouTube to promote the stream more widely.
How to Optimise: Integrate interactive features that engage viewers and encourage participation throughout the live stream.
Best Practice: Prepare interactive elements in advance and use them at key moments during the live stream to maintain viewer interest.
Ranking Factor Type: Indirect
The Mighty YouTube Ranking Factors Conclusion
Congratulations on reaching the end of The Mighty 110 YouTube SEO Ranking Factors for Customer Growth! By now, you should have a solid understanding of the various ways you can optimise your YouTube channel to attract and retain customers. The best part is that you don’t need to be a marketing expert to make a real impact. By following the straightforward tips and strategies outlined in this guide, you can gradually improve your video rankings and increase your channel's visibility.
Remember, success on YouTube doesn’t happen overnight. It’s about consistency, patience, and a willingness to learn and adapt as you go. Start by implementing a few of the simpler strategies, and as you become more comfortable, incorporate more of the advanced techniques. Every small improvement can make a big difference in how your videos perform and how many new customers you attract.
YouTube offers an incredible opportunity for small businesses to reach a broader audience and grow. With the knowledge you’ve gained from this guide, you’re well on your way to making your channel a powerful asset for your business. Keep creating, keep optimising, and watch as your YouTube efforts lead to real, tangible growth for your business.
Thank you for trusting this guide to help you on your journey to success on YouTube. Here’s to growing your business, one video at a time!