Getting more organic views on YouTube doesn’t have to be a guessing game. While viral views are unpredictable, views from search are incredibly consistent and reliable. This is how we helped successful creators like Noelle Randall, Brent Bowers, and Doug rise to the top. They’re all there because their videos appear prominently in search results, driving more organic views. In this article, I’ll break down the exact tactics we use to make that happen for any YouTube channel.
The “Leaf” Strategy: A Tree Analogy for YouTube Success
To understand this strategy, let me introduce you to my “tree analogy.” Picture a tree with a strong trunk, branches, and leaves. Here’s how it works:
- The Trunk: This represents your core area of expertise.
- The Branches: These are the different categories of expertise you cover.
- The Leaves: These are specific, searchable questions that your target audience is asking.
When creating content, focus not on broad trunk topics or wide branches, but on the leaves — the specific questions people are typing into Google or YouTube. These questions (also known as “leaf titles”) should be the foundation of your video topics.
Examples of “Leaf Titles”
- Nutrition: “How to calculate the nutritional value of a recipe?” or “How to carry nutrition during a marathon?”
- Human Resources: “How to improve recruitment and selection processes?” or “How to restructure a company to increase profits?”
- Motivation: “How to overcome lack of motivation to exercise?” or “How to get motivated to clean when depressed?”
These questions are real, they’re being searched for by your target audience every single month. And to find these questions, I recommend using a tool like the Keyword Magic Tool. It’s essential for discovering these types of “leaf” questions in any niche.
How to Use the Keyword Magic Tool
For instance, let’s say you’re a tutor and you’re looking to attract students for SAT prep. By entering “SAT prep” into the Keyword Magic Tool, you’ll find leaf titles like:
- “How many hours of SAT prep do I need?”
- “How much does SAT prep raise your score?”
- “What’s the best online SAT prep course?”
This tool helps you continuously find relevant video ideas that will drive search traffic. No more worrying about what to create next!
The 5 Ingredients of the Leaf Strategy
Now, let’s dive deeper into the 5 ingredients that make the Leaf Strategy so effective.
1. Choose Your Target Branch
You need to focus on one branch at a time. The branch you choose should contain your target audience. Once you’ve identified that branch, find all the specific questions (leaves) related to that branch.
For example, I did some research for Noelle Randall, a real estate investor educator. I found two branches: one focused on “real estate investor finds” and the other on “real estate investor becomes.” The latter branch — “becomes” — was clearly the better fit for Noelle’s audience. It’s essential to keep refining your target branch until you find the best one.
2. Film Every Leaf on Your Chosen Branch
Once you’ve identified your branch, you need to film videos for every leaf in that branch. Ideally, aim for at least 20 videos on a branch, but if the branch has 50 leaves, even better! This gives you more content to appear for each search term, increasing your chances of being discovered.
3. Create a Lead Magnet Video
Alongside your leaf videos, create one lead magnet video — a highly valuable video that will entice viewers to watch more of your content. Each of your leaf videos should then encourage viewers to watch the lead magnet video next.
4. Perfect Your Talking Head Videos
The best-performing videos are “talking head” videos, where you’re looking directly into the camera, engaging your audience with eye contact. Keep your videos between 8-12 minutes, use an outline (not a script), and include curiosity hooks at the start to keep viewers watching to the end. Always use custom thumbnails, and ensure your call-to-action directs viewers to the next video in your funnel.
5. Launch 1 to 7 Episodes Per Week
How many videos should you publish? That depends on your goals. If you want to dominate 1-2 branches, publishing one video per week is enough. But if you want to expand your reach and dominate 7-15 branches over a year, aim for publishing 7 videos a week. The more videos you release, the faster you’ll grow and dominate multiple branches.
Bonus Tip: The 3-Video YouTube Funnel for Lead Generation
To take your YouTube strategy even further, implement a 3-video funnel for lead generation. This funnel structure will guide your audience through a progression of videos that ultimately leads them to a conversion, such as signing up for your email list or purchasing a product.
