If you’re looking to make your videos show up at the top of YouTube search, you’re in the right place. Today, I’ll walk you through exactly how to do it, and I promise you, if you follow these steps, you’ll see results—often as soon as tomorrow.
I manage over 50 different YouTube channels, and all of them consistently rank at the top of YouTube search. So, let’s dive in and I’ll show you how we do it.
The Key to YouTube SEO: Do the Work Before You Film
One of the biggest mistakes I see people make is thinking they can film a video and then apply SEO to it afterward to magically make it rank. It’s simply not the case anymore. If you’re not ranking on YouTube, this could be why.
Here’s the truth: You need to do your SEO research before you even hit the record button. Gone are the days when you could upload a video and rely on keywords to push it up in search results. You have to set yourself up for success from the very beginning.
Step 1: Keyword Research is Critical
Let’s say you’re an expert on productivity and you’ve filmed a fantastic video about it. The next logical step is to figure out how to optimise that video to get more views, right? But here’s the problem: you can’t just do generic keyword research and slap any keyword into the video title.
For example, let’s say you find two questions your audience is asking:
- What can increase productivity in a dental office?
- How to improve productivity on a construction site?
If you’re making a general video about productivity, neither of these questions will work as the title. Why? Because one is targeting dental offices and the other, construction sites. You need to find a way to tailor your content so it matches a specific question people are already asking. This is what will get you ranked at the top.
The key takeaway here is that you must do the keyword research before you film your video. Find out exactly what your audience is searching for and ensure your video answers that question. Only then should you film your content, speaking directly to that specific audience.
Step 2: Look at Successful Examples
Let me show you some real-world examples of YouTube channels that are doing this well.
Take Nicole Espinosa’s channel, for example. She ranks at the top for the query “pre foreclosure cold calling objections”. The same goes for Ted Thomas, Dan Good, Loral Langemeier, and Chris Miles, who all dominate in their respective fields.
By focusing on what their audience is searching for and crafting content around those queries, they consistently rank high in YouTube search results. This strategy works, and it’s why their channels get so much visibility.
Step 3: How This Strategy Works Behind the Scenes
Let’s take a look behind the scenes at some YouTube channels that are seeing success with this approach.
Jay Townsend helps people win elections and run political campaigns. Over the past 28 days, his channel has had over 5,200 views from YouTube search alone. That’s 5,200 people who’ve never heard of Jay before—who found him through YouTube search. This is powerful.
And if we look at external traffic sources, like Google search, Jay’s channel received an additional 1,086 views. That’s a huge win for his business.
Next, let’s look at Nicholeen Peck. She makes videos on parenting, like how to get your kids to listen without yelling. In the past 28 days, her channel has had more than 28,000 views from YouTube search, plus another 9,643 views from Google search. Talk about leveraging SEO for success!
Finally, Jason Schroeder works in the construction industry. His channel has had 28,000 views from YouTube search in just the last 28 days. Combine that with 12,000 views from Google search, and you can see the power of search engine optimisation when you get it right.
Step 4: The Strategy You Need to Implement
Now that you understand the power of getting your videos to rank in YouTube search, it’s time to take action. Start by doing your keyword research and filming videos that answer the very specific questions your audience is asking. Make sure your video titles match those queries exactly.
Then, create a content plan that focuses on driving traffic to your videos, and ensure that your videos point to other related content. The more your videos get watched, the more YouTube will promote them in search results.
One more thing: I’ve created another video, called YouTube SEO: The Leaf Strategy, where I go over the tactical steps you need to take to really optimise your content. I highly recommend you watch that video next if you want to learn even more.
By implementing these strategies, you’ll start seeing results fast—and you’ll be well on your way to dominating YouTube search in your niche. So, get started today, and watch your views soar.
