YouTube SEO: How to Rank Higher and Grow Your Channel

Step 1: Start with the Right Keyword

Everything begins with the keyword. It's the foundation of solid YouTube SEO. A good keyword should ideally have:

• High search volume
• Low to medium competition
• Relevance to your audience

To find these golden keywords, I use a tool called VidIQ. You can check it out VidIQ here.

For example, for this article, I focused on the keyword YouTube SEO. It's a competitive term, but it has strong search volume, making it a solid choice.

I like to dig deeper by looking at related keywords, trending phrases, and even questions people are asking. You might find that something with lower search volume but super-specific intent can perform incredibly well—especially if it directly speaks to your niche.

Step 2: Validate with Real YouTube Data

Once I’ve found a promising keyword, I head over to YouTube and type it into the search bar. What I’m looking for is how the existing content is performing. Are the top videos getting tens of thousands—or even hundreds of thousands—of views? If so, great! That means there’s interest.

Thanks to tools like VidIQ, I can even see metrics like views per hour, which tells me how actively people are watching certain videos. For example, if I see a video pulling in 72 views per hour, that’s a strong indicator of a hot topic.

Sometimes I’ll get video ideas just from doing this. Maybe there’s a longer tutorial or a Q&A-style video I could make as a follow-up.

Step 3: Optimize Your Video Content (The Smart Way)

Now that I’ve picked my keyword, it’s time to record. But YouTube SEO isn’t just about titles and tags anymore. The algorithm is smarter than ever—it reads your transcript, captions, and even listens to what you’re saying. So I always try to naturally include my main keywords in the actual script of the video.

For example, I’ll say things like:

“In this video, I’m going to show you how to rank using YouTube SEO and keyword research tools.”

This helps YouTube understand what your video is about, and it reinforces that you're providing relevant content.

Step 4: Don’t Sleep on the Description

Thumbnails and titles are for your viewers—but descriptions? That’s where you write for the algorithm.

I still believe in the power of a well-optimized video description. It might feel like “old school SEO,” but guess what? It works.

Take my Simple Man Guitar Lesson video as an example. It’s pulled in over 1.1 million views—most of that traffic came straight from YouTube and Google search. I made sure to include the exact keyword ("Simple Man guitar lesson") naturally in the description, in the chapters, and even in the file name when possible.

You don’t want to keyword-stuff, but including your main keyword 3-4 times in a natural way can go a long way.

Step 5: Pay Attention to Results (and Keep Tweaking)

Once your video is live, keep an eye on how it’s performing. Are you getting search traffic? What’s your click-through rate? How’s the average view duration? All these metrics tell you how your video is doing—and whether your YouTube SEO is working.

And remember: just because you hit #1 doesn’t mean you’ll stay there forever. The algorithm changes, new videos get posted, and competition evolves. But that’s okay! Keep making valuable content, optimizing smartly, and learning from what works.

Bonus Tip: Use the Right Tools

If you’re serious about growing your YouTube channel, a tool like Vid IQ is a game changer. It helps with keyword research, title suggestions, competitor analysis, and more. And no, this isn’t a sponsored plug—I just genuinely use and recommend it.