How to use metadata to get your videos seen!

“Hilarious” or “funny”? “Absolutely fabulous” or just “fab”? The words you choose to include in the metadata of your videos make a big difference in whether your videos be found or not.

What is metadata?  It’s basically the written details you provide with your videos.  YouTube (and Google) don’t have the ability to decipher what’s being said in your videos (yet) so they rely on what you type “around” them to figure out what they’re about.  Things like the title, the description, and the tags are where you insert this metadata.  Backlinks to your videos are super important too, so check out the blog post I wrote about that too, since the words you use in the link (like I just did at the start of this sentence) influence what words it gets found for in search.

The strings of words you write about in these different areas for your videos are matched by the search engine to keywords users type when they are looking for something, so the more optimized your metadata, the more often your videos will turn up in search results. Metadata will also help you get attract potential ad placers on your videos or website because they want to advertise on videos that are about similar subjects to what they’re selling.  This is important if you want to monetize your videos.

To start with when choosing your keywords, try to put yourself in your audience member’s shoes. What words will they type in the search field to find your types of videos? Decide if the words you’ve chosen are logical or not. For example, including the word “hilarious” instead of “funny” in the title of your video may not be wise as way more people search for “funny” than “hilarious”.  In a nutshell, don’t get enamored with fancy words and use commonly used words in daily language whenever possible, especially in the title.  In the description there’s a ton of room to write all kinds of things – but make sure it’s all coherent and relevant.  In the tags section is where you can freely throw in the “hilarious” and other more descriptive words.

There’s some debate on whether or not you should take full advantage of the 5,000 or so characters that you are allowed to put in the description section of your YouTube video, but general consensus seems to be as long as it’s relevant, then fill ‘er up.  I’ll often transcribe my videos and then put everything I’ve said into the description or include the script in a sketch comedy (or lyrics in a song parody).

For the tags, you have a 120-character limit allowed for them, so again try to put that to good use. Choose words that pertain to your videos ranging from general descriptions to specific brand names. For example, if you used a high-end equipment for your video like a Sony DSR-500WS camera, then it is suggested that you include the brand name Sony in your tags, and then go for a generic category like “electronic equipment.” If you’re still unsure of what tags to use, then check out YouTube’s keyword suggestion tool which can give you some great suggestions.

Metadata is probably your next most reliable tool to getting famous online after captivating content. So put in the effort to carefully choosing what you write, and by using the space provided to you for it, so you can ensure everyone finds you when they’re looking for the next big thing online!

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