If someone asked you to name the biggest search engine in the world, you’d probably answer Google. And you’d be right.
But what about the second biggest?
That’s YouTube. And it’s more than just a place to while away hours doomscrolling.
Every single day, millions of people head to YouTube looking for answers to questions, product recommendations, how-to guides and expert advice. They’re not just looking to be entertained; they’re actively searching for information.
That’s why YouTube SEO has become such an important part of modern digital marketing.
We recently looked at the ways video can improve your website’s SEO rankings. But if you really want your videos to work harder for your business, it’s important to understand how people actually find them.
So, what is YouTube SEO, why does it matter, and how can your business benefit from it?
What Is YouTube SEO?
YouTube SEO is the best way to help the world’s second-largest search engine understand what your videos are about and recommend them to the right people.
Just like Google uses an algorithm to rank websites, YouTube decides which videos appear in search results, suggested videos and users’ homepages.
The better YouTube understands your content, and the more people enjoy watching it, the more likely it is to recommend your videos to others.
So, SEO for YouTube is really about creating valuable content and giving the platform enough context to know exactly who could benefit from seeing it.
Why Should Businesses Care About YouTube SEO?
Well, let’s answer that question with a question: When was the last time you searched YouTube before making a purchase?
Whether it’s researching software, watching product reviews, getting a feel for a resort before you book a holiday or learning how something works. Chances are you’ve done it recently.
And you’re not alone.
According to Resourcera, viewers watch more than two billion hours of video every day, making it one of the world’s largest platforms for discovering information, answers, products and brands.
It’s not just consumers embracing video either. In fact, Wyzowl’s annual State of Video Marketing Report found that 91% of businesses now use video as a marketing tool.
Rather than relying solely on your website to be discovered, YouTube offers another platform where customers can find your expertise, engage with your brand, and ultimately visit your website.
So, now that we know YouTube is a formidable SEO tool and a huge search engine, how does it differ from the biggest?
How Is YouTube SEO Different from Google SEO?
We’ve mentioned that YouTube is the second-largest search engine in the world, but it and Google are actually trying to achieve slightly different things.
And hopefully it’s not too obvious to say this, but Google wants to show users the most helpful webpage. While YouTube wants to show the most engaging video.
That means YouTube pays (arguably) slightly more attention to user trust signals like:
- Watch time
- Audience retention
- Click-through rate
- Viewer engagement
- Viewing session duration
It’s not enough to create a video with the right keywords – or to just ram your descriptions and transcripts with key phrases. People actually need to enjoy watching your brand’s content. So you need to be sure that your video marketing strategy is hitting all the right notes.
Top Tips for Creating Videos That Rank On YouTube
Some of the best ways to create engaging, trustworthy videos that your audience (and search engines) will love are:
- Use SMEs: Nobody knows your industry like you. So when you create a video answering a common query, tell people exactly why you know this:
- How many years of experience have you got?
- Has the subject of the query happened to you before?
- Answer one query at a time: Don’t ramble about your issues with the industry. Keep it tight and answer the issue at hand quickly, insightfully and in your brand tone.
- Optimise your video: Get the key phrases you want to target in the video, description and video title – but make sure you’re using them organically, not stuffing them where they don’t belong.
- Optimise for watch time: Things like strong hooks, storytelling, good video pacing and delivering on the promise in the title are key here.
Does SEO Work on YouTube?
Yes! If you’ve ever searched YouTube and noticed the same creators consistently appearing at the top of results, that’s no coincidence. Those creators understand how YouTube organises and recommends content.
Good YouTube SEO helps your videos appear in all the right places, including:
- YouTube search results
- Suggested video sections
- Users’ homepages
- Google search results
- Google’s video carousel
- AI citations
Can YouTube SEO Help You Claim AI Citations?
Yes again! In fact, figures published in May 2026 found that YouTube accounts for approximately 23.3% of every Google AI Overview citation. And “How to…” queries account for 29% of all YouTube AI citations.
Google has increasingly integrated video into its search results because it recognises that we all learn in different ways. Some users prefer visual explanations over long blocks of text, which is also why it’s super important to use your company blogs to create informative video content too.
For example, we recently wrote a blog post on the popularity of brand podcasts in modern marketing. But we didn’t leave it as just a blog; we used the info from it to create a video too here ⬇️
What Are SEO Keywords?
SEO keywords are simply the words and phrases your audience types into search engines. On YouTube, keywords help the platform understand exactly what your video is about.
For example, someone searching for:
- Interview hacks
- Promotional video examples
- Corporate video production tips
- Recruitment videos
- Who are… [your brand name]
…is telling YouTube exactly what they’re looking for and what stage of their purchase or research journey they’re at.
If your content clearly answers that query, you’ve got a much better chance of being shown to the right audience.
But, it’s worth reiterating: keywords aren’t about stuffing the same phrase into every sentence. They’re about matching your content to your audience’s intent.
What Is YouTube Keyword Research?
Before creating a video, it’s worth asking two simple questions:
What is my audience already searching for? Or what does my audience want to know?
That’s where YouTube keyword research comes in. It helps businesses discover the questions, topics and phrases their customers are actively searching for.
Where to Find the Best Keywords for YouTube (For Free)
When it comes to choosing or finding popular keywords to target (themes for your videos), you don’t have to go spending out on expensive tools.
Sometimes it can be as simple as checking areas like:
- YouTube autocomplete
- Google’s “People Also Ask” section
- Google Trends
- Comments on competitor videos
Then, if you’ve exhausted those options, you can move on to leveraging SEO tools like Semrush or Ahrefs, as well as YouTube-focused tools like TubeBuddy and vidIQ.
What Are YouTube Channel Keywords?
You may also come across the term “YouTube channel keywords”. These are keywords added to your channel settings to give YouTube additional context about the topics your business regularly covers.
While they’re only a small ranking factor compared with the quality of your overall content, these can still help reinforce your channel’s overall focus. Basically, it’s like telling YouTube: “This is what we’re about.”
Why YouTube Matters More Than Ever for SEO
As we mentioned at the top, people’s search habits have changed dramatically over the past few years.
YouTube results are becoming mainstays in the search landscape, and in finding the answer to one overarching query or discovering the right product for them, your audience might:
- Google a question
- Watch a YouTube video
- Ask ChatGPT
- Read an AI Overview
- Browse for expert takes on LinkedIn
- Search on TikTok
Businesses need content that can appear wherever their customers are looking. That’s why video has become such a valuable marketing asset.
So, How Do You Optimise Your YouTube Videos for SEO?
Now that you understand what YouTube SEO is, you’re probably wondering how to put it into practice.
It starts with understanding your audience, choosing the right topics and giving YouTube clear signals about what your content covers.
From there, refine elements such as your titles, descriptions, thumbnails, captions, chapters and overall viewer experience.
Stop Letting Optimisation Fears Prevent Your Business From Reaching Your Audience on Youtube
YouTube SEO isn’t about chasing algorithms or finding quick wins. It’s about making it as easy as possible for the right people to discover genuinely helpful content.
As search continues to evolve, brands that invest in useful, well-optimised video content will be in a much stronger position to build visibility, demonstrate expertise, reach new audiences and ultimately grow.
If you need help getting started on YouTube, or you want to use it to put a rocket under your business growth strategy, our dedicated experts can help.
Get in touch today for a free consultation. Let’s get you appearing everywhere.
