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With more than 500 hours of video uploaded every minute, YouTube has become one of the nerve centers of digital communication.
But this unparalleled profusion also makes it a bushy jungle where it is difficult to showcase your own videos.
Marketing agencies or individuals, many Youtubers notice a gap between the quality product they provide and an insufficient number of views and subscribers, even disappointing.
For them, there are YouTube SEO management and optimization tools to increase the visibility of their content.
Below is our review on VidIQ, one of the pioneers in the field, and how you can increase YouTube video views and subscribers
The evolution of the YouTube algorithm
You have to understand the Youtube algorithm before embarking on headlong content creation .
A few years ago, the number of views took precedence over other criteria. But Youtube’s algorithm has changed and now the number of minutes watched out of the total video posted counts more than the number of views.
Thus Youtube has changed the way it works for its ranking. Today, it highlights videos with interesting content , which captivates listeners instead of leaving videos with “Clickbait” thumbnails in trending.
It is therefore necessary to understand that the content of your video contributes to your SEO but does not do everything.
Other criteria are used such as keywords , subtitles , number of views , comments or even the engagement rate (i.e. on the total number of Internet users who have seen the video, how many reacted, whether by a like, a comment or a share).
The parameters used by YouTube SEO
With over 1.9 billion monthly active users , YouTube is the second largest social network in the world. It is also the second largest search engine after Google. This platform is undoubtedly one of the best marketing promotion channels. Hence the interest in optimizing your content to reach as many people as possible in your target audience. That said, to boost your YouTube videos , you must first know the fundamentals of YouTube SEO. Indeed, to index a video, YouTube takes several parameters into account:
- The title of the video.
- The description of the video.
- The name of the video file.
- The category of the video.
- The thumbnail (or thumbnail) used on the video.
- The number of views.
- The number of shares.
- The number of comments.
- The number of “Likes”
- The notoriety or authority of the channel (Age of the channel, number of subscribers, total number of views of the channel, frequency of publication of videos, frequency of interaction with YouTube users, etc.).
- Annotations and maps on the video.
- Outgoing links.
- Subtitles or transcriptions.
- Organizing videos into playlists.
- The relevance of keywords (tags).
- The publication date of the video.
YouTube therefore uses a lot of data to assess the quality of a video. These data inevitably impact the indexing of the video and its chances of promotion on the platform (number of views, click-through rate, viewing time, user engagement, etc.). Optimizing the elements mentioned above allows you to improve the visibility of your videos on YouTube. Hence the interest in using vidIQ , one of the best YouTube optimization tools .
What is VidIQ ?
Created in San Francisco in 2012 by James Cross, Robert Sandie and Todd Troxell, vidIQ helps develop audiences and subscribers on Youtube for brands and agencies.
While Youtube search, similar and recommended videos represent 58% of Youtube traffic, it is essential to train or hire a company to optimize your videos .
So what is exactly Vidiq ? Well, it’s a webapp platform with a Chrome plugin (or extension) that allows you to analyze and optimize videos from a YouTube channel.
Certified by YouTube , the Vidiq plugin is aimed at private publishers as well as web agencies and marketers. It is available in 4 versions: a free basic Vidiq version and three paid versions ( Vidiq Pro , Vidiq Boost , Vidiq Boost+ and Vidiq Entreprise ). It provides relevant data and metrics that can dramatically improve video performance, including visibility on YouTube and subscriber engagement.
To use Vidiq , you must first create an account on the vidiq.com website. You then have to download and install the plugin. The latter integrates easily with the Chrome browser. Once you are logged into your YouTube account, vidIQ will import all the data relating to your videos and display them on an ergonomic dashboard.
Using powerful metrics and algorithms , it gives you comprehensive optimization report for all your YouTube videos. Among the performance indicators used by the Vidiq extension, we can mention:
- The number of views per hour in real time . It is an indicator that allows you to identify popular videos that are streaming quickly.
- The average video watch time , which is the length of time that YouTube users watch your videos. This indicator allows you to know the frequency of display of your thumbnails (impressions). It also gives you the click-through rate per impression ( CTR ), which is the number of times YouTube users viewed your content after seeing a thumbnail.
- The number of times your videos have been shared on social networks, in particular on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, or even Reddit.
- The number of “Likes” and comments on your videos shared on social networks.
- The SEO information of your videos as meta tags (or Meta tags). This indicator allows you to further optimize the content of your YouTube channel.
- The number of words per minute (WPM). Using developed algorithms, Vidiq reveals the impact of the number of words per minute on the success of the video compared to duration. In principle, videos with an WPM of over 220 have a better chance of becoming popular on YouTube.
- The number of links to put in the video description . By analyzing the data of your video, Vidiq suggests the number of links to add in the description to optimize SEO.
- The optimal word count for the video description . Vidiq notifies you when your video description is too short or too long and alerts you when it is perfectly suited for SEO optimization on YouTube.
- A score out of 100 indicating the relevance of the video and its chances of promotion compared to similar videos.
The Vidiq Pro version allows you to access other features such as relevant keyword research. The Vidiq Boost version offers you better visibility on YouTube thanks to vidIQ Competitors Tool.
VidIQ: take care of the content of your videos!
Before you start using the Vidiq plugin, you should know that it is only a tool for optimizing YouTube videos . This therefore implies that the videos are already well produced, taking into account the indexing parameters used by YouTube. The first step is to define your strategy on YouTube:
- Why should you post videos to YouTube?
- What is the added value offered on your videos?
- What category of YouTube users are you going to target?
Next, you need to define the type of videos to be produced. What is the theme proposed by your videos? Are you going to produce any advertisements? Videos of events? Or informative videos (buying guides, Do It Yourself, product comparison, user manual, etc.)
After that, you have to establish a business model and a budget to produce and promote your videos. The choice of distribution media is also an important factor in reaching the target audience. To improve SEO, choose a catchy title that reflects the content of your video and contains one or more relevant keywords.
Also take care of the description and editorial content relating to the video, including annotations and transcriptions. For each video, it is strongly recommended to add a link to the social networks where you have a page or a profile (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Reddit… Etc.).
The ideal is to succeed in creating an identity or a brand (branding) for your chain. This not only allows you to encourage users to subscribe to your channel but also to come back regularly to watch and share new videos. If your content is really interesting for the target audience, then Vidiq will give you all the necessary statistics and help you structure your channel.
Find relevant keywords for your videos with Vidiq Pro and increase YouTube video views
Keywords are among the most important parameters that search engines rely on to index a video. Therefore, it is important to place appropriate keywords to improve the visibility of your videos.
Simulating search queries used by internet users can help you identify essential keywords for video SEO. However, if you use keywords excessively, your video may be penalized by search engines including YouTube.
So be sure to use relevant keywords that relate directly to the content of your video. The objective is to provide adequate answers to the queries of Internet users and not to circumvent the referencing system adopted by search engines.
The Vidiq Pro version is equipped with an advanced keyword research tool called “Search Companion”. To use this tool, all you need to do is run a keyword research by filling in the dedicated field to the right of the YouTube search results. Vidiq will offer you a list of relevant keywords that you can use to boost your video. It will also display trending YouTube videos related to the main keyword entered in the search box.
Optimize your YouTube thumbnails with VidIQ
The thumbnail of your video is the primary image that users see when scrolling through a list of results on YouTube. Along with the title, it gives an idea of the content of the video.
A well-crafted thumbnail can get YouTube users to watch your video. It therefore has a significant impact on the click-through rate and the number of views. Although you can choose any of the thumbnails automatically generated by YouTube, you have a great interest in uploading a custom thumbnail.
Recently, VidIQ provided its plugin with a YouTube thumbnail editor . This new tool allows you to upload your images and process them professionally in seconds. Thanks to VidIQ, you can adjust the shape, size, and frame of your miniature. You can also add clickable texts to further optimize interaction with users.
To access the VidIQ thumbnail editor , simply browse the drop-down list in the menu on the right of the screen. SEO specialists recommend using images with a minimum resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels and a minimum size of 2MB.
VidIQ Pro: choose the right time to publish your videos!
This is one of the coolest features of VidIQ Pro! It allows you to increase your audience and optimize the visibility of your videos. Indeed, VidIQ analyzes a lot of data internal and external to your YouTube channel and suggests the best time to publish your videos.
Monitor the most popular videos on YouTube with VidIQ Boost
VidIQ Boost has more advanced features compared to the basic version and the VidIQ Pro version. It gives you the option to make the necessary improvements the moment you upload your video or through the YouTube video editor.
To get started, upload your video and add title, description, and a few keywords that best match the content of the video. Then click on the “boost this video” button. VidIQ will analyze the data of your video and compare it with that of similar videos having high popularity on YouTube. It will also suggest a list of specific keywords used for SEO of popular videos. By reusing these keywords, you will significantly boost the visibility and indexing of your videos on YouTube.
Use VidIQ to filter comments on your videos
The number of comments is an important factor that is taken into account by YouTube when indexing videos. You must therefore adapt the content of your video to encourage users to leave comments. For example, in the description, you can ask them to leave a comment to give their opinion or to have more information and details about the topic covered in the video.
In addition, it is essential to respond as much as possible to comments at least within 24 to 48 hours of posting. This promotes interaction with users and encourages them to leave comments. However, the more comments, the more complicated the task becomes. Thanks to Vidiq, you can filter your comments according to several criteria:
- Has Replies
- Doesn’t have Replies
- I’ve Replied To
- I haven’t replied to
- Contains Question(s)
- Contains Profanity
- Contains Positive Words (positive sentiment)
- Contain Negative Words (negative sentiment)
- Subscriber Name
- Search YouTube Comments By Keyword
You can also filter comments by username or keyword. This essential tool therefore helps you to optimize the management of comments on your YouTube channel in a very efficient way.
Strengths and disadvantages of VidIQ
We like
The great advantage of VidIQ is that it offers access to many of its flagship features in its free plan.
The user can thus check the effectiveness of the plugin and take his marks before possibly going to the paid version.
Its other advantage lies in well thought out ergonomics: never invasive, the module nestles discreetly near the browser toolbar and does not disturb you when you go about your activities on the net. Guaranteed reliability, the tool has been tested and certified by YouTube.
We like less
In terms of disadvantages, we can blame vidIQ for less attractive prices than its direct competitor TubeBuddy on its paid Boost and Boost + offers, intended for seasoned content producers.
Alternative solutions to VidIQ
VidIQ vs Tubebuddy
Like VidIQ, TubeBuddy is a plugin that includes several features to optimize YouTube videos. Many users prefer it over VidIQ because of the affordable price of the Tubebuddy Pro version.
In addition to Google Chrome, Tubebuddy integrates with major web browsers including Firefox and Safari. That said, VidIQ does offer a number of advantages over Tubebuddy. First, it is certified by YouTube, which gives it more credibility. In addition, VidIQ offers you the possibility to consult the statistics of videos from other publishers, which is not possible with TubeBuddy.
With the VidIQ Boost version, you can even have access to metadata and keywords used on the most popular videos. Not to mention, VidIQ allows you to sort the comments on your videos and interact more effectively with YouTube users.
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