YouTube SEO in 2020 with Luke Sherran

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In this video, Luke Sherran covers the YouTube algorithm, where to spend most of your time, an overview of the collaborative filtering, the behavior metrics that you need to understand, and how to use analytics to optimize your content.

0:41 The YouTube algorithm is based primarily around user behaviour metrics
0:58 Which % does the search traffic typically make up of total traffic on popular YouTube channels?
1:17 Most traffic to YouTube videos now comes via YouTube Recommendation engines
1:35 Why user behaviour metrics are now more important than KW research and metadata
2:15 The most reliable metric to determine video quality
2:25 What exactly is video content? What are the key metrics to consider about video content performance?
2:55 What is collaborative filtering?
3:18 How collaborative filtering works
4:05 What happens if the video theoretically gets to the top of the search results page but gets no clicks?
4:20 How to craft a good video title? Why are thumbnails important?
5:05 How much time do the most popular YouTubers spend on creating a thumbnail that converts?
5:35 Storytelling with your video: how to entice your audience
6:20 Audience retention graph in YouTube Studio: look for any decrease and identify the weak spots
6:50 Tips for having a good and concise outro
7:06 Closing tips: exceed expectations!

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#YouTube Traffic Sources

🔍Search traffic typically makes up between 15% and 25% of total traffic on popular YouTube channels. On my channel, search traffic makes up around 22% of my total traffic; this isn't because I don't get a lot of search traffic, it is just that there are bigger and better traffic sources to focus on.

Over 70% of all traffic now comes via YouTube's recommendation engine. So again, if you just focused on search, you're really missing out. The problem is that things like keyword research and metadata feel really tangible and those with an SEO background feel very comfortable using them. The issue is that no matter how perfect your keyword research is, or how well formulated your tags are, if your behavior metrics aren't good, then YouTube won't recommend your video and your video won't rank.

#Metrics to Focus On – Average Watch time
Originally the YouTube algorithm was based on pretty basic principles, and a video was ranked largely on how many views it had. The issue with this is that it was very easy to gamify. It led to a lot of clickbait and, ultimately, a lot of viewer frustration. Viewers often had to click on multiple videos before they could find the content they wanted.

⏲️So in 2012, the YouTube engineers made a critical change to the YouTube algorithm and actually prioritized watch time overviews. Watch time was seen as the most reliable metric to determine video quality and the most difficult to gamify. And in 2020, it is still one of the most important metrics used to determine video quality.

YouTube SEO in 2020
When we talk about YouTube SEO in 2020, the primary focus where you spend most of your time should be your content. Your content is not just your video; it is also your thumbnail and your title. This is because the main metrics you want to consider are:

🖱️Click-through rate
⏲️Watch time
🔣Percentage watched
Click-through rate was always a little bit of an unknown on YouTube, but the new Studio actually shows you your click-through rate for each video, which is extremely useful.

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YouTube Optimization and YouTube SEO. We provide advice, tips, strategies and
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36 Comments
    • DigiLeap Marketing Services
    • August 26, 2021
    Reply

    Good one. Thanks for sharing this

    • Hardeep Singh Kingra
    • January 18, 2021
    Reply

    Thanks sir

    • Suraj Fact
    • January 18, 2021
    Reply

    Nice sir

    • EDIT RC
    • January 11, 2021
    Reply

    Great ❤️

    • EDIT RC
    • January 11, 2021
    Reply

    Fantastic 😍

    • JTT INDIA
    • January 11, 2021
    Reply

    Superb sir👍

    • Digital Agency Prodigitaly
    • December 21, 2020
    Reply

    YouTube SEO is a great idea. Good amount of traffic comes to you by this technique. Amazing content, very genuine & informative. Keep it up.

      • Sangeeta Rajbansi
      • January 5, 2021
      Reply

      0

    • Supreme Repairs
    • December 6, 2020
    Reply

    You are new Youtubers inspiration sir 🙏🙏🙏🌹❤️

    • PrinzeE
    • December 6, 2020
    Reply

    Amazing Bro keep it up
    Support from #PrinzeE ❤️

      • RULE BREAKER GAMING
      • December 12, 2020
      Reply

      🙏🙏🙏நண்பர்களே நான் கடின உழைப்பு செய்கிறேன் பிடித்தால் ஆதரவு தாருங்கள் 🙏🙏🙏

    • Recipe Shorts
    • November 21, 2020
    Reply

    Very well explained… I liked the way you speak and it’s so easy to follow.. you don’t drag and are on point…. I have become a fan of your videos and hope to be a successful youtubervone day… Although I know it’s so tough nowadays… I want to know if luck also plays a role in getting noticed on YouTube…

    • DC odia
    • November 16, 2020
    Reply

    🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

    • k.yuvaraj 111
    • November 9, 2020
    Reply

    great video

    • k.yuvaraj 111
    • November 9, 2020
    Reply

    sir i am yuvraj 9years tirupati keyboard and singer k.yuvraj 111 congratulations sir

    • Nasirunnisha Nasir
    • October 4, 2020
    Reply

    YouTube helped me to listen to some of my favorite songs which I thought I could not listen again because they are from old hindi films and rarely played anywhere. Thanks for the YouTube team.

    • Jure Kumljanc
    • July 23, 2020
    Reply

    This is so good! Thank you!

    • Non-Monogamous Mark
    • May 16, 2020
    Reply

    Brilliant content Luke. I became an instant fan. My wife and I are thinking about launching a new channel. If we do, we will learn a lot from you to make the channel a huge success. Thanks.

    • RedBlueCard
    • May 8, 2020
    Reply

    Hi, I am taking a trial with SEMRush, has been with Ahref for a long time. On Ahref, it is easy to find this, competitor best page. For me to work on what content to focus on. How can that be done on SEMRush, I have already been using it for 3 weeks & I have to make up my mind next week, (i.e. to keep SEMRush or not), thanks.

      • Semrush
      • May 14, 2020
      Reply

      @RedBlueCard CI add-on is indeed purchased separately. The price reflects the amount and accuracy of data you get access to 🙂 we had educational webinars on CI add-on and Content Analyzer — https://youtu.be/VVqDo_08Lxc and https://youtu.be/Zz7ee8j7nHU — you might want to look at the tools in action and see if this really is something you need. Hope this helps. – Katya

      • Semrush
      • May 13, 2020
      Reply

      Hi there! You can use Traffic Analytics tool, the report you need within it is called Top Pages. You can also set Post Tracking in Content Analyzer to see the number of shares, estimated reach, backlinks, and more for a particular blog post. Hope this helps. – Katya

    • Nicky Pasquier
    • February 13, 2020
    Reply

    Thanks for such a great video, Luke. When you mentioned about the time spent creating a thumbnail image and how its creation can sometimes come before everything else reminded me very much of creating blog titles. They both serve the same purpose, to hook a viewer / reader. If they’re not interesting enough, you won’t get the same kind of CTR. Thanks again!

      • Deval Gadawe
      • December 10, 2020
      Reply

      @Daya Shankar Sisoudiya t

      I

      • Daya Shankar Sisoudiya
      • October 31, 2020
      Reply

      Long press to edit & lockAqaqqqqaqqaqqaaaaaaaaaaqqqqqqaaaqaqqqqqq11111qqqqqqqq171qaaqa11111a1414aaa141111744qqqqa714aaqqaaaqaa111141414114414114111111q1414411111147444117111114441144441141414441441aaaqqqqaqaqaqqq1144qqaqqqqq4141014174qqa14144144444114444441141141411114111114411a114q414441qaqqaqqa714aaaaaqaqaqqaqqaqaqq1qq044441qaqqaa11qqqqqaa474441141441aqqaaqqaa14441144111qq11qaaaaaqqa441411111141141qqq0471114411141111141414111a14414qqaqq114414aaqqqqqaa74114a1414qqaqqqqqa4aqaa444414qaaaaaaaa174qaa44qa4qq711441411141444aqaq44aa1aq714444144444144aa4aaaaaaq444a4a4aqqa114441qa4qaqqaqaa44a44qaaaqa1a14qq1114414qaqaqa4444qaaqaaqaq4444441a4q144aaa44qaqaaa444444qqaq41qqa141aaqqqaq111qqqaqqq44114aq114414q414aqaaqqqa471444aqqq74444444444444071444aqaaqaaq41q4a7a

      • Semrush
      • February 15, 2020
      Reply

      So true! We are now working hard on “fancy” thumbnails as well. Thanks for watching, Nicky! – Katya

    • Sadie Sherran
    • January 21, 2020
    Reply

    The most important takeaway from this video is at 2:18 “YouTube Optimises Search and discovery for videos that increase watch time on the site” 👍

      • Abul Hassan
      • September 23, 2020
      Reply

      Very nice

      • Luke Sherran
      • January 22, 2020
      Reply

      @AntonShulke Host excellent idea – I’ve got a lot of great potential content for that… 😉

      • AntonShulke Host
      • January 22, 2020
      Reply

      Now we need a course on how to create a video, that glue viewers to the screen! @Luke

      • Semrush
      • January 22, 2020
      Reply

      Thanks for watching the video, Sadie! – Katya

      • Luke Sherran
      • January 21, 2020
      Reply

      Nailed it, this is definitely overlooked by most!

    • Luke Sherran
    • January 21, 2020
    Reply

    Great video 😊 Just noticed I said 2015 for when YouTube updated the algorithm to prioritise watch time over views. Of course I meant 2012! Well done if you spotted the “deliberate” mistake…

      • Bala Krishnan
      • October 5, 2020
      Reply

      ,

      • x-Charlie-x
      • January 23, 2020
      Reply

      🤣

      • Sadie Sherran
      • January 21, 2020
      Reply

      Deliberate 😆😂 I didn’t realise its been 8 years since its changed people still say views are a high ranking factor

      • Luke Sherran
      • January 21, 2020
      Reply

      @Karl Oftebro Hey Karl, thanks for watching and commenting! Glad you found it useful

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