Confused by YouTube SEO? This deep dive gives you a simple, actionable system: write concise, keyword-led titles (start with the exact query, ~50–70 characters), craft descriptions with a strong first two lines (keyword + CTA/link), and treat tags as optional helpers (misspellings/homonyms). Add chapters, related links, and defaults in Studio. Rank for search and win the click.

What You’ll Learn

• Why titles are the top SEO signal—and how to write them for algorithms + humans
• How to structure descriptions (first 2 lines + 100–300 words + chapters + links)
• The real role of tags now (minimal; use for edge cases)
• Practical templates, examples, and a quick SEO checklist you can ship today

Chapters

• 00:00 — Intro & goal
• 00:22– Work with the algo
• 00:47 — Title priorities
• 01:12 — Keyword placement
• 01:32– Human appeal
• 03:13– Descriptions matter
• 03:34 — Above-the-fold recipe
• 04:00– Below-the-fold
• 04:27 Utility add-ons
• 04:44– Tags today
• 05:24– Practical use
• 06:04– Beyond SEO

Key Takeaways

• Put the exact main keyword first (or near-first) in the title; keep titles ~50–70 characters to avoid truncation.
• Use brackets/clarifiers for humans (e.g., [Full Tutorial], [2025 Update]) to lift CTR without diluting relevance.
• Description top two lines matter most: restate the keyword + a clear benefit + primary CTA/link.
• Write 100–300+ words below the fold using related terms naturally (no stuffing); include chapters with timestamps.
• Tags have minimal impact now; use them mainly for misspellings/homonyms and quick variants—don’t overinvest time.
• Match query intent: be direct and specific; precision beats broad phrasing for search discovery.
• Consistency tools: set description defaults (links/disclosures) and reuse a keyword-first title template for speed.

Resources & Tools Mentioned

• YouTube Studio (descriptions, chapters, defaults)
• vidIQ (related keyword ideas)
• RapidTags.io, TubeBuddy (tags; light tracking)

Sponsor

Brought to you by Pop by Tuulie—psychology-driven thumbnails and title testing. Create with Pixel, improve with Re-pop, model styles with Inspo Pop, then test in Pop Ground. Start your free trial at tuulie.com/pop.