YouTube Optimization – increasing watch time

A YouTube optimization tip

Hello, and thanks for listening to SEO tips today.

Most of this comes from a  super informative  Kalicube Tuesday interview with Tim Schmoyer from VideoCreators.com.

Here are my crib notes:

I think the most insightful bit was when Tim answered this question:

Should you ask for subscribers? And can you get subscribers with your video strategy without directly asking for subscribers?

He started off with a quick reminder:

YouTube looks at the following related to your video:

• What is the video watch time?
• How does this video contribute to the overall viewing session on YouTube?
• How satisfied do your users feel at the end of the view session? Youtube measures this with how likely your viewers are to come back to YouTube the next day, or with a satisfaction survey to users.

But here’s the real eye opening nugget (at least for me):

At the end of your video, you want to make sure you don’t give the user any signal that your video is almost over as it impacts your overall watch time. You want them to keep watching your videos to extend their YouTube session time.

So, they recommend:

• At the end of your video, use the end screens while you’re still delivering value – quickly give a 10 second pitch for the next video you want them to watch. Or a playlist.
• And say: “I’ll see you in the next video”. Don’t say goodbye.

Tim from VideoCreators sees a normal click through rate on end screens of  .7% and he has seen (with this new approach) a CTR get as high as 42% on that end screen link.

And what if the “next” related video is not published?

Here’s his recommendation:

• Do a verbal and visual call to action, but on screen put a “coming next Thursday” note in the end screen box.
• Then when the video is published, put it in that end screen spot on top of that box on the video.

And a note that YouTube has a “best for viewer” option on the end screen, but it’s not as high as if you do a verbal pitch and pick something strategically.

Also, you can put up someone else’s video if you don’t have a relevant video as it still increases the YouTube viewer session.  Great stuff!

So that’s your tip for the day. Make sure that you don’t say “goodbye” to your YouTube viewers and instead entice them to watch another video by saying something like “I’ll see you in the next video” and link that video in your end screen card.

Thanks for listening. Come back tomorrow for another SEO tip.

Listen to the previous episode: A handful of podcast marketing tips

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