YouTube’s ranking factor is a top-guarded secret. Unfortunately, no one knows how YouTube indexes the Videos on SERP. Luckily, the solid analysis is possible with the data available that help us make better videos and rank high in the second largest search engine.

YouTube traffic is something you cannot ignore. YouTube receives more than 800 million unique visitors who spend more than 3 billion hours on watching videos. Paying close attention to the YouTube Ranking factors will get a competitive ranking on the videos you upload.

The views really matter

In 2012, YouTube confirmed that they have altered the ranking of the videos based on engaging videos that keep visitors watching. Therefore, the ‘Time watched ranking factor’ is a major consideration if you are looking to rank top on YouTube. Videos with the high view count have the better opportunity to rank high on YouTube and Google Search Engine.

Bad bounces are not a great sign

Just like the Google search engines, YouTube has a track of bad bounces, which can affect the ranking position. Grabbing the attention of the viewers and viewer retention is mandatory if you are looking to rank high in YouTube search.

Time watched – The ranking factor

If people quit after watching the video for few minute, you must understand that the ‘Time Watched’ factor is highly hit. Your YouTube ranking might go down if people do not watch your videos completely.

Interesting facts about YouTube Ranking

Comments lead way to influential ranking factor. Videos with highest comment count have a better ranking.
The average length of YouTube video is 14 minutes, 50 seconds, which means the longer videos, have a better reach than the smaller ones.
HD videos are highly preferred and they rank in the first few pages of YouTube
Videos with the maximum number of shares make it to the first page of YouTube search.
There’s a significant relationship between the number of views and the ranking
Videos that receive ‘likes’ have better ranks
Video subscriptions have a strong impact on the ranking
Subscriber size of a YouTube channel is not a big deal when it comes to ranking. YouTube allows a small channel to rank high based on all other factors.
Keyword optimization does not drive traffic or ranking, however, the videos with a keyword title have an edge over other videos that do not have a keyword in the title.

Other Ranking Factors

Time watched ranking factor is the official and proved the way of ranking factor but other factors also play a major role in ranking your videos.

Title of the video

The on-page optimization is important for YouTube videos. Just like blog posts and other webpage contents, optimizing the title of the video is essential. Titles are the first impression of your video and using relevant titles will attract more traffic and increase the rank of the video.

Shorter titles are the best for YouTube Videos. Though keywords do not make a big difference, it is important to place the keyword at the beginning of the title to help users identify the video.

Description of the video

Don’t you think it’s better to inform your viewers about the topics covered in your YouTube Videos?

Videos with the right description will take you to places.

You need to make sure the text description reflects the content of the video. The video description should be 250 words with suitable keywords. If you do not include a description, the search engines do not understand what your videos are about. It is also a great idea to link URL, related blogs and articles and social media channels to your video.

Video Tags

Tags are one/ two-word description that gives a better clarity on your video. It helps you to describe the topic of your videos in a word or two. Tags do not have a major impact on the ranking but it helps your users to find your videos quickly. Tags must be relevant to the keyword and the content of your video. Use well-researched keywords that will have a better impact.

Video Clarity

We are talking about High-Definition videos!

Open YouTube on your browser and check the whole bunch of videos on the first page.

YouTube highlights HD videos and the lower-quality videos are pushed back.

Video clarity has a direct impact on user experience so it’s an important factor you must consider. A low-quality video with the best content may not reach the target users. Unlink other search engines; YouTube cannot get signals through backlinks. The ranking is entirely based on the quality of the content and the video.

User interaction plays a vital role and if the user engagement is negative, it throws a negative impact on the YouTube Crawlers.

Length of the videos

Should you create a lengthy video or a short one?

Lengthy videos are the best!

YouTube’s ranking factor depends on the number of minutes people spend on a video. So creating lengthy videos will engage customers to stay on the video for a longer duration.

Video Shares and View count

YouTube recommends everyone to create shareable contents. YouTube can track the number of shares and videos with the maximum shares get a chance to outrank the ones with lesser shares.

YouTube concentrates on the watch time but they also focus on the number of views. If you want to rank high with a competitive keyword, you need to focus on the number of views. You can increase the visibility of the video by promoting them on other channels. Share them on social media platforms to increase the views.

Final Thoughts

With millions of videos being uploaded on YouTube, it’s going to be a big challenge to rank your video. The high ranking is possible only through the well-researched approach and does consider these selling points before you create your next amazing video.