The YouTube descriptions box is an incredible asset for creators. It'south a characteristic that allows y'all to give further context and information about your video, both to viewers and YouTube.

While there are enough of tricks and tips to ranking highly on YouTube, including eye-catching custom thumbnails and click-worthy titles, the description is one of the most overlooked aspects of optimization. Master the art of writing great video descriptions, and you'll give yourself a caput start. In this guide, we will show you how to do only that.

eleven Tips for Writing the Virtually Effective YouTube Descriptions

This postal service volition focus on the video clarification rather than the channel description (i.e., the Well-nigh Page). While the channel description does not have to exist updated so often, you lot'll need to optimize the video clarification for every video you publish. Let'south go into the tips:

#1 Become the Word Count Right

While writing just the bare minimum in the clarification is an easy habit to pick up, the truth is that the best video descriptions have an boilerplate word count of 200 words or more than.

/#2 Do the Keyword Research

As a YouTuber, a vital key to success is identifying relevant keywords and phrases that best describe our video content. That mode, you're giving YouTube the information it needs to render a video of yours when a viewer searches for content using specific words and phrases that you lot've optimized for.
Read more than on how to boom YouTube keyword research with TubeBuddy to ensure you're giving yourself the best hazard to rank.

#3 Place Your Target Keywords Upwards Front

Look at any of the best-performing videos on Google and YouTube search, and you'll notice a blueprint. The video descriptions are generally optimized for the keywords the creator aims to rank for.

Equally a rule of pollex, sprinkle that keyword among the text and aim to include it in your first or second judgement of the description.

This is known equally 'Above the Fold,' a fancy name for the re-create visible to viewers without them having to click on the 'Show More than' button.

In the instance below, both the video title and the description for "YouTube Keyword Research – You're Doing it WRONG!" have been optimized for the give-and-take 'Keyword Enquiry.' It'due south the focus of the video and a term that TubeBuddy wants to rank highly for on the platform.

In add-on to your main keyword, try to find two or 3 other terms that are related to that master term to assistance y'all rank higher. Viewers may be searching for a related term that yous can withal rank for.

Using our description as an example again, our primary keyword focus is "Keyword Enquiry," but nosotros've also included "YouTube Keywords" and "Keyword Explorer." This reinforces the content'due south focus and allows it to be found in Search for related phrases and terms.

Regarding the number of keywords you include, aim for effectually ii or three references throughout the clarification. Don't exist tempted to keyword stuff, though. The YouTube Algorithm won't be fooled into ranking you any college.

#5 Accuracy and Actuality are Fundamental

Another massive no-no, along with keyword stuffing, is to add information to the clarification which isn't totally authentic. You lot'll but disappoint the viewer, and they'll bounce much sooner than is good for your watch fourth dimension.

Likewise, ensure your spelling and punctuation are on indicate. This is of import considering YouTube needs to alphabetize the words in which to rank, and if the words and terms are misspelled, information technology's not going to rank properly (unless a viewer is searching for the typo).

#6 Keep Your Description on Brand for Your Aqueduct

Merely so your description is more effective for your audience, try to keep it conversational but on-brand.

Every YouTube channel has a 'voice,' the same phonation you would use in your videos. Reflect that tone in the description also.

#seven Ensure YouTube Clarification Content is Unique

If your clarification content is relatively similar or identical to other video descriptions, this can harm your ranking. This can be very common if you're only using a judgement or two for your description, and it's very similar to your other descriptions.  While Default Uploads (come across below) take the difficult work out of including the data you want to include each time, aim for at least a few sentences that are unique to that video.

#eight Blast Your Default Uploads

Default Uploads is a YouTube feature applied to all of your videos. You can cull defaults (on desktop only) for your videos' privacy setting, category, tags, comments, linguistic communication, and titles and descriptions. Hither's an instance of the current Default Uploads we apply for TubeBuddy videos. As yous can encounter, it includes an explanation of what TubeBuddy is and links out to other TubeBuddy resource and our social channels.

If you're a TubeBuddy user, you can create multiple Default Upload profiles for each type of video you brand. If y'all have a TubeBuddy Pro, Star, Legend, or Enterprise license, you also get the option to edit these defaults in bulk, using our unique discover and supersede tool.

It'southward a huge time saver for creators and having multiple profiles isn't currently available on YouTube, so sign up to TubeBuddy today to have reward of this incredible tool.

#9 Utilise Your Hashtags

YouTube Hashtags let creators to make the word or phrase clickable, so users can easily search for related videos tagged with the hashtag. It also allows the creator to connect their videos with other content that shares the same hashtag. They are also another great way to help YouTube understand what yous're video is about. You get three per description, so make sure you take advantage of this feature.

In the example below, you can see the creator has used his hashtag allocation to confirm his video is most Los Angeles as well as travel trips:

In the U.Southward., YouTube videos based on, or including, sponsorship deals must bide by the FTC and YouTube'due south legal guidelines.

To comply with these guidelines, YouTubers must disclose which brands they are working with when posting sponsored content. If a creator has received a free gift, is tied into a brand deal, or includes some kind of product placement in their content, they need to clearly disclose it to their viewers within the video's description. Read the FTC'southward handy guide to disclosing sponsored content.

Many creators also include a disclaimer in their YouTube description if it is unclear whether their video has been sponsored. In this video, the creator reviews Charlotte Tilbury products but clarifies that the cosmetics visitor doesn't sponsor the video.

#eleven A/B Test Your YouTube Descriptions

If yous're on the TubeBuddy Legend Plan, you can easily perform A/B tests on any of your YouTube descriptions to identify what'south working for you. The data opens up a world of new insights that will inform y'all how your descriptions resonate with viewers. Follow along with our guide to divide-testing YouTube descriptions (and titles)

If y'all aren't optimizing your YouTube description, now is the best time to commencement. We hope our guide has given y'all some tips to get y'all started for making the most out of this crawly feature.

Carla Marshall Author

Carla Marshall

Carla Marshall is the Content Marketing Manager at TubeBuddy. She has 10+ years of experience in video marketing, social media management, content marketing, DRM, & SEO

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