YouTube SEO: How to Get Your Videos Found

30 June 2026·1 min read

Quick answer: YouTube SEO means optimising your videos to be found in search: use keywords in your title, description and spoken content, write a detailed description, add relevant tags, and use a clear thumbnail. Watch time and engagement also boost rankings. Because YouTube is the second-biggest search engine, optimised videos keep getting discovered for months. 📱

YouTube is the world’s second-largest search engine — so getting found there is pure SEO. 💖

YouTube SEO essentials

Keyword titles — what people search
Detailed descriptions — context for YouTube
Say your keywords — YouTube reads captions
Relevant tags — support discovery
Watch time & engagement — prove it’s good

💡 Optimise for search, win for months. A video optimised for the right keyword can keep getting found in search long after you post — unlike a social post that fades in a day. That long shelf life makes YouTube SEO well worth the effort.

Frequently asked questions

How do I do YouTube SEO?

Use keywords in your title, description and spoken words, write a detailed description, add relevant tags, and use a clear thumbnail. Strong watch time and engagement also lift rankings. YouTube is a search engine, so this gets your videos found.

Does YouTube SEO actually work?

Yes — YouTube is the second-biggest search engine, so optimising for keywords helps your videos surface in search and suggested videos, often for months. Well-optimised videos keep earning views long after upload.

What’s the most important YouTube ranking factor?

Watch time and engagement are huge — YouTube promotes videos that keep people watching. Pair that with keyword-optimised titles, descriptions and thumbnails so the right people click in the first place.

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Written by

Kate, founder of Chronically Online

I help Gold Coast and Brisbane businesses grow with branding, websites and marketing that actually works.

Work with me ✦