YouTube and Pinterest as SEO Tools: Not Just Social Networks

It’s time to view YouTube and Pinterest as SEO Tools and not just as social networks! What do I mean and how do you make this happen?

In this episode I dive into the details of YouTube and Pinterest from a SEO, Search Engine Optimization, perspective.

Let’s dive in!

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YouTube and Pinterest as SEO Tools

Both YouTube and Pinterest are established social media platforms. Did you know, however, that YouTube is the #2 Search Engine on the web in terms of monthly searches? Yep! Second only to it’s parent, Google!

And did you know that over 1 billion searches are done on Pinterest each month? Or that Pinterest drives more traffic to websites than most other social media networks? It’s true. So let’s look at how you can optimize each channel for search, and how you can drive that traffic to your website.

YouTube

Why do some YouTube videos rank better in Google search results than others?

Can my videos get more views and perform better in search rankings?

How can I optimize YouTube videos for SEO (search engine optimization)?

Can YouTube videos help drive more traffic to our business website?

If you’ve ever pondered these questions, then this is the right post for you! In this post, I’ll dive into a number of quick tips with real examples that make a big difference in how your videos perform. Search Engine Optimization isn’t just about your website! It’s about finding ways to drive traffic to your site and have multiple ways for business to appear in search results, all of which ultimately drive traffic to your site.

Producing the video and uploading to YouTube is not the END! The actual details you enter as you upload your video are HUGELY IMPORTANT to the ultimate success of your video!

So many times I’ve seen people wonder “why didn’t this great video get more views?” Often the reason is not the video itself, but the YouTube data with it!

Loading your video to YouTube is not the end. Key components that make or break the value of the video in being an asset to your online marketing include:

The video Title
The video Description
A valid link to related information on your website
The video tags

I’ll dive into the particulars of how to optimize a YouTube video by showing you an example.

YouTube Video EXAMPLE

This is an example of a YouTube video that is not optimized. It is missing key components that would help it be discovered on YouTube search as well as Google search.

What could be better…

The Title: It’s a pontoon boat!

More people search for “Pontoon Boats” than they do for “Sylvan S3,” so if you want to reach those who may want to buy your Sylvan S3 but don’t know about it, then including “pontoon boat” would be important!

A better title than “Sylvan S3” would be “Pontoon Boats 2014: Sylvan S3”.

Keyword needs to be listed right away, then the detail is added. You want your keyword phrase that you are targeting within the first 3-4 words, ideally first 1-2.

Description: Target your keyword phrase again!

Again, the keyword phrase should be listed in the first sentence of the description. That is critical.

You’re description should be at least 2-3 sentences, ideally 3 with the keyword phrase repeated. It should read naturally for people, not stuffed with keywords for engines. Note as well, that only the first few sentences of your video description will appear in search results and above the fold on a watch page, so having the keyword phrases and important details early on is critical.

LINKS!

In my opinion, this is the most often overlooked mistake.

You NEED to include a link in the description to where on your website they can find out more information! This is how you drive more traffic to your website. It allows for discovery of your product/company on YouTube and makes it EASY to find more information on your primary real estate land online, your website!

The link needs to be formatted correctly as well! Simply having “www.yourdomain.com/product” will not make it an active link! YouTube makes it a link if it is formatted as http://www.yourdomain.com/product.. So, in this example, the description should include a link “find out more details about the Sylvan S3 pontoon boat at http://www.sylvanmarine.com/showroom/pontoon/s-series/s3. The link then takes the user to the exact page where they can find out more information.

Tags – Use them wisely!

Each YouTube video offers the uploader the ability to add tags to the video. Tags are descriptive keywords that help YouTube’s discovery systems understand the video topic and therefore deliver it as a search result to new audiences. It’s important to create tags that outline the most important topics for the video. Again, outline your keywords in the tags.

In the example above, key tags would be: “Pontoon boats”, “Sylvan Marine”, “Sylvan S3”, and “Boats” at a minimum! Here’s tips direct from YouTube...

Include a mix of video-specific and more general (but still relevant) tags.
Only use enough tags to thoroughly and accurately describe your videos.
Update video tags when new and relevant viewership trends emerge.
Include keywords from your title in your video’s tags.
Use quotation marks (“) to convey multi-word tags (ex: “Harry Potter”)

Take the time to go through each video you upload and implement these tips to greatly enhance the power of your video! You can have the best video in the world, and yet if so few see it, is it really so great?

Adapted from my original article here.

Pinterest SEO

Here are 4 quick steps to get the most SEO value from your Pinterest marketing campaign.

Optimize your Pinterest profile

As with most social media platforms these days, the first step is to create a Pinterest business account. Pinterest allows users to convert their personal accounts into business accounts. But, it’s advisable to create a dedicated business account from scratch and optimize it for business from the offset.

Among other things, the business account should have an SEO friendly username (in line with what your customers are likely to search for), a complete “about you” section with relevant details and a high-resolution logo, and at least one board where you’ll be adding your pins.

Optimize your website for the campaign

After you’ve created an account, the next step is to prepare your website for what’s to come. There are three main steps here. First, you need to add a Pinterest “tag” to your site. The process is a bit technical, so you may need assistance from your web team. But, once it’s set up, the tag will help you segment your audience, set up conversion events on your site, and report on your performance.

Secondly, you need to add a “Save” button to your site. Adding it requires some code so, again, you may need technical help. Once implemented, the “Save” button allows users to pin images from your site or app on their boards!

Finally, it’s critical you verify your site with Pinterest. A verified site is usually prioritized in Pinterest search results.

Spend some time on keyword search

This is the one thing Pinterest marketers often forget about. Although it takes outstanding pins to wow your audience, you need the right keywords to reach every corner of the audience base and break into new markets.

There are three main ways to find relevant keywords for your campaign. First, the guided search feature is meant to help Pinterest users find relevant pins by suggesting related topics. You can use the recommended items to guide your campaign. Secondly, check what keywords are used in promoted pins and try using those keywords in your campaign. Finally, use the topic categories provided by Pinterest to improve your targeting.

Aim for Pinterest engagement

With everything else in place, round off by making sure that as many people as possible see and engage with your pins. You want as many likes and re-pins as possible and should also aim for lots of comments.

Luckily, there are a couple of tips to help with this. For instance, consider linking your Pinterest account to your other social media networks to boost awareness. You can also leverage Pinterest influencers to expand your reach. Follow relevant and popular brands to take advantage of their vast traffic.

Adapted from original article here.

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