Need to rank local videos on YouTube? Check out my method!

I have seen many questions recently regarding ranking videos on YouTube, with responses that are conflicting and contradict each other, not giving the OP a clear reference to do this task. By no means do I endorse this method as a guarantee, or 'the best', but I will say that this has worked and continues to work for me. This is targeted towards keywords and niches, in smaller 'local' areas. If there is competition, this will provide a strong base for the additional SEO strategies that you should implement.

Ranking videos IS a simple concept. Don't over think it!

The steps I follow to rank videos are as follows:

1. Make sure the title of your video has your main keyword included, in a non-spam fashion. For example, if your keyword is : Chinese Food Louisville Kentucky; An acceptable title would be: '*Restaurant Name* - Authentic Chinese Food In Louisville Kentucky'.


2. Make sure the video is at least 1 minute and 30 seconds long, and no longer than 3 minutes long. I find that many videos that businesses upload to YouTube, are short and not engaging. You want the viewer to see the video as engaging content, not just some ad that they are going to spend their time on to watch. This may not directly affect ranking, though a viewers response to the video most certainly does. Get the viewer interested so they can comment (and comment back! show them you care!), share via social media, bookmark it for later, or keep the title as a mental note! Make sure the video spends enough time to make a lasting impression, but won't drown out the viewer. CONTENT IS KEY HERE! Don't 'pitch' on a video, unless its meant for lead generation of some sort. People can click back, pause, or another video faster than they can *hang up* a phone. Share interesting, engaging, and relevant content to keep the viewers eyes glued, and their sight stored inside their head!


3. In the description, write a short but powerful message regarding the video. Try to keep it no less than 4 sentences, and no more than 8. (Give or take considering the size of the sentences, and the content you are writing.) Include your main keyword, and include relevant keywords to your business. Remember, unless you are writing for lead-gen, you want your copy to be attractive and engaging. You want attention, not *sales*. (unless that's what you're going for, of course.) Also, Don't forget to include your business information here such as your business name, URL, phone number, address, and even directions! Here's an example using the 'Chinese Food Louisville Kentucky' keyword:

At *Restaurants Name*, we offer authentic Chinese Food in your local town of Louisville, Kentucky. We take pride in our dishes. Using our family's ancient recipes, we serve classic Chinese favorites such as Mongolian Beef, Kung Pao Chicken, Sesame Chicken, and much more! Don't forget to start off your meal with one of our famous Egg Rolls! We strive to bring great Chinese Food to Louisville. Come by and see our daily specials!

*Restaurant Name*
*Website*
*Phone Number*
*Address*

*Directions from local highway or access road*


4. For your Category, choose the most relevant. As long as your video is not a long shot away, it will work fine. A bad example would be submitting a video on a local restaurant in the 'Gaming' category. Yes, most gamers would love a great restaurant that delivers , but it will not fly so hot in Goog... I mean YouTube's eyes. :p

5. For your tags, include your business name, main keyword, a few derivatives, and a few relevant keywords. Try to keep it no less than 10, and no more than 20 tops. For example:

*Restaurant Name*, Chinese Food Louisville Kentucky, Chinese Food, Louisville, Kentucky, Authentic Chinese Food, Classic Chinese Dishes, Mongolian Beef, Kung Pao Chicken, Sesame Chicken, Egg Rolls, *Phone Number*, *Address*, *Nearest Exit On Closest Hwy*

6. Watch your video blast to the top! Granted, some keywords do have competition! Give it some time for your video to gain some authority, share it via social networks etc. If then your video is still not in sight, you will want to do some additional research and implement some more advanced SEO techniques such as Blog Submissions and Forum Posts. Remember, if you do decide to do that, don't spam! One or two good Video Links on an active self-managed blog located in your city triumphs over spammy submissions. Send them an e-mail, if they're local, they will be interested! Be selective! You are looking for traffic, not just links. A few niche specified forum posts with engaging content and links to your video can be helpful too. Make sure that the forum is active, moderated, and has some authority.

Again, this is not meant for high targeted keywords. But it is a great way to boost 'Local' videos to the top, and set a base for a strong video!

If you have any questions, feel free to ask!

Good luck, and get ranking!