Why do some YouTube videos show up on Page 1 of Google?

Because Google's algo decided that's what best answers the query. "Dog training" is perfectly geared for video answers, while "Dog treats" would be best served by shopping ads.

I think that just a few backlinks for a few easy keywords will help the video rank above the search results.
Some keywords don't have videos because nobody creates a focused video for that keyword.
Happy new year 2020

I use this technique to rank different youtube videos. i know some might disagree, but it works for me.

Optimize video file, thumbnail, tags, and other "on page" settings
Immediate embeds on PBN's
Embed on web 2.0'S
Social Signals
Throw some paid advertisements

because google decided which answer is the best for your search. the keyword you search ''dog training'' is not a perfect keyword for giving an answer.

I understand that Google's algorithm sees that keyword as a video answer, but there were some cases in gaming niche where the keyword is same but the game title isn't and for some games you'll see video rank #1 while for others is a blog post.

Julia.... I think you should just accept it for what it is. Google and YouTube knows that there are savvy marketers out there who are questioning this very thing. It's to make you question your ability to rank keyword rich YouTube videos on the 1st position in SERPS.

So by the time you've figured it out and discovered the asnwer, Google would have changed it's algorithm and throw you another curve ball, which will only make you scratch your head even more. Then eventually you'd use paid advertising to get your videos viewed.

Rather stick to what you've already mastered in SEO and expand on that. Trying to figure out all googles secrets might send you into early retirement.

1. The video will have more views
2. Excellent content quality of the description
3. The keyword will be exact match with a user searched query

The reason as I see it is how the website itself is structured and organized for the search engine and the user experience (UX).

Starting with website's page structure:

1. Top of Page: YouTube video at top of page and on YT of course.
2. Menu directly beneath the video: Keywords (KW) of article that matches the searcher's intent.
3, Article with KW that matches that matches the searcher's intent.
4. Ensure context and relevancy of all of the above:

• the KW of the video.
• the menu of the article.
• the searcher's intent.
• The context and relevancy > very important!

All of the above is packaged as "content."

Ending with the SEO:

Do all of the above and the SEO is pretty much already done for you and all you have to do is distribute (submit) the "content" across relevant channels.

1. Submit the content to "relevant channels" such as:

• Social Media where applicable.
• Quora if applicable.
• yada yada

Know that it takes all of the above that determines why Google:
shows some Youtube videos (for certain search terms) show up on the first page of Google, while others do not

Do deeper SERP research and you will discover that sites that practice the above will almost always show up at/near the top of the SERP. Conversely, research the sites that use the same KW, yet do not practice the above will almost aways not show up on the first page of the SERPs.

You are a professional and you know there is a lot more to it than that, so I won't go into it out of respect for you. Things like comparing two sites being totally different: possibly one site is more Google Friendly, longer established, etc.

Google will show up result query based on intent's user