Key Tips for Writing Better YouTube Descriptions

You’ve probably seen that brief text found at the bottom of every Youtube video. These youtube video descriptions may not seem too important, but they play a role in the success of your content on the platform. And given its vital role, it’s essential to know what is youtube video description and how you can make engaging and memorable ones.

Youtube has millions of active users daily. And this presents a huge marketing potential for businesses in any industry. To keep your brand relevant, you need to build a strong presence on the platform.

To help you out, we’ve listed some key tips on how you can level up your Youtube video descriptions. We’ll also discuss all the basics regarding this often overlooked element in a Youtube video.

What is Youtube Video Description?

A Youtube video description is a series of text accompanying a Youtube video. You can see this at the bottom of your videos or on the Youtube search page. 

This is basically a brief description of what the video is about. You can use this to credit the creative people behind it. For influencers or businesses looking to promote a product, links to a product’s website are added in the description too.

The YouTube application logo displayed on the screen of a phone.
Photo by Szabo Viktor on Unsplash

How Important is Having a Good Youtube Video Description?

Youtube video descriptions can be a powerful marketing tool when used correctly. It’s one of the first things your audience will see. And as such, it needs to provide a compelling reason for them to watch your video.

Aside from giving an excellent first impression, Youtube descriptions also play a role in SEO.

Maintaining a high ranking on YouTube can be difficult, given the huge volume of creators on the platform. But with an optimized and SEO-friendly description, you can bump up your video’s organic ranking and attract better organic traffic.

How to Add Description in Youtube Video

Adding a description to your Youtube video is pretty straightforward. Just follow these steps.

  • Go to the YouTube Studio, click on the Content tab located on the left sidebar
  • Select the video you want to add a YouTube video description too. 
  • Click on the Details tab
  • Type in your Youtube Video description
  • Once you’re done, click on Save.
A woman with her hand on her face, thinking about something.
Photo by Magnet.me on Unsplash

Key Tips for Writing Better Youtube Video Descriptions

Make it Relevant to Your Content.

Your video description needs to let users know what the video is about. It should tell them why they should watch it and what value they can get from it. Don’t just bombard it with aimless text.

Make sure that it’s relevant to your content. This will help your video reach more people who will be genuinely interested in watching it.

Add a pinch of personality.

There’s no need to be too formal in your description. Try to keep it light and conversational. Also, don’t hesitate to show your fun personality to your audience. This is an excellent way of connecting and engaging with your viewers.

People love subscribing to genuine channels that help create a sense of community among their subscribers. So try to show your authentic self, share your journey with them and what inspired you to put up your channel.

Use searchable keywords

Get to know what your target audience is searching for using keyword research. You can do this by looking at search trends on both Google and Youtube.

Once you’ve found your searchable keywords, sprinkle them all over your description. It’s best to use it at least 2-3 times. Using these keywords can improve your SEO and rank higher in search results.

Organize it using timestamps

Both humans and algorithms love timestamps in videos. Think of them as the table of contents of your video. It makes it easier for users to navigate your content and skip the clips they’re not interested in without hassle.

Thanks to timestamps, your videos can become more user-friendly. And the more user-friendly it is, the more people will be willing to watch them repeatedly. 

Note that timestamps are also indexed for mobile searches on Google. It’s essential to use relevant keywords so that more people can discover your content.

Include a strong call-to-action

While people are hooked watching your videos, you should also grab the chance to promote and grow your channel. Use a strong call-to-action to tell them to like your video, leave a comment, and subscribe to your channel. This can help turn random viewers into loyal subscribers.

How Long Should a Youtube Video Description Be?

Youtube gives you a maximum of 5000 characters for your Video description. This is roughly about 800 words, more than enough to give a summary of your video. But you don’t need to use up all of this space.

The golden rule when writing video descriptions on Youtube is to be clear and concise. You don’t want to bore your audience with an unnecessarily long description. You might end up losing some viewers!

Mention only the relevant details about your video or what you’re trying to promote. And try to focus on your first 200 characters. This should pull your viewers in to watch the rest of your video.

To Wrap Up

Now you know what is Youtube video description and how important it is to make your channel successful on the platform. With all the tips you’ve learned in this article, you’re more than ready to create a killer description that will captivate viewers!

Abir is a data analyst and researcher. Among her interests are artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing. As a humanitarian and educator, she actively supports women in tech and promotes diversity.

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