How to Write Youtube Descriptions
Summary
- Writing a good Youtube description is a great way to boost the visibility of your video and attract more views on Youtube.
- Most Youtubers neglect the description box even though it can make or break the success of your videos.
- Add important elements such as a comprehensive video summary, newsletter links, tags, contact information, and a disclaimer to boost your video's organic reach
According to Search Engine Journal, Youtube is the 2nd largest search engine in the world! Most Youtubers leave the description box empty and miss out on a good opportunity to rank for more keywords on Youtube search.
You get up to 5,000 max characters in the Youtube description box to put things like:
- keywords
- chapters
- tags
- related videos
- playlists
- affiliate links
- newsletter call to actions
- products
- 1 on 1 coaching links
- social media profiles
- or whatever you want to promote.
Start with Your Most Important Keywords At the Beginning
Since Youtube is a search engine, you will notice that the beginning of your Youtube description shows in the search results whenever browse the Youtube SERPs.
This is a great place to put the most important keywords so that they get bolded in the search results page. I usually repeat most of the main keywords from the title to let my viewers know what the video is actually about.
Add Clickable Outbound Links
Youtube allows clickable outbound links to any website within the description box. I usually place a link near the top of the description that shows just above the “Show More” dropdown tab to attract clicks.
This is a good spot to promote your website/blog, newsletter, product, or 1 on 1 coaching services because people can see the link on the main video page.
Write a Keyword Rich Summary of Your Video
Adding 200+ word keyword rich summary can help boost the visibility and traction of your youtube videos. Most new videos lose views after a few days if you don't optimize them for Youtube search.
When you write a keyword rich summary, Youtube can better understand your content and provide more impressions for your thumbnail and title.
You can simply summarize your video or use ChatGPT to create a video summary for you
Include Popular Tags
Youtube tags are hashtags that show a bunch of related videos based on the keywords. These tags show up next to the title of the video on the Youtube desktop main video page.
I usually add 3 to 5 popular tags to help my videos get discovered by a wider audience.
Add Your Contact Information
Put your email address or website in the description box so viewers can reach out to you at anytime. You can open up opportunities for:
- Future Youtube collabs
- Sponsorships
- 1 on 1 private coaching
- Affiliate deals
- Program launches
- General feedback from your viewers
- Ideas for future Youtube videos
Don't put your main e-mail address in the description box to prevent hackers from targetting your channel.
Create a brand new separate e-mail to protect your Google and Youtube account.
Add Chapters or Timestamps (Optional)
Adding timestamps will help your viewers navigate your video easier and find exactly what they are looking for easier.
Now, this is a controversial topic because a lot of big Youtubers don't use timestamps (i.e. Mr Breast). You could debate that adding timestamps hurts video retention because viewers can skip parts of your video easily due to the timestamps.
However, I noticed some of my most popular videos have timestamps in them so it's a trial and error thing in my opinion.
Timestamps also give you the opportunity to place more keywords within your video and rank higher in Youtube search.
Add a Disclaimer (Optional)
I use a disclaimer for a lot of my Youtube videos because I create content within the financial niche. Adding a disclaimer could help you avoid any potential lawsuits or legal issues in the future.
