Effective Thumbnails: The Secret to Video Success

What’s the Best YouTube Thumbnail Size?

Richard Bennett

Dec 30, 2022• Proven solutions

0

Making better YouTube thumbnails will help you get more views, and knowing the best YouTube thumbnail size is part of that. There are millions of videos on YouTube, so if you want the audience to click on yours, then you need to make a great first impression.

1. What’s the ideal YouTube thumbnail Size and Dimension?
2. Tips for Perfect Thumbnails
3. Making Better Thumbnails for YouTube

1. What’s the ideal YouTube thumbnail Size and Dimension?

An essential thing that every YouTube video developer needs to know is about the selection of the right side of the thumbnail for any video. As per the guidelines circulated by Google itself, the most appropriate size for the thumbnail image is 1280x720 pixels, where the recommended minimal pixel width is 640 pixels. Generally, the 16:9 ratio is considered as an ideal choice for Most of YouTube previews and players.

Here is one interesting thing that you need to know; the thumbnail of videos appears smaller during searches, but it naturally grows to the full size of a video during suggestions. Now the fact is that upscaling of images often loses the quality of content, whereas it is much easier to downscale larger images into smaller ones. Hence, the best idea is to use large size images so that this search and suggestion based scaling needs can be well accomplished.

You May Also Like:
Top 12 Best Free YouTube Thumbnail Makers >>
How to Download YouTube Thumbnail in 3 Ways [Online/Win/Mac] >>

2. Tips for Perfect Thumbnails

So, if you are ready to add thumbnails to your videos, then it is time to learn a few essential tips to do this task with improved impact. You need to ignore the blurry details and boost the eye-catching ones. Here are a few essential tips for developing the best videos with an impressive selection of thumbnail images:

YouTube’s Default Thumbnails

When you upload your video on YouTube, the platform itself gives you suggestions about thumbnails, and they are directly picked up from your own video. Although the idea is good and original, these thumbnails use to be of low quality with blur details. Hope! You don’t want to lose your audience with this bad selection.

Custom Thumbnails

This is probably the best choice for your customized videos, and the interesting thing is that here you can control everything manually with lots of useful effects.

First of all, you need to open your video on YouTube and then scrub a useful still from your video that you wish to use as a thumbnail.

Now, you need to take a screenshot of this particular instance of your video file. The best part is that most of the operating systems allow users to enjoy several shortcuts to complete this task. For example:

Mac users need to press Command+Shift+4 and then simply highlight the area that you want to include in your screenshot with the help of a frame. The system will automatically save your selected area to your desktop in the form of an image.

Window users are advised to access Windows Key with Print Screen option to get their desired screenshot.

Once you are ready with your video specific still image, then simply get it uploaded on YouTube using the edit video page.

3. Making Better Thumbnails for YouTube

The best part is to access some photo editing software tool to edit your image the way you like. You can use an advanced tool like Photoshop or a free online tool like Canva.

• Focus on Size:

It is always advised to create thumbnail images with standard video file size; the most commonly used standard size range is 1980x1080 or 1280x720. Images having a size smaller than this range may often appear blurry.

• Add Text:

The best idea is to use text-based editing for your thumbnail images and preferably add the title of your video to this image. It will naturally attract more viewers.

• Borders matter:

Professionals recommend adding borders around thumbnail images but do not try to make it too thick rather, try to make it noticeable with fine details.

• Background editing:

Most of the expert video thumbnail developers prefer to change the impact of thumbnail background by simply replacing the background color with solid colors. It will definitely attract more viewers and will bring major attention to the major subject.

• Test it before uploading:

Before uploading your customized thumbnail to your YouTube channel, prefer to check its final view. Zoom in to check the appearance of the thumbnail image on the larger screen, and it should also look fine when sized down.

Now that you know the best YouTube thumbnail size and how to design better thumbnails, do you think you’ll revisit the thumbnails of your existing YouTube videos?

If you want to find a video editing solution that empowers your imagination and creativity yet takes less effort, please try this robust and user-friendly video editing software Wondershare Filmora. It provides special effects, stock photo & video, sound library, etc., which will definitely enhance your productivity and helps to make money by making videos much accessible.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Dec 30, 2022• Proven solutions

0

Making better YouTube thumbnails will help you get more views, and knowing the best YouTube thumbnail size is part of that. There are millions of videos on YouTube, so if you want the audience to click on yours, then you need to make a great first impression.

1. What’s the ideal YouTube thumbnail Size and Dimension?
2. Tips for Perfect Thumbnails
3. Making Better Thumbnails for YouTube

1. What’s the ideal YouTube thumbnail Size and Dimension?

An essential thing that every YouTube video developer needs to know is about the selection of the right side of the thumbnail for any video. As per the guidelines circulated by Google itself, the most appropriate size for the thumbnail image is 1280x720 pixels, where the recommended minimal pixel width is 640 pixels. Generally, the 16:9 ratio is considered as an ideal choice for Most of YouTube previews and players.

Here is one interesting thing that you need to know; the thumbnail of videos appears smaller during searches, but it naturally grows to the full size of a video during suggestions. Now the fact is that upscaling of images often loses the quality of content, whereas it is much easier to downscale larger images into smaller ones. Hence, the best idea is to use large size images so that this search and suggestion based scaling needs can be well accomplished.

You May Also Like:
Top 12 Best Free YouTube Thumbnail Makers >>
How to Download YouTube Thumbnail in 3 Ways [Online/Win/Mac] >>

2. Tips for Perfect Thumbnails

So, if you are ready to add thumbnails to your videos, then it is time to learn a few essential tips to do this task with improved impact. You need to ignore the blurry details and boost the eye-catching ones. Here are a few essential tips for developing the best videos with an impressive selection of thumbnail images:

YouTube’s Default Thumbnails

When you upload your video on YouTube, the platform itself gives you suggestions about thumbnails, and they are directly picked up from your own video. Although the idea is good and original, these thumbnails use to be of low quality with blur details. Hope! You don’t want to lose your audience with this bad selection.

Custom Thumbnails

This is probably the best choice for your customized videos, and the interesting thing is that here you can control everything manually with lots of useful effects.

First of all, you need to open your video on YouTube and then scrub a useful still from your video that you wish to use as a thumbnail.

Now, you need to take a screenshot of this particular instance of your video file. The best part is that most of the operating systems allow users to enjoy several shortcuts to complete this task. For example:

Mac users need to press Command+Shift+4 and then simply highlight the area that you want to include in your screenshot with the help of a frame. The system will automatically save your selected area to your desktop in the form of an image.

Window users are advised to access Windows Key with Print Screen option to get their desired screenshot.

Once you are ready with your video specific still image, then simply get it uploaded on YouTube using the edit video page.

3. Making Better Thumbnails for YouTube

The best part is to access some photo editing software tool to edit your image the way you like. You can use an advanced tool like Photoshop or a free online tool like Canva.

• Focus on Size:

It is always advised to create thumbnail images with standard video file size; the most commonly used standard size range is 1980x1080 or 1280x720. Images having a size smaller than this range may often appear blurry.

• Add Text:

The best idea is to use text-based editing for your thumbnail images and preferably add the title of your video to this image. It will naturally attract more viewers.

• Borders matter:

Professionals recommend adding borders around thumbnail images but do not try to make it too thick rather, try to make it noticeable with fine details.

• Background editing:

Most of the expert video thumbnail developers prefer to change the impact of thumbnail background by simply replacing the background color with solid colors. It will definitely attract more viewers and will bring major attention to the major subject.

• Test it before uploading:

Before uploading your customized thumbnail to your YouTube channel, prefer to check its final view. Zoom in to check the appearance of the thumbnail image on the larger screen, and it should also look fine when sized down.

Now that you know the best YouTube thumbnail size and how to design better thumbnails, do you think you’ll revisit the thumbnails of your existing YouTube videos?

If you want to find a video editing solution that empowers your imagination and creativity yet takes less effort, please try this robust and user-friendly video editing software Wondershare Filmora. It provides special effects, stock photo & video, sound library, etc., which will definitely enhance your productivity and helps to make money by making videos much accessible.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Dec 30, 2022• Proven solutions

0

Making better YouTube thumbnails will help you get more views, and knowing the best YouTube thumbnail size is part of that. There are millions of videos on YouTube, so if you want the audience to click on yours, then you need to make a great first impression.

1. What’s the ideal YouTube thumbnail Size and Dimension?
2. Tips for Perfect Thumbnails
3. Making Better Thumbnails for YouTube

1. What’s the ideal YouTube thumbnail Size and Dimension?

An essential thing that every YouTube video developer needs to know is about the selection of the right side of the thumbnail for any video. As per the guidelines circulated by Google itself, the most appropriate size for the thumbnail image is 1280x720 pixels, where the recommended minimal pixel width is 640 pixels. Generally, the 16:9 ratio is considered as an ideal choice for Most of YouTube previews and players.

Here is one interesting thing that you need to know; the thumbnail of videos appears smaller during searches, but it naturally grows to the full size of a video during suggestions. Now the fact is that upscaling of images often loses the quality of content, whereas it is much easier to downscale larger images into smaller ones. Hence, the best idea is to use large size images so that this search and suggestion based scaling needs can be well accomplished.

You May Also Like:
Top 12 Best Free YouTube Thumbnail Makers >>
How to Download YouTube Thumbnail in 3 Ways [Online/Win/Mac] >>

2. Tips for Perfect Thumbnails

So, if you are ready to add thumbnails to your videos, then it is time to learn a few essential tips to do this task with improved impact. You need to ignore the blurry details and boost the eye-catching ones. Here are a few essential tips for developing the best videos with an impressive selection of thumbnail images:

YouTube’s Default Thumbnails

When you upload your video on YouTube, the platform itself gives you suggestions about thumbnails, and they are directly picked up from your own video. Although the idea is good and original, these thumbnails use to be of low quality with blur details. Hope! You don’t want to lose your audience with this bad selection.

Custom Thumbnails

This is probably the best choice for your customized videos, and the interesting thing is that here you can control everything manually with lots of useful effects.

First of all, you need to open your video on YouTube and then scrub a useful still from your video that you wish to use as a thumbnail.

Now, you need to take a screenshot of this particular instance of your video file. The best part is that most of the operating systems allow users to enjoy several shortcuts to complete this task. For example:

Mac users need to press Command+Shift+4 and then simply highlight the area that you want to include in your screenshot with the help of a frame. The system will automatically save your selected area to your desktop in the form of an image.

Window users are advised to access Windows Key with Print Screen option to get their desired screenshot.

Once you are ready with your video specific still image, then simply get it uploaded on YouTube using the edit video page.

3. Making Better Thumbnails for YouTube

The best part is to access some photo editing software tool to edit your image the way you like. You can use an advanced tool like Photoshop or a free online tool like Canva.

• Focus on Size:

It is always advised to create thumbnail images with standard video file size; the most commonly used standard size range is 1980x1080 or 1280x720. Images having a size smaller than this range may often appear blurry.

• Add Text:

The best idea is to use text-based editing for your thumbnail images and preferably add the title of your video to this image. It will naturally attract more viewers.

• Borders matter:

Professionals recommend adding borders around thumbnail images but do not try to make it too thick rather, try to make it noticeable with fine details.

• Background editing:

Most of the expert video thumbnail developers prefer to change the impact of thumbnail background by simply replacing the background color with solid colors. It will definitely attract more viewers and will bring major attention to the major subject.

• Test it before uploading:

Before uploading your customized thumbnail to your YouTube channel, prefer to check its final view. Zoom in to check the appearance of the thumbnail image on the larger screen, and it should also look fine when sized down.

Now that you know the best YouTube thumbnail size and how to design better thumbnails, do you think you’ll revisit the thumbnails of your existing YouTube videos?

If you want to find a video editing solution that empowers your imagination and creativity yet takes less effort, please try this robust and user-friendly video editing software Wondershare Filmora. It provides special effects, stock photo & video, sound library, etc., which will definitely enhance your productivity and helps to make money by making videos much accessible.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett

Dec 30, 2022• Proven solutions

0

Making better YouTube thumbnails will help you get more views, and knowing the best YouTube thumbnail size is part of that. There are millions of videos on YouTube, so if you want the audience to click on yours, then you need to make a great first impression.

1. What’s the ideal YouTube thumbnail Size and Dimension?
2. Tips for Perfect Thumbnails
3. Making Better Thumbnails for YouTube

1. What’s the ideal YouTube thumbnail Size and Dimension?

An essential thing that every YouTube video developer needs to know is about the selection of the right side of the thumbnail for any video. As per the guidelines circulated by Google itself, the most appropriate size for the thumbnail image is 1280x720 pixels, where the recommended minimal pixel width is 640 pixels. Generally, the 16:9 ratio is considered as an ideal choice for Most of YouTube previews and players.

Here is one interesting thing that you need to know; the thumbnail of videos appears smaller during searches, but it naturally grows to the full size of a video during suggestions. Now the fact is that upscaling of images often loses the quality of content, whereas it is much easier to downscale larger images into smaller ones. Hence, the best idea is to use large size images so that this search and suggestion based scaling needs can be well accomplished.

You May Also Like:
Top 12 Best Free YouTube Thumbnail Makers >>
How to Download YouTube Thumbnail in 3 Ways [Online/Win/Mac] >>

2. Tips for Perfect Thumbnails

So, if you are ready to add thumbnails to your videos, then it is time to learn a few essential tips to do this task with improved impact. You need to ignore the blurry details and boost the eye-catching ones. Here are a few essential tips for developing the best videos with an impressive selection of thumbnail images:

YouTube’s Default Thumbnails

When you upload your video on YouTube, the platform itself gives you suggestions about thumbnails, and they are directly picked up from your own video. Although the idea is good and original, these thumbnails use to be of low quality with blur details. Hope! You don’t want to lose your audience with this bad selection.

Custom Thumbnails

This is probably the best choice for your customized videos, and the interesting thing is that here you can control everything manually with lots of useful effects.

First of all, you need to open your video on YouTube and then scrub a useful still from your video that you wish to use as a thumbnail.

Now, you need to take a screenshot of this particular instance of your video file. The best part is that most of the operating systems allow users to enjoy several shortcuts to complete this task. For example:

Mac users need to press Command+Shift+4 and then simply highlight the area that you want to include in your screenshot with the help of a frame. The system will automatically save your selected area to your desktop in the form of an image.

Window users are advised to access Windows Key with Print Screen option to get their desired screenshot.

Once you are ready with your video specific still image, then simply get it uploaded on YouTube using the edit video page.

3. Making Better Thumbnails for YouTube

The best part is to access some photo editing software tool to edit your image the way you like. You can use an advanced tool like Photoshop or a free online tool like Canva.

• Focus on Size:

It is always advised to create thumbnail images with standard video file size; the most commonly used standard size range is 1980x1080 or 1280x720. Images having a size smaller than this range may often appear blurry.

• Add Text:

The best idea is to use text-based editing for your thumbnail images and preferably add the title of your video to this image. It will naturally attract more viewers.

• Borders matter:

Professionals recommend adding borders around thumbnail images but do not try to make it too thick rather, try to make it noticeable with fine details.

• Background editing:

Most of the expert video thumbnail developers prefer to change the impact of thumbnail background by simply replacing the background color with solid colors. It will definitely attract more viewers and will bring major attention to the major subject.

• Test it before uploading:

Before uploading your customized thumbnail to your YouTube channel, prefer to check its final view. Zoom in to check the appearance of the thumbnail image on the larger screen, and it should also look fine when sized down.

Now that you know the best YouTube thumbnail size and how to design better thumbnails, do you think you’ll revisit the thumbnails of your existing YouTube videos?

If you want to find a video editing solution that empowers your imagination and creativity yet takes less effort, please try this robust and user-friendly video editing software Wondershare Filmora. It provides special effects, stock photo & video, sound library, etc., which will definitely enhance your productivity and helps to make money by making videos much accessible.

Richard Bennett

Richard Bennett is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Richard Bennett

Unlock YouTube Placement Secrets: What Matters Most?

Create High Quality YouTube Video - Wondershare Filmora

An easy and powerful YouTube video editor

Numerous video and audio effects to choose from

Detailed tutorials provided by the official channel

Try It Free Try It Free

Few social media mediums have grown more vital than YouTube. In certain instances, a good YouTube presence could make or break a business or budding entertainment sensation.

Those with high YouTube rankings typically yield more returns from the said venue. Luckily, users might increase these vital statistics by paying close attention to several factors that affect YouTube video ranking.

In this article

Factors that Affect YouTube Video Ranking

Top 8 YouTube Rank Tracker

Factors that Affect YouTube Video Ranking

If you are a YouTuber, you have to understand how videos rank higher. In turn, this will allow you to ensure your content appears in top search results more often. With that in mind, here are some factors that affect your YouTube ranking.

Video Title

YouTube videos number in the many millions. Therefore, users enjoy a significant deal of variety when choosing which ones to view. YouTubers may yield a more favorable ranking by creating a catchy title.

On-page YouTube ranking optimization is crucial if you want to get a higher video ranking. Metadata is one of the YouTube ranking factors; this includes your video title. Essentially, titles give the first impression of any video to end users, YouTube, and search engines.

A well-titled video attracts more traffic, which translates to more views. Experts recommend using short titles that immediately get to the meat and potatoes of what the video entails. Avoid long titles as some devices, browsers, and search engines can cut them off.

Video titles should have five words or less. Don’t forget to place keywords at the beginning of the title. The keywords should also be relevant to your video.

Video Description

When many videos on the same or similar topics exist, content can seem repetitive to prospective viewers. Therefore, YouTubers should offer a short but detailed description of the information contained within. And above all, address how their video stands out from similar content.

Because Google and YouTube cannot extract information from videos, they use text descriptions to define the content on videos. Therefore, if you do not include a description, search engines won’t know what your video is about: this might affect your ranking.

Make sure your video description is 250 words or more. Additionally, include relevant and suitable keywords.

When writing the description, you can place the main keyword in your first 25 words and then link to external URLs; for instance, you could link to related blog content or your social media channels.

Video Quality

Poor quality is an immediate buzz kill. Few people can bear to watch a video with poor sound or picture quality. In many instances, quality is one of the YouTube ranking factors. HD (high-definition) videos rank higher than lower-quality ones. YouTube often highlights HD videos in its top search results.

Filmora can help you improve the quality of your videos, which will make them rank higher. The software allows you to edit your video and change its hue, brightness, saturation, and contrast. You can also crop, cut, and trim your videos.

What’s more? Filmora allows you to adjust output volume, pitch, fade-in, and fade-out to make your video clear. Once you have finished creating your HD video, you can head to the Export tab and select Upload to YouTube to publish your video on your channel.

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

Watch Time

Watch Time is also among the YouTube ranking factors. According to YouTube, Watch Time is the total length of time people spend watching your videos.

YouTube’s algorithm prioritizes videos leading to longer viewing sessions over the ones with more views. You can use Audience Retention Report and YouTube Analytics Views Report to find out which videos have the worst and best view times. Doing this will allow you to plan for your future content accordingly

Using annotations and leaving links to other videos in your description box can help you increase the length of your viewing sessions.

Thumbnails

Thumbnails have a positive effect on click-through rates when used the right way. You can use them to maximize your views and YouTube video ranking.

YouTube generates thumbnails by taking screenshots from videos. However, you might want to go for customized thumbnails, as this will allow you to stand out from your competitors and outperform their videos.

Make sure the image you use as your thumbnail is aesthetically pleasing and grabs the attention of viewers. Also, it should be relevant to the content in your video. Keep in mind that thumbnails with a 16:9 aspect ratio and a 1280-by-20-pixel resolution generally perform best.

Number of Views

Views are a vital YouTube ranking factor, as people are more likely to watch videos with a high number of views. The more views your video has, the higher it will rank, especially for competitive keywords.

If you want to rank high for competitive keywords, ensure that your videos get loads of views. For this reason, you have to take steps and get your video content on other platforms. In turn, you will increase the visibility of your videos and view count.

You could embed your videos into your blog posts or share them on social media platforms to get more people to watch them.

Closed Captions and Subtitles

Adding captions to videos with spoken-word content can improve your YouTube video ranking. Essentially, it opens up your videos to a larger audience, including people who are deaf and anyone speaking a different language from the one in your videos. Search engines also crawl close captions, which can boost your rankings.

While YouTube offers automatic captioning, it is not perfect. So you may need to make some edits or upload the captions yourself.

How to Optimize Your YouTube Ranking

Focusing on User Engagement

One of the best YouTube ranking optimization practices that you can implement is asking users to leave comments, like your videos, and share them. YouTube analyzes these metrics to determine the quality of your content. Ergo, if YouTube sees your video is engaging users, it will rank higher than those with little or no engagement.

Using Video Hashtags

Hashtags help people to find content that provides answers to their questions across various platforms. Use related hashtags when creating your descriptions to ensure people find your videos when searching for specific hashtags.

Tags help drive search because they make main trends more visible. After adding a hashtag to the description, it will appear above the video title, and viewers will see it hyperlinked.

Categorizing Your Video

After uploading your video, you should categorize it by going to Advanced settings. By choosing a category, YouTube will group your videos with similar content. Viewers will find your quickly, as they will come in the right audience searches. In turn, this will help your videos to rank higher.

Conclusion

With 720,000 hours of video being uploaded every day to YouTube, getting your videos to rank high is challenging. But by paying attention to the above YouTube ranking factors, you can improve your video ranking.

Try It Free Try It Free

Few social media mediums have grown more vital than YouTube. In certain instances, a good YouTube presence could make or break a business or budding entertainment sensation.

Those with high YouTube rankings typically yield more returns from the said venue. Luckily, users might increase these vital statistics by paying close attention to several factors that affect YouTube video ranking.

In this article

Factors that Affect YouTube Video Ranking

Top 8 YouTube Rank Tracker

Factors that Affect YouTube Video Ranking

If you are a YouTuber, you have to understand how videos rank higher. In turn, this will allow you to ensure your content appears in top search results more often. With that in mind, here are some factors that affect your YouTube ranking.

Video Title

YouTube videos number in the many millions. Therefore, users enjoy a significant deal of variety when choosing which ones to view. YouTubers may yield a more favorable ranking by creating a catchy title.

On-page YouTube ranking optimization is crucial if you want to get a higher video ranking. Metadata is one of the YouTube ranking factors; this includes your video title. Essentially, titles give the first impression of any video to end users, YouTube, and search engines.

A well-titled video attracts more traffic, which translates to more views. Experts recommend using short titles that immediately get to the meat and potatoes of what the video entails. Avoid long titles as some devices, browsers, and search engines can cut them off.

Video titles should have five words or less. Don’t forget to place keywords at the beginning of the title. The keywords should also be relevant to your video.

Video Description

When many videos on the same or similar topics exist, content can seem repetitive to prospective viewers. Therefore, YouTubers should offer a short but detailed description of the information contained within. And above all, address how their video stands out from similar content.

Because Google and YouTube cannot extract information from videos, they use text descriptions to define the content on videos. Therefore, if you do not include a description, search engines won’t know what your video is about: this might affect your ranking.

Make sure your video description is 250 words or more. Additionally, include relevant and suitable keywords.

When writing the description, you can place the main keyword in your first 25 words and then link to external URLs; for instance, you could link to related blog content or your social media channels.

Video Quality

Poor quality is an immediate buzz kill. Few people can bear to watch a video with poor sound or picture quality. In many instances, quality is one of the YouTube ranking factors. HD (high-definition) videos rank higher than lower-quality ones. YouTube often highlights HD videos in its top search results.

Filmora can help you improve the quality of your videos, which will make them rank higher. The software allows you to edit your video and change its hue, brightness, saturation, and contrast. You can also crop, cut, and trim your videos.

What’s more? Filmora allows you to adjust output volume, pitch, fade-in, and fade-out to make your video clear. Once you have finished creating your HD video, you can head to the Export tab and select Upload to YouTube to publish your video on your channel.

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

Watch Time

Watch Time is also among the YouTube ranking factors. According to YouTube, Watch Time is the total length of time people spend watching your videos.

YouTube’s algorithm prioritizes videos leading to longer viewing sessions over the ones with more views. You can use Audience Retention Report and YouTube Analytics Views Report to find out which videos have the worst and best view times. Doing this will allow you to plan for your future content accordingly

Using annotations and leaving links to other videos in your description box can help you increase the length of your viewing sessions.

Thumbnails

Thumbnails have a positive effect on click-through rates when used the right way. You can use them to maximize your views and YouTube video ranking.

YouTube generates thumbnails by taking screenshots from videos. However, you might want to go for customized thumbnails, as this will allow you to stand out from your competitors and outperform their videos.

Make sure the image you use as your thumbnail is aesthetically pleasing and grabs the attention of viewers. Also, it should be relevant to the content in your video. Keep in mind that thumbnails with a 16:9 aspect ratio and a 1280-by-20-pixel resolution generally perform best.

Number of Views

Views are a vital YouTube ranking factor, as people are more likely to watch videos with a high number of views. The more views your video has, the higher it will rank, especially for competitive keywords.

If you want to rank high for competitive keywords, ensure that your videos get loads of views. For this reason, you have to take steps and get your video content on other platforms. In turn, you will increase the visibility of your videos and view count.

You could embed your videos into your blog posts or share them on social media platforms to get more people to watch them.

Closed Captions and Subtitles

Adding captions to videos with spoken-word content can improve your YouTube video ranking. Essentially, it opens up your videos to a larger audience, including people who are deaf and anyone speaking a different language from the one in your videos. Search engines also crawl close captions, which can boost your rankings.

While YouTube offers automatic captioning, it is not perfect. So you may need to make some edits or upload the captions yourself.

How to Optimize Your YouTube Ranking

Focusing on User Engagement

One of the best YouTube ranking optimization practices that you can implement is asking users to leave comments, like your videos, and share them. YouTube analyzes these metrics to determine the quality of your content. Ergo, if YouTube sees your video is engaging users, it will rank higher than those with little or no engagement.

Using Video Hashtags

Hashtags help people to find content that provides answers to their questions across various platforms. Use related hashtags when creating your descriptions to ensure people find your videos when searching for specific hashtags.

Tags help drive search because they make main trends more visible. After adding a hashtag to the description, it will appear above the video title, and viewers will see it hyperlinked.

Categorizing Your Video

After uploading your video, you should categorize it by going to Advanced settings. By choosing a category, YouTube will group your videos with similar content. Viewers will find your quickly, as they will come in the right audience searches. In turn, this will help your videos to rank higher.

Conclusion

With 720,000 hours of video being uploaded every day to YouTube, getting your videos to rank high is challenging. But by paying attention to the above YouTube ranking factors, you can improve your video ranking.

Try It Free Try It Free

Few social media mediums have grown more vital than YouTube. In certain instances, a good YouTube presence could make or break a business or budding entertainment sensation.

Those with high YouTube rankings typically yield more returns from the said venue. Luckily, users might increase these vital statistics by paying close attention to several factors that affect YouTube video ranking.

In this article

Factors that Affect YouTube Video Ranking

Top 8 YouTube Rank Tracker

Factors that Affect YouTube Video Ranking

If you are a YouTuber, you have to understand how videos rank higher. In turn, this will allow you to ensure your content appears in top search results more often. With that in mind, here are some factors that affect your YouTube ranking.

Video Title

YouTube videos number in the many millions. Therefore, users enjoy a significant deal of variety when choosing which ones to view. YouTubers may yield a more favorable ranking by creating a catchy title.

On-page YouTube ranking optimization is crucial if you want to get a higher video ranking. Metadata is one of the YouTube ranking factors; this includes your video title. Essentially, titles give the first impression of any video to end users, YouTube, and search engines.

A well-titled video attracts more traffic, which translates to more views. Experts recommend using short titles that immediately get to the meat and potatoes of what the video entails. Avoid long titles as some devices, browsers, and search engines can cut them off.

Video titles should have five words or less. Don’t forget to place keywords at the beginning of the title. The keywords should also be relevant to your video.

Video Description

When many videos on the same or similar topics exist, content can seem repetitive to prospective viewers. Therefore, YouTubers should offer a short but detailed description of the information contained within. And above all, address how their video stands out from similar content.

Because Google and YouTube cannot extract information from videos, they use text descriptions to define the content on videos. Therefore, if you do not include a description, search engines won’t know what your video is about: this might affect your ranking.

Make sure your video description is 250 words or more. Additionally, include relevant and suitable keywords.

When writing the description, you can place the main keyword in your first 25 words and then link to external URLs; for instance, you could link to related blog content or your social media channels.

Video Quality

Poor quality is an immediate buzz kill. Few people can bear to watch a video with poor sound or picture quality. In many instances, quality is one of the YouTube ranking factors. HD (high-definition) videos rank higher than lower-quality ones. YouTube often highlights HD videos in its top search results.

Filmora can help you improve the quality of your videos, which will make them rank higher. The software allows you to edit your video and change its hue, brightness, saturation, and contrast. You can also crop, cut, and trim your videos.

What’s more? Filmora allows you to adjust output volume, pitch, fade-in, and fade-out to make your video clear. Once you have finished creating your HD video, you can head to the Export tab and select Upload to YouTube to publish your video on your channel.

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

Watch Time

Watch Time is also among the YouTube ranking factors. According to YouTube, Watch Time is the total length of time people spend watching your videos.

YouTube’s algorithm prioritizes videos leading to longer viewing sessions over the ones with more views. You can use Audience Retention Report and YouTube Analytics Views Report to find out which videos have the worst and best view times. Doing this will allow you to plan for your future content accordingly

Using annotations and leaving links to other videos in your description box can help you increase the length of your viewing sessions.

Thumbnails

Thumbnails have a positive effect on click-through rates when used the right way. You can use them to maximize your views and YouTube video ranking.

YouTube generates thumbnails by taking screenshots from videos. However, you might want to go for customized thumbnails, as this will allow you to stand out from your competitors and outperform their videos.

Make sure the image you use as your thumbnail is aesthetically pleasing and grabs the attention of viewers. Also, it should be relevant to the content in your video. Keep in mind that thumbnails with a 16:9 aspect ratio and a 1280-by-20-pixel resolution generally perform best.

Number of Views

Views are a vital YouTube ranking factor, as people are more likely to watch videos with a high number of views. The more views your video has, the higher it will rank, especially for competitive keywords.

If you want to rank high for competitive keywords, ensure that your videos get loads of views. For this reason, you have to take steps and get your video content on other platforms. In turn, you will increase the visibility of your videos and view count.

You could embed your videos into your blog posts or share them on social media platforms to get more people to watch them.

Closed Captions and Subtitles

Adding captions to videos with spoken-word content can improve your YouTube video ranking. Essentially, it opens up your videos to a larger audience, including people who are deaf and anyone speaking a different language from the one in your videos. Search engines also crawl close captions, which can boost your rankings.

While YouTube offers automatic captioning, it is not perfect. So you may need to make some edits or upload the captions yourself.

How to Optimize Your YouTube Ranking

Focusing on User Engagement

One of the best YouTube ranking optimization practices that you can implement is asking users to leave comments, like your videos, and share them. YouTube analyzes these metrics to determine the quality of your content. Ergo, if YouTube sees your video is engaging users, it will rank higher than those with little or no engagement.

Using Video Hashtags

Hashtags help people to find content that provides answers to their questions across various platforms. Use related hashtags when creating your descriptions to ensure people find your videos when searching for specific hashtags.

Tags help drive search because they make main trends more visible. After adding a hashtag to the description, it will appear above the video title, and viewers will see it hyperlinked.

Categorizing Your Video

After uploading your video, you should categorize it by going to Advanced settings. By choosing a category, YouTube will group your videos with similar content. Viewers will find your quickly, as they will come in the right audience searches. In turn, this will help your videos to rank higher.

Conclusion

With 720,000 hours of video being uploaded every day to YouTube, getting your videos to rank high is challenging. But by paying attention to the above YouTube ranking factors, you can improve your video ranking.

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Few social media mediums have grown more vital than YouTube. In certain instances, a good YouTube presence could make or break a business or budding entertainment sensation.

Those with high YouTube rankings typically yield more returns from the said venue. Luckily, users might increase these vital statistics by paying close attention to several factors that affect YouTube video ranking.

In this article

Factors that Affect YouTube Video Ranking

Top 8 YouTube Rank Tracker

Factors that Affect YouTube Video Ranking

If you are a YouTuber, you have to understand how videos rank higher. In turn, this will allow you to ensure your content appears in top search results more often. With that in mind, here are some factors that affect your YouTube ranking.

Video Title

YouTube videos number in the many millions. Therefore, users enjoy a significant deal of variety when choosing which ones to view. YouTubers may yield a more favorable ranking by creating a catchy title.

On-page YouTube ranking optimization is crucial if you want to get a higher video ranking. Metadata is one of the YouTube ranking factors; this includes your video title. Essentially, titles give the first impression of any video to end users, YouTube, and search engines.

A well-titled video attracts more traffic, which translates to more views. Experts recommend using short titles that immediately get to the meat and potatoes of what the video entails. Avoid long titles as some devices, browsers, and search engines can cut them off.

Video titles should have five words or less. Don’t forget to place keywords at the beginning of the title. The keywords should also be relevant to your video.

Video Description

When many videos on the same or similar topics exist, content can seem repetitive to prospective viewers. Therefore, YouTubers should offer a short but detailed description of the information contained within. And above all, address how their video stands out from similar content.

Because Google and YouTube cannot extract information from videos, they use text descriptions to define the content on videos. Therefore, if you do not include a description, search engines won’t know what your video is about: this might affect your ranking.

Make sure your video description is 250 words or more. Additionally, include relevant and suitable keywords.

When writing the description, you can place the main keyword in your first 25 words and then link to external URLs; for instance, you could link to related blog content or your social media channels.

Video Quality

Poor quality is an immediate buzz kill. Few people can bear to watch a video with poor sound or picture quality. In many instances, quality is one of the YouTube ranking factors. HD (high-definition) videos rank higher than lower-quality ones. YouTube often highlights HD videos in its top search results.

Filmora can help you improve the quality of your videos, which will make them rank higher. The software allows you to edit your video and change its hue, brightness, saturation, and contrast. You can also crop, cut, and trim your videos.

What’s more? Filmora allows you to adjust output volume, pitch, fade-in, and fade-out to make your video clear. Once you have finished creating your HD video, you can head to the Export tab and select Upload to YouTube to publish your video on your channel.

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

Watch Time

Watch Time is also among the YouTube ranking factors. According to YouTube, Watch Time is the total length of time people spend watching your videos.

YouTube’s algorithm prioritizes videos leading to longer viewing sessions over the ones with more views. You can use Audience Retention Report and YouTube Analytics Views Report to find out which videos have the worst and best view times. Doing this will allow you to plan for your future content accordingly

Using annotations and leaving links to other videos in your description box can help you increase the length of your viewing sessions.

Thumbnails

Thumbnails have a positive effect on click-through rates when used the right way. You can use them to maximize your views and YouTube video ranking.

YouTube generates thumbnails by taking screenshots from videos. However, you might want to go for customized thumbnails, as this will allow you to stand out from your competitors and outperform their videos.

Make sure the image you use as your thumbnail is aesthetically pleasing and grabs the attention of viewers. Also, it should be relevant to the content in your video. Keep in mind that thumbnails with a 16:9 aspect ratio and a 1280-by-20-pixel resolution generally perform best.

Number of Views

Views are a vital YouTube ranking factor, as people are more likely to watch videos with a high number of views. The more views your video has, the higher it will rank, especially for competitive keywords.

If you want to rank high for competitive keywords, ensure that your videos get loads of views. For this reason, you have to take steps and get your video content on other platforms. In turn, you will increase the visibility of your videos and view count.

You could embed your videos into your blog posts or share them on social media platforms to get more people to watch them.

Closed Captions and Subtitles

Adding captions to videos with spoken-word content can improve your YouTube video ranking. Essentially, it opens up your videos to a larger audience, including people who are deaf and anyone speaking a different language from the one in your videos. Search engines also crawl close captions, which can boost your rankings.

While YouTube offers automatic captioning, it is not perfect. So you may need to make some edits or upload the captions yourself.

How to Optimize Your YouTube Ranking

Focusing on User Engagement

One of the best YouTube ranking optimization practices that you can implement is asking users to leave comments, like your videos, and share them. YouTube analyzes these metrics to determine the quality of your content. Ergo, if YouTube sees your video is engaging users, it will rank higher than those with little or no engagement.

Using Video Hashtags

Hashtags help people to find content that provides answers to their questions across various platforms. Use related hashtags when creating your descriptions to ensure people find your videos when searching for specific hashtags.

Tags help drive search because they make main trends more visible. After adding a hashtag to the description, it will appear above the video title, and viewers will see it hyperlinked.

Categorizing Your Video

After uploading your video, you should categorize it by going to Advanced settings. By choosing a category, YouTube will group your videos with similar content. Viewers will find your quickly, as they will come in the right audience searches. In turn, this will help your videos to rank higher.

Conclusion

With 720,000 hours of video being uploaded every day to YouTube, getting your videos to rank high is challenging. But by paying attention to the above YouTube ranking factors, you can improve your video ranking.

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