All right get ready because today we're going deep into the world of YouTube SEO Oh YouTube SEO

Yeah and you know what this one is for you guys Oh really Our awesome listeners requested

this deep dive so I think they're going to be seriously blown away by some

of the insights we've got Well with literally billions of videos all battling it out

for those top spots You know figuring out YouTube's algorithm can feel like you're trying to navigate through a digital

jungle Totally It's a jungle out there but luckily we've come prepared We've got a machete in the form

of some serious data and we're going to use it to hack our way through Nice

I'm talking about a study by Eddilo They analyzed over 1.6 million videos to pinpoint what is actually working

in 2025 Yeah data is so key because YouTube's landscape is changing all the time You

can't just rely on hunches or assumptions anymore Absolutely And speaking of assumptions one of the first

myths this study busts wide open is the whole keyword cannibalization thing You know that idea that if you have

multiple videos targeting the same keywords It'll just tank your rankings right spread yourself too thin

get penalized Well it turns out almost 20% of the channels that are ranking at the

cop they actually have multiple videos going after the same keywords So that whole fear about spreading

yourself too thin let it go Wow So you're telling me instead of worrying about cannibalization

I could create a whole series of videos about a specific keyword and YouTube might actually like reward me for

that It's possible think of it as solidifying your expertise in that specific area But of course each video needs

to bring something new and unique to the table right You don't want to just rehash the

same info over and over again You got to keep people engaged Exactly Speaking of engagement that's

got to be a huge piece of the puzzle That's huge likes comments shares all that good stuff

It's not just good stuff It is essential essential stuff yeah So the average engagement rate across all of YouTube

it hovers under 1% But get this those videos that are sitting pretty in the top three spots

Top dogs Yeah they're rocking a 2.65% average engagement rate Whoa almost triple triple OK

so we're not just chasing views anymore We're crafting experiences that get people talking clicking sharing So what are

some ways creators can really boost that engagement factor Well I mean you've got to get your viewers involved right

So ask them questions in your videos encourage discussion in the comment section You could

even run polls or do some live streams where you interact directly with your audience I love that live

streams are so fun They are Now Adillo also dug into view counts and they

found that those top ranked videos the median view count was 300,000 Wow that's a

lot of views right So engagement might be king but views are definitely still part of the

royal Yeah I mean they are but you have to remember correlation doesn't equal causation Just because a video has

tons of views doesn't automatically mean it's going to rank higher It's more likely that the high

engagement is what's driving those views which then signals to the algorithm Hey this is good

stuff Show it to more people It's like a snowball effect Exactly You create amazing content

that gets people talking and the views naturally follow which boosts your visibility Exactly.Bu that positive

feedback loop I like that Speaking of loops let's talk video length There's been so much

hype around long form content taking over YouTube I mean personally I've fallen down some serious YouTube rabbit holes

thinking that those like epic documentaries were the key to success But I have a feeling the

data might tell a different story You might be surprised it turns out the sweet spot

for video length according to this study at least is between 8 and 9 minutes Wait Seriously so much

for those hours I've spent on 30 minute deep dives I think we've all been

there right But I mean think about it especially as seasoned YouTube viewers ourselves like

our attention spans just aren't what they used to be you know How many times have you clicked away

from a video because it felt just a little too long Too many times to count especially

when I'm trying to learn something specific It's like get to the point already right So quality over quantity

reigns supreme even on YouTube It seems so All right now another element that plays into

that user experience is the video description Are those still relevant in 2025 That's a good

question Yeah we're all about optimizing every little detail here So let's hear what the data

says about these video descriptions OK well the study didn't find a direct correlation between

the length of your description and your ranking but they did discover something really interesting Almost every

single top ranked video had a description Really And the average word count was 222 words So what's

the takeaway there Well it sounds like it's not about keyword stuffing It's more about giving

viewers a clear and concise overview of what they're about to watch right expanding on the title

And don't forget those all important links Adelo found that 78% of top ranking videos included at least one

external link in their descriptions That is interesting Why are those links so prevalent I wonder Are they about

driving traffic to other platforms Are they trying to You know signal authority or are they

adding value by giving viewers access to you know extra resources something like that Yeah lots to ponder

there Yeah Speaking of giving viewers what they want let's talk search intent It's not just about stuffing

your title with keywords anymore No definitely not In fact the study found that only 6% of top

ranking videos actually used exact match keywords in their titles Wow 6% That's way lower

than I would have guessed I know So instead of just like laser focusing on One single keyword you know

we need to think about the broader topic and all the different ways people might be searching for

info related to it Yeah we need to align our content with what users are actually looking for

provide valuable answers to their questions even if those questions aren't phrased in the exact way

we might expect So Search intent is all about getting inside the viewer's head Understanding

their needs and then delivering content that really hits the mark Exactly OK Speaking of hitting the mark let's

shift gears a little bit and talk about a more technical aspect Video quality OK Yeah We all know

YouTube is a visual platform so this has got to be crucial right Absolutely The study found that 90%

of those top ranking videos were in HD or 4K resolution OK Message received crystal

clear right Now another technical element I'm curious about is transcripts Are those still making a

difference for SEO in 2025 More than ever the study found that 94% of top ranking videos included transcripts

Wow So it's not just about accessibility anymore that is incredibly important Yes it's also about giving YouTube's algorithm more

to work with Exactly It needs to understand what your video is actually about right It's like a second layer

of SEO beyond the title tags Description And speaking of making your content more accessible the study also found that

It's a win-win You're making your content accessible to a wider audience but you're also

potentially giving your SEO a boost at the same time OK so transcripts and closed captions check and check

All right we've covered a ton of ground already from engagement to Video length to the importance of accessibility

It's a lot But believe it or not there's still more to uncover We're just getting warmed up

Oh buckle up Welcome back to our YouTube SEO Deep Dive We are using that

Adilo study as our roadmap to ranking higher in 2025 And speaking of roadmaps what about those

handy little timestamps Do they actually help us get where we want to go on the YouTube map Well the

study found that while 63% of top ranking videos did use timestamps There wasn't a direct correlation to their

ranking success So they're more about creating a better experience for the viewer rather than

like directly boosting SEO Yeah I think that seems to be the case Think about it from your

own perspective as a viewer Being able to jump to the exact section you're interested in super

helpful Oh for sure It could definitely make a video more engaging and watchable You're

right I use timestamps all the time especially for those longer videos where I just want

to get to the good stuff Speaking of good stuff let's talk thumbnails OK They're like the first impression you

know they are The cover of the book the storefront window for our videos First impressions matter They do

And on a platform as visual as YouTube your thumbnail is often the very first thing people see The Adilo

study actually found that almost 90% Of top ranking videos we're using custom thumbnails So ditch those generic

auto-generated thumbnails and put some effort into creating something eye-catching It's got to be relevant visually appealing and

make viewers want to click Exactly stand out in that sea of content All right entice people to choose

your video over the thousands of others out Now you mentioned hashtags earlier The data here is pretty

interesting Only 37% of top ranking videos were using them So our hashtags dead in 2025 I wouldn't say

they're dead but the data definitely suggests that they're not as crucial for ranking as we might have thought They

could still be useful for categorizing your content And helping viewers discover it but they shouldn't be your primary

SEO strategy So it's more about focusing on quality content and nailing those keywords in your title description and tags

rather than just relying on a hashtag avalanche Exactly OK now brace yourself for this next statistic because

it's a reality check for all of us The study found that the median age of top ranking videos was

SEO It's a long game It's about consistency patience and building a library of evergreen content that

continues to rank and attract viewers over time It's a marathon not a sprint No overnight successes here You

got to be in it for the long haul For sure Speaking of which I've always wondered about verification

Does that coveted checkmark actually help you rank better That's a good question The study found that only

stardom I thought it was It doesn't seem like it No Other factors like engagement watch

time and content quality those carry more weight in the eyes of the algorithm right

Verification might add a bit of credibility Social proof but it's not the be all and

end all of ranking success That's good news for smaller creators who are still working towards that verification

milestone It's really about the content not the clout Absolutely Now something that did stand out in

the study was the power of brands 63% of top ranking videos came from brand channels So

does that mean like individual creators are at a disadvantage Not necessarily but it does highlight

the influence that these established brands have on YouTube They often have like a built-in audience already

a higher level of trust from viewers and usually more resources to put towards video production and promotion

So for those of us who are solo creators or part of smaller teams it's even more important to focus

on building a strong brand identity creating that high quality content and engaging with our audience

authentically You got it And it's also crucial to build a strong online presence beyond YouTube The study

found that 85% of those Top ranking videos came from channels that were linking out

to their website or their social media profiles It's all about creating that ecosystem right where your YouTube

channel acts as the hub the hub here but you're also connecting with your audience

on other platforms It's all about that cross promotion Exactly And another question I know a lot of creators

have is about subscriber count The Adilo study found that the median subscriber count for

top ranking videos was 520,000 OK so that's a lot of subscribers right Does that

mean smaller channels don't stand a chance Not at all Here's where it gets really interesting

even if you're just starting out you can still climb those rankings if you create content that truly resonates with

your target audience Exactly It all comes back to quality engagement and understanding what your viewers are looking

for right Give the people what they want Exactly OK for our last data point in this

section let's address something that's been a hot topic in the YouTube community Location bias The study found that

videos are coming from just one country Yeah does that mean creators outside the US

are fighting an uphill battle It's definitely something to be aware of It raises questions about how

YouTube's algorithm prioritizes content from different regions Is it simply reflecting user demographics or is

there like a potential bias at play It's complex There aren't any easy answers but for creators

outside the US it might mean putting extra focus on optimizing their content for a global audience and

building a strong international following right And as viewers we can also make an effort to explore content

from different countries and cultures It's a two-way street OK we've covered a lot of ground in

this deep dive but there's one final piece of the puzzle to explore The future of YouTube SEO

Oh I like where this is going And that my friends is where we'll pick up in part 3

don't go anywhere Welcome back to the Deep Dive We are wrapping up our epic exploration of YouTube SEO secrets

all thanks to that incredible data from Eddilo It has been quite the ride through the data It really

has We've gone from engagement hacks to thumbnail strategies to even a little glimpse into that mysterious world of

algorithm bias Yeah yeah it's a lot to take in But now for the grand

finale we're peering into the future of YouTube SEO so we've got a handle on what's

working right now But as we all know YouTube's a constantly evolving beast really So

what do you think What do you think the SEO landscape will look like 5 years

from now Got any crystal ball predictions for us If I had a crystal ball

that accurate well I'd probably be too busy sipping cocktails on my yacht to record this you know right but

I think based on the trends we're already seeing There are a few things that

are definitely worth keeping an eye on OK lay it on us What's on the horizon OK first up I

think the emphasis on authenticity is only going to get stronger Audiences are savvy They can

sniff out a fake a mile away for sure and YouTube's getting better at detecting genuine engagement

versus those like manufactured follow for follow schemes So those subscribe for a cookie tactics those are

going to be even less effective Yeah good riddance I see I agree What else what else is brewing

in the future of SEO OK personalization that's a big one OK We're already seeing it happening with those

eerily accurate video recommendations that YouTube just throws our way Like how do they know But I think this can

get even more sophisticated Imagine SEO strategies that aren't just about broad keywords but about understanding

the micron niches within your audience Whoa So instead of casting a net and hoping to catch as many viewers

as possible We're going to be laser focused on like specific groups of people with like hyper-specific interests Exactly

Hit those bull's eyes deliver content that speaks directly to those smaller highly engaged audiences It almost feels like

we're moving away From like mass appeal and towards these like intimate niche communities Yeah yeah it's interesting

What else what else should we be watching for Well community building itself is going to

be massive YouTube's not just a video platform anymore It's a social space where creators and

viewers can connect so think more interactive live streams more collaborations between YouTubers and a greater focus on fostering those

like really close knit communities I'm all for that It brings back that human element that sometimes

gets lost in the algorithm frenzy Yeah for sure OK final perdition Let's get wild Anything truly out there

that you think might shake up the YouTube verse in the next few years OK this is

pure speculation territory but what if YouTube starts incorporating audio analysis more heavily into its algorithm Whoa you mean

like What we're saying in the video matters as much as what's happening visually Exactly They've already got transcripts

but imagine like AI that can analyze the tone of voice the emotion behind the words that

could have a huge impact on how videos are categorized and recommended That's both incredible and a little bit

creepy right It is a little creepy Big Brother on YouTube listening to our every inflection Yeah let's

hope it doesn't go full Orwellian on us but it does show how technology is constantly

pushing the boundaries of what's possible for sure And as creators we've got to be ready to adapt

and evolve alongside Changes no resting on our laurels in the YouTube game Couldn't agree more and that's what makes

deep dives like this one so valuable thanks to Adilo's data we have a solid understanding of what works right

now And by staying curious engaging in these conversations and just like keeping our fingers on

the pulse of those emerging trends You know we can stay ahead of the curve and continue to create

content that connects Absolutely but we want to hear from you guys too What are your predictions

for the future of YouTube SEO Head over to our social media channels Let's continue this conversation We

are all ears because the best insights often come from the community itself so until next time keep

creating keep optimizing and keep diving deep