If you're a creator on YouTube, or want to become one, you have probably experienced the dilemma of titling your videos effectively. Every channel you are trying to channel does it differently, so what is the right way if you want YouTube success?
A great title on a YouTube video can cause a snowball of positive growth for any creator. If it is optimised to the platform's algorithm and generates lots of clicks, it might lead to new audiences discovering your channel and bringing in more subscribers.
While there is no right or wrong way to title a YouTube video, there are a few best practices to follow.
Joreke Kleynhans lays out media update's top tips for titling your YouTube videos below.
Keep It Short
YouTube and social media in general provide high competition due to the high volumes of content published on the platforms every day. YouTube users can easily be overwhelmed by content, so they tend to lean towards the content that is easiest to follow.
Ease of use mostly relates to the content of your video, but it starts with the title. If there are too many words, some users might not even start to read the title. Even worse, your displayed title gets cut off by the dreaded ellipsis before it can even finish — rude!
While YouTube's title character limit is 100, a good length is around 60 characters.
Incorporate Keywords
Social media platforms like YouTube have become greatly popular as search engines, partly because of how easy it is to digest information in an audiovisual format. People do not only use YouTube as a search engine, but Google also generates YouTube videos in its search results whenever a video is relevant.
Therefore, incorporating keywords that people might search for in your video titles on YouTube can completely change how many impressions, clicks and views you get.
There are many free and paid-for keyword research tools available, but to get you started, try to think of common questions people might have about topics you create content on and include those keyphrases in your titles!
Induce Curiosity
Unless your title piques the interest of potential viewers, you won't get any clicks. So, induce curiosity with your titles by:
- using words and phrases like "how to," "why," "surprising," or "did you know"
- writing inquisitive titles like 'How can keywords improve YouTube performance?' or
- including persuasive words like "best," "powerful," "easy," or "quick."
Avoid Clickbait
Reading the previous tips might already have you planning to include as many keywords and as much emotive language as you can in each YouTube video title. However, too much of a good thing never has the desired effect.
Using unrelated keywords or misleading titles might generate lots of clicks when your video first goes live. However, once viewers realise that the video is not what they thought it would be, they will promptly exit your page.
The more people click on your video just to leave within a minute or two, the less the YouTube algorithm will push the video to other potential viewers. This is because YouTube's algorithm analyses watch times and user retention to determine which channels to recommend.
In other words, clickbait titles are nails in the coffin of any otherwise great video.
Incorporate Numbers
Including numbers in your YouTube video titles can help your videos reach the right viewers and convince potential viewers to click on your videos. This is because they provide extra context and clarity.
For example, if your video is titled, 'Five Tips for New Content Creators,' someone who only has a small chunk of time to watch a YouTube video might be more likely to click on the video because you have clearly communicated that this is a bite-sized video with just a few tips.
Similarly, if you have reviewed 50 different lip balms to give your subscribers a comprehensive guide of lip care products, including that number in your video's title immediately convinces potential viewers that your video has the most substance and authority and will provide the clearest insight into the topic.
Additionally, numbers create structure, which makes the video easier to follow.
Did you enjoy these tips? Let us know your thoughts on the topic in the comments section below!
*Image courtesy of Canva