Why do you take SEO advice???

[PrettyKeli]

Let's just call this the WHY thread. I've been seeing things on this forum concerning SEO tips that have brought me to tears. People are giving advice, others are taking it and the advice is so far left, it can't be right.

Please answer these questions for me, it will help me help people in the future and get the correct wording for my help.

Why do you take SEO advice from people who aren't ranking in the search? Or, if they are ranking it's only for a few videos 0_o

This is something that baffles me and I would LOVE to understand.

Why do you get tips from people about SEO, apply them, they don't work, and then you continue to use them?

Are you hoping one day it will work?

Why do you share tips on SEO if you don't apply them or you do apply them and they aren't even working for you?

Why do you take SEO advice from BIG YouTubers who never utilized SEO?

Seriously, not trolling, I would just love to understand why when it comes to SEO people are willing to hit their head against a brick wall continuously in the hopes the brick will turn into a pillow.

I'm so confused, please help me.

 

[Political Junkie News]

Your questions basically boil down to: 'Why take bad advice from ill informed people?', which obviously answers itself: don't.

Is there some massive outbreak of bad SEO advice on here that I've missed?
I've used some of the advice in this forum (especially the articles about tubebuddy) to rank videos.

Also, maybe some SEO strategies haven't worked for you, but they've worked for other people. We're all running different channels with different goals. There's no one-size-fits-all approach to this stuff.

 

[PrettyKeli]

Your questions basically boil down to: 'Why take bad advice from ill informed people?', which obviously answers itself: don't.

Is there some massive outbreak of bad SEO advice on here that I've missed?
I've used some of the advice in this forum (especially the articles about tubebuddy) to rank videos.

Also, maybe some SEO strategies haven't worked for you, but they've worked for other people. We're all running different channels with different goals. There's no one-size-fits-all approach to this stuff.

It really does answer itself but it seems as though 90% of the people choose to take the wrong advice, apply it, see it doesn't work, and continue to use it. It is baffling to me.

That's what I've seen on this forum, blatant misinformation concerning many tips but ESPECIALLY SEO.

There is a one-size-fits all when it comes to SEO. It's truly black and white. Either it works or it doesn't. Not kinda sorta works or "I rank a little bit" because then it doesn't work, am I right?

A woman can't get sorta pregnant, A person can't be kinda dead, so why is it ok to sorta rank? (not talking to you directly just genuinely trying to figure out why people think this is acceptable)

I just feel people on here are working so hard and fighting to make great content, don't you think they deserve to have their videos watched? Don't they deserve more subscribers? Why aren't they getting more views and subscribers? What is making them hold onto information that "kinda sorta works a little bit" and sticking to it like glue?

So, it's not about "not working for me" with SEO it either works, or it doesn't. It's an on and off light switch, not a dimmer. People seem to be complacent with the mood lighting and I can't understand why they wont just TRY, just TRY to turn the switch all the way on.

A lot of people seem to take the way I type offensive, I hope you don't because that isn't my intention.

 

[Political Junkie News]

It really does answer itself but it seems as though 90% of the people choose to take the wrong advice, apply it, see it doesn't work, and continue to use it. It is baffling to me.

That's what I've seen on this forum, blatant misinformation concerning many tips but ESPECIALLY SEO.

There is a one-size-fits all when it comes to SEO. It's truly black and white. Either it works or it doesn't. Not kinda sorta works or "I rank a little bit" because then it doesn't work, am I right?

A woman can't get sorta pregnant, A person can't be kinda dead, so why is it ok to sorta rank? (not talking to you directly just genuinely trying to figure out why people think this is acceptable)

I just feel people on here are working so hard and fighting to make great content, don't you think they deserve to have their videos watched? Don't they deserve more subscribers? Why aren't they getting more views and subscribers? What is making them hold onto information that "kinda sorta works a little bit" and sticking to it like glue?

So, it's not about "not working for me" with SEO it either works, or it doesn't. It's an on and off light switch, not a dimmer. People seem to be complacent with the mood lighting and I can't understand why they wont just TRY, just TRY to turn the switch all the way on.

A lot of people seem to take the way I type offensive, I hope you don't because that isn't my intention.

There is no one-size-fites-all approach to SEO. That's ridiculous.
A How-to channel needs cut and dry keywords in their title. "Iphone 6 s Review 2015", (emphasis on keywords)
A vlog might need to spice up their keywords with a little clickbait "OMG my Iphone 6s went in the toilet" (emphasis on story and clickability)
A gaming channel will want to highlight series "My favorite iphone mobile game lets play #7" (emphasis on series/watch time)

All of these examples could flourish or die with the wrong audience or genre.

 

[PrettyKeli]

There is no one-size-fites-all approach to SEO. That's ridiculous.
A How-to channel needs cut and dry keywords in their title. "Iphone 6 s Review 2015", (emphasis on keywords)
A vlog might need to spice up their keywords with a little clickbait "OMG my Iphone 6s went in the toilet" (emphasis on story and clickability)
A gaming channel will want to highlight series "My favorite iphone mobile game lets play #7" (emphasis on series/watch time)

All of these examples could flourish or die with the wrong audience or genre.

All of those examples are examples of Keywords

Keywords are not cut and dry, never has been never will be. There are buying keywords, keywords that provoke call-to-actions, long-tail keywords etc. etc.

I'm saying the way to search engine optimize a video is CUT AND DRY

Do your keyword research, Apply SEO before, during and after creation of the video. the end! cut and dry, no kinda sorta method.

lol I find it so funny how everyone on here wants to argue with me when all I'm trying to do is understand and help.

But hey, do whatever has been ranking you on the first page of YouTube for all of your target keywords. All I'm saying is, if you're not there? Stop saying advice works, when your "try" is the perfect example that it doesn't. (to clarify when I say YOU I'm not referring to you directly just anyone doing this nonsense which once again is 90% of the people on here)

 

[MrPRinson]

I'll be honest here.
Most of the time when I give any advance regarding SEO, Keyword resreach, content etc.
I use Mozblog as the source (again - most of the time).
I don't presume to know anything regarding SEO or marketing in general.

I think that the best tip that can be given here is - share your source of information.
P.s - Google > Rank Fishkin ,Moz

 

[Political Junkie News]

All of those examples are examples of Keywords

Keywords are not cut and dry, never has been never will be. There are buying keywords, keywords that provoke call-to-actions, long-tail keywords etc. etc.

I'm saying the way to search engine optimize a video is CUT AND DRY

Do your keyword research, Apply SEO before, during and after creation of the video. the end! cut and dry, no kinda sorta method.

lol I find it so funny how everyone on here wants to argue with me when all I'm trying to do is understand and help.

But hey, do whatever has been ranking you on the first page of YouTube for all of your target keywords. All I'm saying is, if you're not there? Stop saying advice works, when your "try" is the perfect example that it doesn't. (to clarify when I say YOU I'm not referring to you directly just anyone doing this nonsense which once again is 90% of the people on here)

You started this thread as a giant rant and are now surprised when people argue with you.
You must be trolling.

 

[Idec Sdawkminn]

It's probably because people can't tell what advice is good and what isn't. And people naturally associate a certain piece of advice as "good" if the person giving it sounds confident and positive. But that only explains why people try out their advice.

Once they do, there are so many factors involved in the ranking of a video that it is very difficult to tell what is working and what isn't. Maybe the inclusion of a certain keyword is helping it. You can't see what people searched for in the YouTube search results traffic sources analytic. Also, certain keywords could be causing one video to be suggested on another popular video. No way to tell exactly which ones were used. Was it the long-tail one? Was it just that people suddenly started searching for a certain topic and the video you tried out someone's SEO advice on just happened to be in that topic? Audience retention also has a lot to do with ranking, so a good or bad ranking could have nothing to do with the SEO of a certain video.

It's just very difficult to rule out a piece of SEO advice, so if someone confidently and cheerfully gives it, a lot of people probably assume that any poor ranking that comes from it just means that with their content, that is the best they could rank.

I'm curious what type of bad SEO advice you've read. Maybe start a "SEO Don'ts" guide.

 

[PrettyKeli]

You started this thread as a giant rant and are now surprised when people argue with you.
You must be trolling.

I honestly didn't start it as a rant. I am genuinely asking a question. I know many small youtubers who are getting wrong SEO info, applying it, it doesn't work, and then they still stick to it like glue. I honestly wanted to know why. Why is that so hard to comprehend?

It's probably because people can't tell what advice is good and what isn't. And people naturally associate a certain piece of advice as "good" if the person giving it sounds confident and positive. But that only explains why people try out their advice.

Once they do, there are so many factors involved in the ranking of a video that it is very difficult to tell what is working and what isn't. Maybe the inclusion of a certain keyword is helping it. You can't see what people searched for in the YouTube search results traffic sources analytic. Also, certain keywords could be causing one video to be suggested on another popular video. No way to tell exactly which ones were used. Was it the long-tail one? Was it just that people suddenly started searching for a certain topic and the video you tried out someone's SEO advice on just happened to be in that topic? Audience retention also has a lot to do with ranking, so a good or bad ranking could have nothing to do with the SEO of a certain video.

It's just very difficult to rule out a piece of SEO advice, so if someone confidently and cheerfully gives it, a lot of people probably assume that any poor ranking that comes from it just means that with their content, that is the best they could rank.

I'm curious what type of bad SEO advice you've read. Maybe start a "SEO Don'ts" guide.

GREAT advice on starting the SEO Don'ts guide! The only problem is? I believe people will not believe it and not apply it which equates to me wasting my time.

Over the years I have also learned that for the most part people don't respect free knowledge.

Most will happily take advice from someone who is on their same level before taking advice from someone higher up, not sure why.

Thank you so much for taking this post seriously and helping me figure out how people may be thinking and why they do what they do. It genuinely was making no sense to me.



Just some quick tips for you:

In your analytics you CAN <--- CAN find out what keywords brought traffic to your video. In fact, you can see any and every keyword that worked as well as the retention from the video, watch time etc. Go back and check your analytics.

Most people get a majority of their views from suggested video, a majority of mine come from "YouTube Search"

Audience retention has a LOT to do with SEO but YOU control Audience retention. It's so simple but most people choose to feel helpless when it comes to retention.

You have to analyze your previous videos and their audience retention. You will notice a pattern, things you do to lose people, and things you do that make the retention go up "very high" as well as things you do to level it and the AVG duration.

If you know your audience stays around for 1:30 on avg, why are you making 20 min videos expecting good retention 0_o the smartest thing to do would be to make videos WAYYYYY closer to the 1:30 mark.

Once again when I say "you" I'm not referring to you specifically, I just type how I talk so don't get offended.

Really appreciate your input, it was helpful ^_^

 

[Idec Sdawkminn]

So I was mistaken. When I was talking about not knowing what people typed in for search terms, I mixed up the YouTube search results and Google.com search results. You can't see what people searched for when they came from Google. So yes, you can go through and see how people found your video through typing in search results.

In my case, most of my views come from Suggested Videos. Most of the views I get from search was people typing in stuff that I already have in my tags, or they were looking specifically for my video.

Regarding video length, I don't think an average view time of 1:30 on a 20-minute video is worse for your ranking than on a 2-minute video. I don't think it is the percentage of the video that counts, but the minutes watched, and a longer video has more potential for more minutes watched. Do your experiences conflict with this?

Lastly, the more experienced YouTubers usually give sound advice that probably seems counter-intuitive to most people because they don't understand how the system really works. It is also more vague because it requires the channel owner to tailor it to work for their content type, which means it requires more work for the channel owner. The advice from their peers (being those with similarly-small channels) is usually easier to follow and makes sense at first glance because it fits with their current knowledge. It is human nature to sort through suggestions and advice until one finds one they can do with minimal work and/or like the sound of.