12 Video SEO Tips to Rank Higher on Google

Hours spent filming, editing, and uploading all for a handful of clicks.

Video SEO is the muscle you need to drive real results.

I’ve got 12 battle-tested tips to push your videos up the rankings 👇

Intro to SEO for Videos

You’ve poured sweat into filming, editing, and hitting “upload,” but if your videos are stuck in search-result purgatory, you’re wasting your shot. Video SEO’s the fix: it hauls your video content to the top of the SERPs, snags more views, and turns random watchers into leads or paying customers.

Why’s it matter? Because unranked videos are dead weight. You’re not just losing views; you’re torching time, effort, and money. Flip that script, and video SEO becomes your hustle’s best friend: it drives traffic from search engines, builds your credibility, and puts cash in your pocket.

1. Nail Your Keyword Research

You don’t need to guess what’s trending. Instead, use a tool like Ahrefs to find keywords with solid search volume and gaps you can target.

Ahrefs has a dedicated keyword research tool called Keywords Explorer. Here’s how to use Keyword Explorer to help me brainstorm and find keywords that I can target for a planet alignment video:

1. First, I need to brainstorm some seed keywords that I can then feed to Keyword Explorer. Seed keywords are broad words and terms that Ahrefs will use to find relevant keywords that I can target. My favorite way to brainstorm seed keywords is to use an AI tool like Grok.

   

2. For this example, I’ve focused on astronomy, specifically planet alignment. Here’s the list Grok gave me: “planetary alignment, planet conjunction, superior conjunction, inferior conjunction, naked eye planets, telescopic alignment, inner planet alignment, outer planet conjunction, periodic alignment, rare planetary alignment.” I’ve taken them and pasted them into Keyword Explorer and then hit Search.

   

3. Once Ahrefs has done its thing, it’ll spit out search volume, keyword difficulty, and related terms. Hit Matching Terms to see keywords related to your seed keywords. Then, filter the terms for keyword difficulty and search volume. For this example, I’ve shot for keywords with at least 250 monthly searches and a difficulty score under 40. This narrowed down my search to just five keywords. That makes things super easy!

   

4. I’m going to shoot for “planetary alignment 2025” as it has a KD of 0, an SV of 28K, and information search intent. It’s ripe for the picking!

Before you choose any keyword, use the Google SERPs as a litmus test. Plug the keyword in and see what the results are. Is there a video carousel? That’s a good indication that users are looking for video-based content when searching for your potential keywords.

YouTube is another good way to test out your idea. Searching my chosen keyword, I can see that the first result has 274K views. Looks like I’m onto something.

TLDR:

1. Fire up Ahrefs Keywords Explorer.  
2. Plug in a broad term like “planetary alignment.”  
3. Hunt for long-tail keywords with 250+ searches and low KD (under 40).  
4. Double-check intent. Does it fit your video?  
5. Pick your winner and build around it.

2. Optimize Those Titles

Google prioritizes the first words in your title, so put “planetary alignment 2025” up front. A title like “Planetary Alignment 2025: Upcoming Celestial Events” (51 characters) beats “How to See the Planetary Alignment in 2025” (42 characters).

The keyword-first version boosts your SEO and instantly tells viewers what’s in it for them. No guesswork, just relevance.

Also, keep in mind that search results truncate titles past 60 characters, hiding your best stuff. Stick to the limit, and make every word count.

Try “Planetary Alignment 2025: Best Viewing Tips” (43 characters)—it’s concise, keyword-rich, and fully visible. Compare that to something longer like “How to Prepare for the Planetary Alignment in 2025 and Beyond” (61 characters, risks being truncated and losing impact). Short and punchy wins.

3. Write Descriptions That Work

Google’s hungry for context, and keyword-rich descriptions are its fuel. Aim for no more than 120 characters. Otherwise, the text will be truncated. For a video about “planetary alignment 2025,” weave in additional keywords like “best time to see planets” or “astronomy events 2025.”

But don’t just dump them; make it flow. Here’s a good title that I stumbled across in the wild: “Planetary Alignment 2025: A Rare 7-Planet Parade in the Night Sky This is your LAST CHANCE to see 7 planets align!” Keywords? Check. Readable? Double check.

4. Tag Like a Pro

While tags aren’t as important as they once were, they’re still worth using, particularly for small accounts that are still carving out their place on search.

The easiest way to generate tags is to use a YouTube tag generator. There are a bunch of free options available. I like TunePocket. All you do is plug in your video title, and it’ll do the hard work for you.

Copy the tags and put them into the Tags text box in your video’s details. Easy peasy!

5. Create Transcripts

Search engines like Google can’t “watch” videos. They need text to chew on. That’s where transcripts come in. By turning your spoken content into a crawlable, keyword-packed script, you’re giving Google exactly what it craves.

A transcript is the full text of everything said in your video—every sentence, every stumble, absolutely everything. Imagine your “planetary alignment 2025” video: “On July 15, 2025, a rare planetary alignment will bring Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars into a stunning lineup visible from your backyard.” That’s all indexable now.

So, how do you actually do it?

Jump into YouTube Studio, click Content, then hover over the video and click on the pen (details), next click Subtitles, and click the pen again to add the transcript.

Next, ignore me playing my guitar and instead focus on the four options you have available to you: Upload file, Auto-sync, Type manually, and Auto-translate. Here’s what each one does and what it involves:

Upload File

If you’ve already got a transcript ready, this is your fastest route. You can upload a simple .txt file with the full text of your video or get fancy with a .srt file that includes timestamps. YouTube will sync the text to your video’s audio automatically.

Here’s how it works:

• Timestamps: Each entry has a start time (e.g., 00:00:00,000) and end time (e.g., 00:00:10,000) in the format hours:minutes:seconds,milliseconds. The arrow (–>) separates them.
• Numbering: Each segment is numbered sequentially (1, 2, 3, etc.).
• Text: The spoken content fits within the time range, keeping it natural and digestible.
• Blank Lines: A blank line separates each entry, as required by the .srt format.

Save it as something like: “planetary_alignment_2025.srt,” upload it, and you’re set!

Auto-sync

This is YouTube doing the heavy lifting for you—sort of. Upload a plain text file without timestamps, and YouTube’s algorithm will try to match the words to your audio. It’s quick and low-effort but not flawless.

Type Manually

The DIY option. You play your video, pause it, type what you hear, and repeat until you’re done. It’s time-consuming and tedious but more accurate than autosync. For a short video, it’s doable, or don’t mind burning an hour. You’ve got full control, but you’ll feel every second of it.

Auto-translate

This one’s less about transcripts and more about subtitles for global audiences. YouTube auto-generates translations of your text into other languages. It’s handy if you’re chasing viewers beyond English speakers, but for now, it’s not your priority. Focus on nailing your English transcript first—skip this unless you’re ready to go worldwide.

6. Add Timestamps

Adding timestamps is dead simple on YouTube:

1. Watch your video and jot down the start times of big sections or tips.
2. List each timestamp in the video description using “MM:SS Section Name.” For example:
   1. 0:00 Intro
   2. 1:30 What is planetary alignment
   3. 3:45 What are the biggest alignment events of 2025
   4. 5:20 When are these celestial events happening
3. The platform auto-converts these into clickable links, sending viewers straight to that spot.

   
   

No extra tools, no cost—just a few minutes to make your video a heck of a lot more user-friendly.

7. Design Thumbnails That Pop

Thumbnails are your make-or-break moment. Nail it, and viewers smash that play button. Flop and your video are just digital dust. So, what’s the play?

Your thumbnail’s got to cut through the endless scroll. Bright colors snag eyes like a neon sign. Big text blasts your message. And faces? They’re pure clickbait; humans can’t resist a stare. Drag, drop, and tweak ‘til it’s big and bold. Design not your thing? Canva’s templates are a lifesaver.

Not sure your thumbnail is cutting it? Prove it works. TubeBuddy’s thumbnail tool lets you pit designs against each other and see what racks up clicks. Upload a few, watch the data pour in, and crown the champ.

8. Optimize Filenames

Search engines crawl filenames to figure out what your video’s about. A generic “vid1.mp4” is a wasted shot; it tells Google zilch. But “planetary-alignment-2025.mp4” screams relevance.

There’s not much more to say here. Just don’t skip it. If you do, you’re leaving free SEO on the table. Name it right, and watch it climb the SERPs.

9. Embed on Pages

Videos are like glue for user attention. Drop our “planetary alignment 2025” video into a blog post about stargazing hacks or a product page hawking telescopes, and visitors will stick around.

Longer visits mean happier Google bots, and that bumps your SEO. Imagine a page like “Top Telescopes for 2025 Stargazing” with a video titled “Catch the Planetary Alignment 2025 Like a Pro.” Users watch, they stay, they shop. Simple.

Just don’t slap the video up there and peace out. Wrap it in relevant text like “planet-gazing tips” or “stargazing gear.” This gives Google the context it craves and boosts your page’s ranking juice.

Try this: “Prep for the planetary alignment 2025 with our expert picks. Watch below to see it live with the right telescope.” Keywords locked in, SEO dialed up.

10. Create Playlists

Playlists turn your videos into a seamless experience. Imagine you’ve got a trio of “planetary alignment” videos: “What Is Planetary Alignment?,” “How to Watch the 2025 Event,” and “Top Gear for Stargazing.” Bundle them into a playlist, and viewers can flow from one to the next without lifting a finger.

Here’s a bonus: playlists don’t just support your videos; they can rank on their own. Our “Planetary Alignment 2025 Guide” playlist might show up in search results alongside your individual vids, doubling your visibility. More spots in the SERPs mean more clicks heading your way. It’s a simple way to claim extra SERP turf without breaking a sweat.

11. Add End Screens and Cards

End screens hit in the final 5-20 seconds of a video, throwing up clickable thumbnails to drag viewers deeper into your catalog. For your “planetary alignment 2025” video, link to a playlist like “Planetary Alignment 2025 Guide” or the next episode: “How to Spot the Alignment.”

It’s a dead-simple way to turn one view into a binge session.

Cards kick in anytime during the video, teasing-related content, or quick polls. Slip one in when you mention “stargazing gear” and point to a telescope review video. Keeps viewers locked into your gravitational pull.

12. Repurpose Content

That 10-minute video? It’s packed with potential. Slice it into 60-second TikToks, Instagram Reels, or YouTube Shorts—“Best Spots for the 2025 Alignment” or “Why This Planetary Event Such a Big Deal.” These bite-sized chunks grab viewers who scroll fast and don’t have time for the full deal.

Rather write? Turn the video into a blog post. Transcribe it, punch it up with keywords, and you’ve got a search-friendly article. More of a talker? Rip the audio, slap it into a podcast episode, and hit the ears of people who’d never watch a screen. Same content, new formats, bigger audience.

The more you repurpose your videos, the bigger the audience.

Conclusion and Next Steps

Put these tactics to work, and you’ll see more views, higher rankings on the SERPs, and an audience that actually sticks around.

But here’s the truth: video SEO is just one slice of the search engine optimization pie.

Sure, you can hustle through it yourself, tweaking and testing, or you can outsource to an expert.

That’s where Loganix comes in. We’ve got the know-how to attract the type of attention your content deserves.

👉 Hit up our SEO services page, and let’s do this thing. 👈