Are you sitting on a treasure trove of old YouTube videos that are not getting the attention they deserve? Don't worry, you're not alone. Many creators forget about older content, but the good news is that you can easily breathe new life into your videos with a few optimization tweaks. Here’s a simple, step-by-step guide to help you optimize your old YouTube videos and boost their views, engagement, and reach.
Reevaluate Your Video Titles and Descriptions
Your video title is the first thing viewers see, and it plays a major role in whether they’ll click to watch your video. Revisit your old titles and ensure they are clear, engaging, and include relevant keywords. For instance, if you made a tutorial video a couple of years ago on "How to Draw a Cat," it could be updated to something like "How to Draw a Cat – Easy Step-by-Step Tutorial for Beginners."
The same goes for your video descriptions. YouTube’s algorithm loves detailed descriptions, so be sure to provide a thorough explanation of your video content. Don’t just focus on keywords, but also give valuable context that might help your viewers understand what your video is about. Include a few important keywords but keep the description natural and easy to read. This can boost your search rankings.
Add Engaging Thumbnails
Thumbnails are one of the most important factors that can affect the click- through rate (CTR) of your video. Even for older videos, updating your thumbnail can make a significant difference. A clear, high-quality thumbnail grabs attention, and YouTube’s algorithm takes CTR into account when ranking videos.
For best results, use bold text on your thumbnail to highlight the main message or hook of the video. For example, if your video is about a "DIY Home Decor Idea," a thumbnail with the words “Simple & Affordable!” could grab potential viewers' attention. Ensure your thumbnail is visually appealing, relevant to the video, and stands out from the competition.
Revise Tags and Keywords
Video tags are still a powerful tool in helping YouTube understand what your video is about. Over time, you may notice that your video doesn’t show up as much as it used to in search results. To improve its visibility, revisit the tags and add new ones that are more relevant or trendy. Use a tool like Google Trends to find popular and related keywords, then sprinkle those into your tags.
Along with tags, make sure you’re using relevant keywords in your video’s title, description, and even within the video itself. This will help YouTube’s algorithm categorize your video better, which can lead to more recommendations. For example, if your old video is about a topic like "How to Cook Pasta," update the tags to include "easy pasta recipe," "pasta cooking tips," and "Italian cuisine."
Update Your Video Cards and End Screens
YouTube cards and end screens are effective ways to direct your viewers to more of your content. If you have older videos without these interactive features, it’s time to add them. You can create cards that promote other related videos or your latest content. For example, if you have a video on "How to Make Smoothie Bowls," add a card to another video on "Healthy Breakfast Ideas."
End screens, on the other hand, appear at the end of the video and provide another opportunity to promote your other videos or even encourage viewers to subscribe to your channel. Including an end screen can drastically improve your channel’s overall engagement and increase the chances of viewers returning to watch more videos.
Improve Video Content with Time-Stamps and Chapters
Time-stamps or video chapters are a great way to improve your viewer’s experience. If your video is long or covers several topics, break it down with chapters that allow viewers to jump to the section they’re most interested in. YouTube now supports this feature, so take advantage of it.
For example, if you have an old cooking tutorial, add chapters for each section like "Prep Ingredients," "Cooking Process," and "Serving Tips." This not only improves user experience but also helps increase watch time, as viewers can quickly find what they want. The more watch time you accumulate, the more likely YouTube will recommend your video.
Engage with Viewers in Comments
Interacting with your audience is crucial for building a loyal community. While this tip may seem obvious, many creators fail to respond to comments on older videos. Take the time to revisit some of your older videos, check for new comments, and engage with your viewers.
Responding to questions, comments, or feedback not only encourages more engagement but also signals to YouTube that your video is still active. When people interact with your content, it increases the likelihood of the video being promoted through notifications or suggestions.
Promote Old Videos on Social Media
An easy and effective way to bring new life to old videos is by sharing them across your social media platforms. Don’t just rely on YouTube’s algorithm—promote your videos to your audience on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. You can create engaging posts that tease the content of the video, and direct followers to check out your older videos.
Another strategy is to join relevant groups or forums related to your video’s topic and share the link there. Just be sure to follow community guidelines so your posts aren’t flagged as spam. This can significantly boost views for older content.
Use YouTube Analytics to Find Opportunities
YouTube Analytics can be an incredible tool for figuring out how your old videos are performing. Check your video’s performance metrics to identify videos that still have potential but aren’t getting much attention. Focus on videos with high engagement but low viewership, as these might just need a small tweak to make them rank higher.
Look at audience retention, click-through rate (CTR), and traffic sources to determine where your videos are underperforming. You can use this data to improve your video’s metadata, such as tags, titles, or even the content itself. If a video is receiving comments but not clicks, improving the thumbnail could be a game changer.
Keep Consistency with Posting Frequency
Lastly, keep in mind that consistency is key when it comes to building a following on YouTube. If you are revitalizing older content, it’s important to keep posting new content regularly as well. When you post consistently, you keep your channel active and make it more likely for older videos to be seen by a wider audience.
The best way to stay consistent is to create a content calendar and stick to it. Share your old videos as part of a series or theme that ties into your latest uploads. This will keep your channel’s momentum going and keep your viewers interested in both new and old content.
Conclusion
Optimizing old YouTube videos is an excellent strategy for increasing views and extending the lifespan of your content. By updating titles, descriptions, thumbnails, tags, and engaging with your audience, you can breathe new life into videos that may have been forgotten. Don’t let your old videos gather dust; with just a few tweaks, they can bring in new views and subscribers for your channel. Start revisiting your old videos today and watch as they reach a whole new audience!