Does adding sections to your video descriptions help your videos get discovered?
Your description appears in the YouTube search results. It appears on the Google search results. It appears under your video as viewers are watching it. It also appears next to your channel trailer when viewers first visit your YouTube channel homepage.
In the video below, you’ll learn the benefits of writing your video description, what sections to include in your video description, how to create a default description for all future uploads, and how to bulk edit your descriptions.
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“SECRETS TO AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT” You’ll discover how to hook your viewers’ attention, get them to spend more time on each video, and motivate them to watch more videos from your channel, so YouTube will recommend your content to other channels.
Benefits
- The main goal of your video description is to get viewers to watch more of your content and become subscribers of your channel. While watching your video, your viewers will be able to read the first three lines of your description, so make sure you include a short summary of your video content. I’ll talk more about this later.
- Another benefit is that it could increase watch time because as viewers read the description, they might want to watch the whole video. Also, if they can’t understand what you’re saying, or have the sound turned off, they can read the summary of your video content.
- If you’ve added chapters to your video description, they might check out the most interesting part instead of skipping the whole video. The benefit of getting more watch time is that it increases the probability of your videos getting recommended by YouTube.
- Another benefit is that it helps your video get discovered on the search engines. Therefore, you want to include your main keywords in the first paragraph of your description.
Keep in mind that your video description is not as important as your title and thumbnail, so make sure you spend time on them so they’ll be easily accessible to your viewers and the search engines.
Sections to include in your video description
- The first section or paragraph of your video description is what’s most important because viewers can read this while watching the video. It’s about three lines or 140 characters, so you want to summarize the content of your video because it’s what shows up in the search results.
Use a conversational tone and include your main keywords in the video description so it increases the chances of your video being picked up in YouTube search and Google search. Typically, I’ll include a link to watch a related video so viewers will stay longer on the YouTube platform. Just make sure that you include the full URL of your link.
I started off this video’s description by asking a question to pique the curiosity of my viewers. I included a benefit at the end of my title to motivate viewers to watch the whole video. The third line invites viewers to watch a related video to the one that they’ve just watched, so they can take a deeper dive into your content. This may motivate them to subscribe to your channel. - The second section should be a subscribe link to make it easier for viewers to subscribe to your channel. When they click on the subscribe link, they’ll get a pop-up asking them to subscribe to your channel.
Click here if you want to know how to create a custom subscribe link for your YouTube channel
Alternatively, if you have TubeBuddy installed, click the TubeBuddy icon, click Website Tools, then click on Promo Materials. Select the link that says “Channel Page with Subscription Pop-Up Link.” This gives you a short URL instead of a long custom URL. - The third section to include in your video description is video chapters. This allows viewers to skip to the most interesting or relevant segment of your YouTube video. You may see a peak in your audience retention graph, which means that viewers love that particular segment or they keep rewatching it.
When creating video chapters or timestamps, make sure your first timestamp starts with 00:00. Your video must have at least 3 timestamps listed in ascending order and each timestamp must be at least 10 seconds in length.
Click here to watch a step-by-step tutorial on how to create video chapters or timestamps.
Keep in mind that if your channel has any active strikes or the content is inappropriate, video chapters won’t be available. - The fourth section I include in my video description are related videos. This helps viewers take a deeper dive into your content and motivates them to subscribe to your channel.
Just make sure that the videos you include are related to the one that they’ve just watched.
Here’s a hot tip.
Instead of linking to the individual video URL, place the video in a playlist, then link to that particular URL on the playlist. The playlist URL will be different to the individual video URL. When viewers click on the playlist link, they’ll more easily be able to watch multiple videos in a row, which improves your watch time. When you get a high watch time on your video or people watching multiple videos in a row, it improves the probability of your videos being recommended by YouTube. - The fifth section of your video description can be links to tools and courses that you recommend. For example, I often use the keyword extension tool TubeBuddy for my keyword research, so I add that link to my video description.
Some creators include Amazon affiliate links to the gear they use, such as the lights, microphones, and cameras. Including affiliate links to the tools and software you use to create your videos helps generate revenue for your YouTube channel.
If you have a link to a membership course, include the link to your course. For example, if you want to become a member that supports my YouTube channel on a monthly basis, click here or click the Join button below any video on my channel.
Every month, you’ll receive tips, tricks, and what’s going on behind the scenes of my videos. - The sixth section to add to your video description is to Connect with Me on Social Media section. Here you can add your social media site links so people could connect with you on different platforms.
For example, you can connect with me by joining my Facebook group at facebook.com/groups/tubevideobootcamp.
You can connect with me on Instagram at instagram.com/drostvideo.
You can connect with me on Twitter at twitter.com/drostvideo - The 7th section I add to my video description is a disclaimer section. I only add this because I always add affiliate links in my video description. I just add
“Disclaimer: Some of the links above may be affiliate links from which I receive a small commission when you purchase from them.”
You can write something similar for your own channel. Make sure you stay to the end of the video where I’ll give you my video description template. - The last section to include are hashtags. These help your videos get discovered on YouTube. If you create your own unique hashtag and somebody clicks on that hashtag, all your specific videos will appear on that hashtag page.
Click here to learn how to use hashtags and how to add them to a video.
How can you add a section like hashtags or anything else
to the descriptions of all future videos that you upload?
- Click on Settings.
- Click on Upload defaults.
- Here, you can enter your description.
- You can also select a visibility default, public, private, or unlisted.
- Typically, I upload a video first as unlisted before scheduling it.
- After you’ve added your default description, just click Save.
- That default description will apply to all your future uploads.
- All you have to do is edit the first paragraph.
Did you know that you can remove or replace the descriptions for multiple videos
or insert something at the beginning or end of your descriptions?
- Click on your profile icon. Click on YouTube Studio.
- Click on Content.
- Click this box if you want to select all videos on the page. If you just want to select a couple, just check the boxes next to them.
- Click drop-down next to Edit.
- Click on Description.
- Click the drop-down under Description.
- You can select insert at the beginning, insert at the end, replace all, which means replace all descriptions, or remove all descriptions.
- I’m going to select “insert at the beginning”.
- I’m going to add a custom subscribe link.
- If I click on this question mark, YouTube reminds me that writing descriptions and keywords can help viewers find your videos more easily through search.
- You can give an overview of your video and place keywords in the beginning of your description.
- After you’ve edited your description, click Update Videos.
- It says “Are you sure? You’re about to update the selected videos. This update cannot be stopped once it has started.”
- Check the box “I understand the implications of this action.”
- Click Update Videos.
- Check your updated video description then click Details.
- You’ll now see that I’ve added the custom subscribe link to the beginning of my description.
Here’s a description template that summarizes all the sections to include in your description.
– Write a compelling paragraph in the first three lines.
– Add a custom subscribe link.
– Add video chapters.
– Add related videos.
– Add helpful tools, software, and courses that include your affiliate links.
– Add your social media sites.
– Add an affiliate disclaimer.
– Include hashtags.
What if you need to update or change the descriptions or
titles of all past videos on your channel, can it be done?
Watch this video on How To Change Descriptions Or Titles Across All Videos On Your YouTube Channel (IN SECONDS)
Click here to Get My New Video Course
“SECRETS TO AUDIENCE ENGAGEMENT” You’ll discover how to hook your viewers’ attention, get them to spend more time on each video, and motivate them to watch more videos from your channel, so YouTube will recommend your content to other channels.
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