Can you rank higher in YouTube search results, by adding the keyword to the video description?
We asked that question five years ago, and ran a scientific test to get to the bottom of it...
We discovered that putting the keyword as the only word in the description was the highest ranking version.
That was surprising...
But, is it still true in 2021?
Let's find out...
Discovering The Best Video Description For YouTube
We'll test 4 variations:
1. Keyword at the Beginning
2. Keyword at the Middle
3. Keyword at the End
4. Keyword only
This test is a bit more challenging than the YouTube Title or Tags test, because we'll need to setup 12 videos.
(4 variations x 3 tests)
To get started, I created three fake keywords:
Bviproseft
Avizrokeft
Qzriboseft
None of these keywords has results on YouTube, so they'll help us get more accurate test data.
Since we need to make sure that YouTube doesn't have any context that would affect the rankings, I created a fake 250 word description.
I'll modify this description for each one of these keywords, so that it won't be a ranking factor in any way.
Here's an example for testing the "Keyword at the Beginning"...
Analyzing The YouTube Description Experiment
After creating the descriptions and uploading the videos, I waited for them to be indexed.
Then, I did a search for the first fake word, "Bviproseft", to see which version ranked the highest.
Take a look at these results...
As you can see in this screenshot, the Keyword Only Description ranked #1.
So far, this test confirms the original hypothesis, that the keyword only description is the highest ranking version.
But, let's take a look at the second test...
In the second test, the Keyword Only Description also ranked #1.
Let's see what happened in the third test...
As in the previous two tests, the Keyword Only Description ranked #1.
Creating The Best Video Description For YouTube
All three tests confirm that placing the keyword one time, as the only word in the description, will outrank putting it one time in other places of a 250 word description.
So this is still a really simple way to get your videos to rank higher on YouTube in 2021.
But...what about adding the keyword more than once.
Can you outrank the Keyword Only version if you add the keyword multiple times in your description?
I was curious...
So I decided to test that theory.
And that's when things got really interesting.
More Ways To Rank Higher On YouTube In 2021...
Recently, I ran more tests and put the results in this new book, Decoding YouTube: 6 Scientific Experiments That Reveal How YouTube Really Works In 2021.
You'll see detailed scientific experiments that reveal how to get your videos to rank higher so you can get more clicks and sales.
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- The most important YouTube SEO ranking factor, and exactly where you should put your keyword to push your videos to the top of the search results (Hint: Adding more words just dilutes the power of this ranking factor)...
- The free Google A.I. tool that reveals how to setup your YouTube thumbnail correctly so you can rank for even more keywords...(Use this tool before you upload your video, so you can be sure you'll be able to rank for specific keywords)...
- How to create the best YouTube descriptions, so your videos are on the first page as soon as you upload them. (We found 3 really strong versions, but you'll see the ultimate winner on page 69)...
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