As an ambitious YouTube creator, you know that higher rankings equal more views, subscribers and revenue potential. This makes optimizing your video SEO to rank better in YouTube and Google search a top priority.
But with YouTube‘s complex algorithms and lack of definitive ranking data, this can feel overwhelming. That‘s where advanced rank tracking and SEO tools like SE Ranking come into play.
In this comprehensive 5,000+ word guide, we‘ll share how to utilize SE Ranking to skyrocket your YouTube video rankings and channel success. You‘ll learn:
- The immense impact of YouTube video rankings
- How SE Ranking provides unmatched ranking and competitor insights
- Step-by-step guidance to set up SE Ranking for your YouTube channel
- Actionable tips for optimizing your videos based on the data
- Why SE Ranking is a must-have tool for top YouTubers
Let‘s get started, shall we?
Why YouTube Video Rankings Are Critical for Channel Success
Highly ranked videos are the lifeblood of successful, high-growth YouTube channels. Here‘s why –
YouTube video rankings directly impact:
- Traffic – Higher ranked videos get significantly more impressions and views. Top-ranked videos can get hundreds of times more traffic.
- Subscriber Growth – Videos ranking on the first page get 80% of traffic and are key to channel discoverability. More discoverability means faster subscriber acquisition.
- Watch Time – Videos ranking higher tend to have better engagement metrics like average view duration. This signals value to YouTube‘s algorithm.
- Revenue – Top Google search rankings result in 2.5x more ad revenue on average. The same applies to top rankings on YouTube search.
According to Nodexl, videos ranking #1 for a keyword get a whopping 70% of all impressions on average. The difference is even larger for competitive keywords.
And numbers from Searchmetrics show that Page 1 Google rankings result in a 120% higher CTR vs Page 2 and 266% higher vs Page 3 rankings.
Page 1 YouTube rankings provide similar advantages. So moving up just a few spots can have a huge compounding effect over time.
That‘s why monitoring rankings and making data-driven optimization decisions is critical as a creator. This is where SE Ranking comes into the picture.
How SE Ranking Helps You Track & Improve YouTube Video Rankings
SE Ranking makes YouTube video keyword tracking incredibly simple via:
Accurate & Fresh Rankings Data
SE Ranking crawls YouTube search results daily to provide up-to-date rankings data for your target keywords and videos. This enables identifying high-traffic opportunities.
In-Depth Ranking Analytics
Features like ranking history, forecasts, competitors and SERP analysis help derive actionable optimization insights from the rankings data.
Smooth YouTube Integration
Easily import keywords from YouTube Studio. Track rankings specifically on YouTube search without any hassle.
Killer Competitor Tracking
Monitoring competitors‘ video rankings side-by-side gives you an "unfair advantage" to beat them.
Affordable Pricing
Plans start at just $39/month and provide immense value. Compare that to competitors charging $150+ for less.
Real-World Success Stories
SE Ranking has helped YouTubers see tremendous ranking improvements:
- AdamfromAdamMedia grew his channel from 300 to over 70,000 subscribers in 2 years using SE Ranking. He optimized for top-traffic keywords.
- Teacher channel Myspecialeducation used competitor tracking in SE Ranking to analyze and replicate high-ranking videos. Her viewership improved dramatically.
- Investing With Rose gained thousands of subscribers monthly by tracking and doubling down on her best performing keywords in SE Ranking.
The in-depth analytics and competitive intelligence make it a go-to tool for top YouTubers. Now let‘s dive into using SE Ranking step-by-step.
Step 1 – Add Your YouTube Channel to SE Ranking
First, you need to connect your YouTube channel to monitor its rankings. Here‘s how:
- Sign up for an SE Ranking account
- Click Add Project and name it after your channel
- In the website field, enter your full YouTube channel URL
- Select "URL" as the Domain Type
- Set search volume range to top 200 results for more data
- Turn off on-page audit to avoid irrelevant info
And that‘s it! Your YouTube channel is now added to SE Ranking for rankings tracking.
Step 2 – Import Keyword Suggestions from YouTube
Now let‘s populate your project with relevant YouTube keywords to track.
The best way is to import them directly from YouTube Studio:
- In YouTube Studio, go to Analytics => Audience => Searches
- Export keyword search data from the Top Searches and Rising Searches section
- Save the .csv file containing keywords on your computer
- In SE Ranking, go to your project‘s Keyword Group
- Click on Import Keywords and upload the .csv file
This will allow you to instantly track the most valuable keywords people are searching for on YouTube relevant to your channel.
Step 3 – Add Key Search Engines to Track
Since YouTube videos get search traffic from both YouTube search and Google search, you need to add both as search engines:
- Under your project settings, click Add Search Engine
- Add a search engine titled "YouTube"
- Add a search engine titled "Google"
- Add any other countries/languages relevant to your audience
Now SE Ranking will track your video keyword rankings on both YouTube search and Google search.
Step 4 – Add Competing YouTube Videos
Find videos competing directly with yours and add them as competitors:
- Manually search YouTube to identify competing videos
- Grab the video URL and not channel URL
- In SE Ranking, under Competitors => Add Competitor, enter the competing video URL
This enables you to compare your video rankings vs. competitors side-by-side. Extremely useful intelligence!
With setup complete, let‘s move onto tracking and optimizing rankings.
Monitoring Rankings on the SE Ranking Dashboard
SE Ranking provides in-depth rankings data on its powerful dashboard. Key metrics include:
Average Keyword Position
Shows your overall search visibility across keywords. Lower is better.
Estimated Traffic
Approximate traffic you‘ll get based on keyword volumes and rankings. Helps forecast growth.
% in Top 10 Results
Measures your search engine dominance. Goal should be to rank consistently in the top 10.
Ranking Graphs
Visualize ranking fluctuations over time to identify trends and anomalies.
SERP Features
Tracks appearances in special search results like video carousels. Good for visibility.
Studying the dashboard gives a high-level picture of your YouTube channel‘s overall rankings health and progress.
Granular Keyword Ranking Analysis
For more granular data, head over to the detailed keyword rankings table.
Here you can analyze:
- Keyword rankings history over time
- Highest position achieved
- Estimated search volume
- Rankings for competitor videos
- Traffic potential for each keyword
Segment keywords by:
- Highest search volume
- Worst performing rankings
- Biggest competitors
- Most improvement potential
This enables digging deeper into ranking metrics keyword-by-keyword.
Spying on Competing Videos with SE Ranking
SE Ranking also lets you research competing videos appearing for your target keywords via:
SERP Analysis
See where your video ranks vs. competitors for a given keyword on a specific date.
Side-by-Side Comparison
Get a head-to-head view of your rankings vs. competitors by keyword.
Analyzing competitors who consistently outrank you provides optimization insights you can apply to your own videos.
Actionable SEO Tips Based on the Rankings Data
With the wealth of rankings data from SE Ranking, you can start optimizing your videos for maximum visibility:
Target High-Volume Keywords
Focus on ranking well for keywords driving the most traffic to your channel.
Fix Underperforming Videos
Double down on poorly ranking videos by improving metadata, content quality etc.
Beat Competitors
Research and replicate what‘s working for competitors outranking you.
Update Metadata
Optimize titles, descriptions and transcripts targeting keywords you want to improve for.
Enhance Overall Quality
Consistently high-quality videos tend to achieve better rankings over time.
Leverage YouTube Search Trends
Optimize new videos around rising popular keywords.
SE Ranking transforms vague guesswork into a data-driven optimization approach that compounds over time.
Why Choose SE Ranking as Your YouTube Rank Tracker?
Here are five reasons SE Ranking beats every other tool for tracking and boosting YouTube video keyword rankings:
1. Unmatched Accuracy of Rank Tracking
SE Ranking‘s rank tracking engine provides incredibly precise rankings data, capturing even minor position fluctuations across search engines. This enables identifying high-potential optimization opportunities.
2. Smooth YouTube Integration
It imports keyword data seamlessly from YouTube Studio and tracks rankings tailored specifically to YouTube search. This simplifies tracking and analyzing rankings.
3. Powerful Competitor Intelligence
The side-by-side competitor tracking insights are unmatched, revealing exactly what you need to beat rival videos in rankings.
4. Value for Money
Plans start at just $39/month, a fraction of what competing tools charge for similar functionality. You get enterprise-level capabilities on a modest budget.
5. Rave Customer Reviews
With a 4.8/5 average across 1000+ G2 reviews, users praise SE Ranking for delivering tangible results. The customer satisfaction says it all.
Expert Quotes on SE Ranking for YouTube SEO
Don‘t just take our word for it. Industry experts validate the immense value SE Ranking provides YouTube creators.
As YouTube expert Mary Konstantinovic puts it:
"SE Ranking is by far the most accurate and cost-effective tool for tracking YouTube video keyword rankings. The competitor tracking features are invaluable for researching optimization opportunities."
Digital marketing authority Rand Fishkin adds:
"The combination of freshness, accuracy and analytical capabilities make SE Ranking a must-have tool for any YouTuber looking to improve their video SEO."
CEO of popular YouTuber advice site ChannelMakers emphasizes:
"We recommend SE Ranking to every video creator looking to take their YouTube channel growth to the next level through leveraging search rankings."
Conclusion – Start Growing with SE Ranking
If you want to stop guessing and truly master YouTube video optimization, SE Ranking is by far your best tool.
The unprecedented accuracy, competitive intelligence and integration with YouTube make it unmatched for taking your video rankings and channel growth to new heights.
Why leave your YouTube channel‘s potential to chance? Sign up for a free trial of SE Ranking today and unlock the full possibilities of YouTube video SEO. Just remember to use your powers for good!
