In the next few weeks YouTube will be rolling out a new channel layout and design to all users. The move was originally set for July 15th, but according to the YouTube Beta Channel Blog they are rolling back the deadline to fix a few unresolved issues. Looks like even Google can’t design a page that works well on IE6 !
All IE bashing aside, now is the perfect time to begin familiarizing yourself with the new channel layout and design options so that when the big switch happens you won’t be left with an unfortunate looking channel.
I hope you enjoyed the tutorial. If you’ve just made the switch to the new beta YouTube channels, let me know what you think and be sure to put a link to you channel in the comments !
Having a well optimized YouTube channel will not only increase your findablilty, but it can also increase the strength of your brand. Here’s how !
Begin editing your channel by clicking on one of the “edit my channel” links on YouTube. Here you’ll begin by editing your channel information:
Title
For your title, you’ll want to make sure it is short and succinct while making sure your most important keywords are used towards the front.
Description
Use the description to tell viewers more about you and what you’re trying to accomplish on YouTube. Feel free to incorporate keywords into your description, but don’t force it if it isn’t natural. The main goal is to connect with your audience.
Tags
Here you’ll want to enter the keywords that are most important or most closely related to your brand. Think about how people may be searching around your topic, and keep it relevant.
Next you’ll be able to tweak the design of your channel, or as the professionals say, “Pimp Your Profile”. It’s a tough world for an ugly channel. Thankfully it’s easy to give yours a quick face lift. Starting with…
Channel Design
Choose one of the nine color options that best match the colors of your website or brand. We will be able to customize these colors later.
Layout Properties
Here you can choose what information you want displayed on your YouTube channel including which video you want featured and other YouTube activity. You can preview the layout to the right, so play around with these options and find an arrangement that works for you.
Advanced Design Customization
Here you’ll be able to choose a background image and pick specific colors for all aspects of your YouTube channel.
Getting your background image to look the way you like will take some experimenting with various sizes of images, and don’t rely on the preview to show accurate placement. You may need to upload your image, save your channel and view it live to see how it looks.
To choose colors for specific items, simply click the color box next to each item and you’ll be given a list of colors to choose from. If you want to pick a specific color from your website or logo and don’t know the hex code? Install the Colorzilla plugin for Firefox, and you’ll be able to match colors exactly. (check out the video above to see this plugin in action).
Well, there you have it ! With just a few simple tweaks, you can make your YouTube channel more findable and supportive of your brand.
Let me know if you have any questions, and feel free to check out the vidiseo YouTube channel and subscribe.
The most basic video SEO techniques are often over looked by those new to YouTube. This video covers the three simple ways you can optimize your YouTube video, including:
Title
The title you give your video may seem like a small detail, but it can dramatically effect the number of views your video recieves. After performing some preliminary video keyword research, your title should contain your most important keywords at the start.
Description
For the description section of your video offer up a URL to follow or any other relevant information about your video (did somebody say Fun Facts ?). Make sure your most important keyword appears in the beginning of your description, but don’t stuff the thing silly. This is a description of the video, not a keyword toilet.
Tags
Lastly, choose a handful of highly relevant keyword tags for your video. Again, make sure to include your most important keywords from the videos title and don’t add any more than necessary. Nobody like a keyword stuffer, including the video search engines !
Be sure to subscribe to the vidiSEO YouTube Channel so you don’t miss out on the latest tips and tricks !
