YouTube SEO: keyword placement in first 40 chars, description optimization, search vs browse strategy. 35% of YouTube traffic comes from search. Small channels can outrank large ones. Use when optimizing a video for discovery.
Optimize discovery for: $ARGUMENTS
| Surface | % of Traffic | What Drives It |
|---|---|---|
| Search | 35% | Relevance + satisfaction. Small channels CAN outrank large ones. |
| Home Feed | ~40% | Watch history clusters, CTR, satisfaction |
| Suggested | ~25% | Related content, session contribution, end screens |
First 2-3 lines appear before "Show More" — this is prime real estate:
Full description (after "Show More"):
Shorts rank on:
Small channels have an advantage in search:
## SEO Optimization: "[Video Title]"
### Title Analysis
- Primary keyword: [keyword]
- Position in title: [character position]
- Mobile preview (first 40 chars): "[truncated title]"
- Power words present: [yes/no, which ones]
- Recommended title revision: "[optimized title]"
### Description
**Above the fold (first 3 lines):**
[Line 1: hook + keyword] [Line 2: value prop] [Line 3: context]
**Full description template:**
[Complete description with timestamps, links, tags]
### Tags
[5-15 recommended tags]
### Discovery Strategy
| Surface | Priority | Action |
|---------|----------|--------|
| Search | [H/M/L] | [specific optimization] |
| Home Feed | [H/M/L] | [specific optimization] |
| Suggested | [H/M/L] | [specific optimization] |
### Long-Tail Keyword Opportunities
1. "[keyword]" — estimated competition: [low/med/high]
2. "[keyword]" — estimated competition: [low/med/high]