Tag Archives: You Tube

WHY THE TITLE AND DESCRIPTION CAN MAKE OR BREAK YOUR YOUTUBE VIDEO

July 12, 2025Video As Content, Video SEO and Optimization, You Tube for BusinessCincinnati Business Video Testimonials, creative, Do It Yourself, keywords, SEO, social media videos, You TubeRon Harper

Should you put videos on YouTube? Yes. Because both Google and YouTube will show them to folks who are interested in what you do or what you have to offer. Both platforms will look at both the title and description of your video to decide if it’s relevant.

Write a title which will be compelling and will make viewers want to watch. Joe could have a video called “Customer Testimonial” , or he could call it “How Joe’s widgets saved Ralph’s company from going over budget.” Which would you rather watch? An author once told me: when you want a great title, look at magazine headlines. “The Secret To Great Earlobes”, “What Your Butcher Will Never Tell You”, “15 Delicious Recipes For Goat”. Get the idea? By the way, when you use a number like that, make it an odd number.

The description field is also important. Snippets from that will not only show up in YouTube search, but also in Google results. And here’s something most folks forget: make the very first thing a link to your website. Make it a link that directly relates to your video – a description or order page – maybe even your FAQs or blog.

After adding your link, you have about 120 characters to describe the video. Make the second line a Call To Action. Below that a brief overview of what your video is about, but don’t giveaway the whole lot. Then, a bit on what your channel is about. Throw in a few keywords, but don’t leave this step out. If your video were to show up on a results page with videos of similar titles, would someone want to watch it?

If you already have content on YouTube, go back and take a look at the titles and descriptions you’ve already written. You can change them from the YouTube studio page, and you can change them as often as you’d like.

Would you like to learn more about how YouTube works? Contact me and let’s do a one on one.

Ron Harper is the founder of Videos On Your Website, a Cincinnati digital marketing firm specializing in video web content for businesses. Read more at Videos ON Your Website.

Should You Embed Videos From Other Companies?

December 12, 2020DIY ?, Video As Content, Video SEO and Optimization, You Tube for BusinessCincinnati Business Video Testimonials, Google rankings, relevant, Search engine optimization, videos as content, You TubeRon Harper

Embedding Videos — Problems with embedding videos from other companies

If you can’t produce your own videos for your website, why not just find some others and embed them? Simple, right? Well, not exactly.

Many businesses have a dedicated “Videos” tab on their site for relevant content. Often, someone will curate video content from other sources and believe this is a valuable practice. But just as often it is fraught with problems. The image above is taken from a company website that has many videos embedded from YouTube under their “Videos” tab.

Can you see what’s wrong?

Somewhere along the way, the original content creator has removed the video, leaving blank spots with no content on the page.
Here’s why it’s not a good idea to use other folks’ videos:

Business websites that use a “Videos” tab are often not updated frequently, so problems like the image above are missed for a long period of time.
Original, professionally produced video content is affordable and gives your business an advantage over the competition. Remember – if you use video, and they don’t: You Win!
–That’s a wrap.

Ron Harper is the founder of Videos On Your Website, a Cincinnati digital marketing firm specializing in video web content for businesses. Get a FREE Video Buying Guide at Videos ON Your Website – Cincinnati and Dayton Video Production Guide.

7 Steps To YouTube Success

February 13, 2019testimonials, Video As Content, You Tube for Businessfree e-books, Search engine optimization, small business, video SEO, You TubeRon Harper

Four years ago, I wrote my free e-book “7 Steps To YouTube Success”. It’s been requested thousands of times. Now, there’s a new, updated version. YouTube is evolving and changing. Annotations are gone. The YouTube speech-to-text engine is improved. There’s more competition for views.

If you’re using YouTube to host videos for your business, you’ll want to read this compact, information-packed e-book. The seven steps are easy to follow, and includes tips that most businesses who use YouTube never do. That means you can be one step ahead of your competition. Did I mention the book is free? To get your copy, just click here: SEND ME THE E-BOOK Actually, I’ll send you TWO free books. The second one is called “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly of Customer Testimonials’, and tells you exactly how to produce your own customer testimonials from your raving fans.

This is part of our tenth anniversary celebration. There’s lots more to come, so be sure you subscribe to my YouTube channel, or Follow me on Facebook.

–That’s a wrap.

IF YOU MADE VIDEOS IN 2018, FOLLOW THESE STEPS RIGHT NOW

January 4, 2019Video As Content, Video SEO and Optimization, You Tube for BusinessDo It Yourself, keywords, Search engine optimization, social media videos, You TubeRon Harper

Frankly, I hate resolutions. I resolve to be different. How’s that?

But the new year is a time of renewal, and if you have videos that you’re hosting on YouTube, there are some Start-Of-The-Year chores you should do to keep your content relevant.

1. Review and update the titles of your videos. Your video titles should be engaging, include keywords, and reflect your message and goals. If your marketing strategy has changed in the past 12 months, maybe you should reflect that in your video titles. Titles are easy to change from within your YouTube video manager. Try something to get visitors to click. Some of the words that show up big in search include: How To, Steps, Tutorial, Best and Funny. Can you include or re-write a title to include those?

2. Review and update your video descriptions. Start with your website in the description field. Make sure it’s a page that reflects the subject of your video. It may not be your home page. YouTube allows 5000 characters for a video description – that’s about 800 words. Be sure your keywords are towards the beginning of the description. And yes, you can add hashtags here.

3. Review and update any tags. Tags don’t show up when the video is being played, but it definitely helps in search. Use one word keywords. Use multiple word key phrases. And don’t leave out generic tags, like your city.

Time to get some fresh eyes on your content. These steps can engage more viewers, and make your videos show up in front of more of your prospects.

–that’s a wrap

Ron Harper is the founder of Videos On Your Website, a Cincinnati digital marketing firm specializing in video web content for businesses. Get a FREE Video Buying Guide at Videos ON Your Website – Cincinnati and Dayton Video Production Guide.

Thumbnailed It – Good Views Season 2, Episode 3

August 20, 2017Behind The Scenes, Video SEO and Optimization, Video Web Series, You Tube for Businesscreative, Do It Yourself, Search engine optimization, small business, You TubeRon Harper

What makes someone want to watch your video, aside from all the interesting and compelling information you have, that is? Well, one very important element is the frame that shows in your video player. That frame is also called the thumbnail.
YouTube gives you a choice of three different thumbnails you can use to showcase your video, but there are also ways you can (and should) make and upload your own.
In this edition of Good Views, I’ll show you some of the most important qualities of thumbnails, and a couple of easy ways to make your own. I hope you enjoy it.
Don’t have any videos yet? Call me. I’d love to talk with you.

Watch Time (3:04) Link to transcript
Location: Cliff Hardware, Sharonville, OH
Guest: John Houston – Spectrum Business

License Sense – Good Views season 2, episode 1

February 8, 2017Behind The Scenes, Video SEO and Optimization, Video Web Seriesinexpensive video shooting, small business, videos as content, You TubeRon Harper

It could be your favorite song, or maybe it’s a movie theme that perfectly fits your video.
Don’t Use It. Just don’t. If you don’t have the rights to use a piece of music, you could be fined hundreds of dollars, or your video could be removed totally. And that’s not fun.
But YouTube has a library of music that’s free for you to use in your videos, and it’s simple to work with.
I’ve renamed this series “Good Views” and I plan to feature the kind of information and tips you can start using today. I hope you enjoy it.Don’t have any videos yet? Call me. I’d love to talk with you.

Watch Time (4:30)Link to transcript
Guest: Adam Mathews: Dearie, Fischer & Matthews
Location: Gary Rasmussen Farmers Insurance

The Trick To Using Videos On LinkedIn

March 11, 2016LinkedIn, Video As Content, You Tube for Businessconsultant, LinkedIn, social media videos, You TubeRon Harper

I’ve been reading an article from a LinkedIn expert of why your profile should feature videos. I agree with his concept. However the video examples that he uses are not so good. Here’s why:

Example video #1 shows the subject seated, and looking off camera – a standard “interview” technique. But, he’s looking off camera when he introduces himself and says, “Welcome to my LinkedIn profile.” That should be addressed directly TO the camera and the viewer.

Example #2 shows a confident person asking questions of the viewer and introducing himself. Great opening. But he’s standing in front of what looks like cabinets. Is he in his garage? His kitchen? Furthermore, his video is over seven minutes long, and it’s a sales pitch. How many times do we have to say that hard sales pitches don’t work on LinkedIn?

Video works great on LinkedIn, and it can help you close deals. But like anything else, you have to be mindful of the details.

1. LOOK AT THE CAMERA AND ADDRESS THE VIEWER. LinkedIn is a professional networking site. Do you look off to the side when you introduce yourself to a new contact?

2. WATCH OUT WHAT YOU STAND IN FRONT OF. Make sure your background is not distracting. Let it make sense to the whole picture.

3. TELL WHAT YOU DO AND SHOW YOUR PASSION. Leave the sales pitch for a face to face time when the customer is ready for it.

4. IF YOU’RE PUTTING VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE, rewrite the titles and descriptions. “LinkedIn Profile Video Cut 1, 1080p” is NOT a good title. Write more than one line in the description field, and start with your URL.

5. Be sure you have proper lighting, good audio, and a director who understands what you are trying to accomplish and can make suggestions.

No, you don’t need “Hollywood” production, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t consider hiring a professional to help you look more professional. Isn’t it worth it for your image and your sales?

–that’s a wrap.

Annotations – Pop Ups In Your Video Part two

February 18, 2015Uncategorized, Video As Content, Video SEO and Optimization, You Tube for BusinessSearch engine optimization, social media videos, videos as content, You Tube, YouTube annotationsRon Harper

Annotations on YouTube are a fantastic feature to add to your videos. You can use them for anything from highlighting sales to getting viewers to subscribe to your channel. This episode – This is part 2 of 2 parts – takes you thru the What, Where, and How of using YouTube annotations.
If you’re new here, I create videos as web content for small business in Cincinnati, Dayton, and Northern Kentucky. And I help both my clients, and non-clients understand video’s powerful impact. A lot of that is knowing what to do after the video is created. Where do you put it? How do you put it there? What else can you do to make sure folks see it? This video series was born from that. I’m going to give you the tips you need to make your videos work for you. Don’t have any videos yet? Call me. I’d love to talk with you.

Watch Time (4:38) Link to transcript

Host Videos On Your Own Website

December 11, 2014Video As Content, Video SEO and Optimization, Video Web SeriesSearch engine optimization, video SEO, videos as content, You TubeRon Harper

Don’t get me wrong – I love YouTube – but you can (and should) host videos on your own site, too. Here’s the first part you need to know. More to come in future episodes.

If you’re new here, I create videos as web content for small business in Cincinnati, Dayton, and Northern Kentucky. And I help both my clients, and non-clients understand video’s powerful impact. A lot of that is knowing what to do after the video is created. Where do you put it? How do you put it there? What else can you do to make sure folks see it? This video series was born from that. I’m going to give you the tips you need to make your videos work for you. Don’t have any videos yet? Call me. I’d love to talk with you.

Here is Episode 6. I upload a new one about twice a month. I’m really interested in your comments, so leave one, or connect with me.

Watch Time (3:05) Link to transcript