Page 7 - The Ultilmate Youtube SEO Cheat Sheet

• Review your thumbnail at small scale
Before you upload your custom thumb it’s a good idea to check how it looks shrunk
down to 120 x 68 pixels. This is the size it will appear in the related videos sidebar, so if
you can’t make out what it’s supposed to be or clearly read the text at that size, it’s
worth working on until you can.

• DON’T Bait and Switch
This one should go without saying, but I’ll say it anyway, you should use graphics or
screenshots from within your video or at least something close. Remember your viewer’s
probably clicked to watch your video because of your thumbnail, so if they don’t see
any content that resembles it, you’ll just make them mad.

For a more in depth look into creating irresistible thumbnails check out this post

Note: in order to be able to change your thumbnails you’ll need to have verified your
YouTube account. You can do that here

5. Upload In High Definition

Another great thing to do is to always upload high definition videos and not standard
definition videos. Remember that YouTube always wants to create the best possible
experience for its end users. Anything you can do to help them achieve that end will help
with the ranking of your video.

6. Transcribe It Properly

Yes, YouTube will automatically transcribe your video for you... BUT, it does a horrible job
of it.

Make sure you get your video transcribed properly. There are many online services
that will do this for you quite cheaply, or take a few minutes to do it yourself.

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