Why does your YouTube video not showing up in search? [Step by Step Guideline]

After you have uploaded your new video on YouTube, it is common to see that the video did not appear in the YouTube search. There is no cause for alarm as this is to be expected. It is usual for videos not to appear on searches for over 8 hours after being uploaded.

There are billions of videos being watched on YouTube worldwide, and YouTube computer systems spend every day analyzing and indexing an immense amount of data. This delay has become a normal circumstance due to this.

This article will discuss why your YouTube video doesn’t show up in Search, the importance of YouTube search, and provide you with a step-by-step guide on improving your visibility in Search and improving the number of views you get.

So, keep on reading, you won’t regret it.

Why is YouTube Search Important?

Youtube search is essential for multiple reasons, and you should prioritize this over other features of YouTube.

With approximately 30 million viewers visiting each day, YouTube is quickly becoming people’s go-to video streaming platform, and this is where people go to Search for videos. Due to this, YouTube has become the second biggest search engine next to Google.

If you can leverage the traffic and media exposure, you can achieve being at the top of YouTube search results. However, there is enormous competition from high-quality, professionally produced videos, each with its own YouTube SEO strategy.

Like Google, YouTube has its ranking variable, which they use to analyze and then display videos at the top of every search result page. Other factors such as the number of views on your video, the length of time viewers spend on your video, and the number of positive comments or ratings all impact how YouTube ranks your video.

YouTube also considers the number of channel subscriptions, the number of hours your video is in a user’s playlist, the times it has been present in a list of favorites or playlists, and the number of times it has been integrated into a site.

How Does YouTube Search Work?

With over 500 hours of video being uploaded every minute, YouTube is the world’s most popular video hosting site. Google uses its tried and tested search engine strategies and ranking algorithms to manage this volume.

YouTube also filters through video clips to find the most relevant and helpful videos for users when they enter their search terms. Therefore, YouTube prioritizes three key factors when determining the ranking of their search outcomes:

1. Relevance

YouTube considers multiple variables when determining the relevancy of a video to the search parameters. A video’s title, description, tags, and quality of content are all considered by their algorithms. YouTube then compares these factors to the user’s Search and ranks videos that match them.

When users use specific keywords or phrases, YouTube will display a range of videos that have that keyword or phrase in the title or description.

2. Engagement

Another critical factor that ranks videos is the level of engagement users have with a particular video. Sometimes, a video will have all the perfect factors in the title or description that a user might be looking for, but it may have little benefit in reality.

Therefore, YouTube analyzes indicators such as how long a viewer watched a video or if users moved to a particular timestamp on a video to determine if the video is helpful to the viewer.

3. Quality

YouTube’s search algorithm values expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness to assess the quality of a video’s content. These indicators also serve as the foundation of Google’s E-A-T SEO strategy.

Furthermore, YouTube evaluates the creator, the profile, introductory videos, and popularity when determining if it’s the right fit for the searcher. If you can discuss topics in which you are competent and have experience, you can simultaneously demonstrate your expertise and develop your reputation.

How to Get Your Video to Show Up in Search?

Although there isn’t a one-size-fits-all strategy to get your video to show up more on searches, a few things are in your control and, if optimized, can have a significant impact on your video’s performance.

Below are four critical steps that, if you follow, can lead your video to show up on more searches and get more views.

Step 1. Choose a Well-Researched Keyword

Selecting exact keywords can make a massive impact on your video’s visibility. Although YouTube is capable of many things, it still cannot scan your videos to find keywords. Hence you must add them yourself.

If you need help deciding which keywords are right for your video, you can try the YouTube keyword tool to see which keywords you have the least competition and thus the chance to get the most exposure.

Moreover, your keywords help YouTube determine if your video content is pertinent and provides valuable information to your viewers about the topic of the video. It’s best to make sure your keywords are included in your description, title, and video tags.

As a standard, try to use about ten tags, including your video genre, video clips, shooting location, and anyone’s name that features in the video.

Step 2. Keep Targeted Keywords in the Title

The title of your video should be informative enough to inform your viewers precisely what they can anticipate seeing. But this is easier said than done.

If your video title is too lengthy, people might not read it and skip it. If your video title is too short, people will not know whether this video is what they were looking for.

YouTube has a limit of roughly 120 characters, and that should be enough to inform your viewers what they should expect.

Step 3. Optimize the Description with Keywords

When writing your video description, try to incorporate essential keywords into it organically. Try to keep the text flowing and avoid forcing the keywords into the text. You’ll ruin your chances of reaching the top of YouTube’s SERP if you spam your keywords.

Also, make sure you add a link to your blog or website in your video description. A YouTube link on your site acts as a reference for Google’s search engine, thus adding trustworthiness to your video. Try to keep the link to the first two lines, though, as the third line is usually hidden in searches.

Step 4. Customize your Video’s Thumbnail

Lastly, having an eye-catching thumbnail can get you a long way toward getting more views on your video.

Personalized video thumbnails consistently outperform videos that use a grainy default snapshot taken from the video. Also, custom thumbnails make your video look more legitimate to searchers.

Therefore, it is wise to invest in developing a unique and appealing thumbnail that accurately describes your video content. Use a dimension of 1280 x 720 with an aspect ratio of 16:9 to get the best results.

To Conclude

One of the main reasons your YouTube video does not show up in your search options may be that you haven’t added the relevant tags and an appropriate title for your video.

Waiting for 8 hours for your video to show up on Search is to be expected, and if YouTube is analyzing a more significant number of videos on that given day, it can end up being a longer wait.

You can also contact YouTube using their Help button. Still, before you do so, you should check to see if the upload was successful and whether you have had the video set to private, as any of these reasons might prevent your video from showing up on a search.

We hope this article will have helped remove any confusion you may have, and hopefully, you can use what you’ve learned here to make a thriving YouTube channel of your own.