How To Write A YouTube Description – 13 Ultimate Tips

YouTube is the #1 video platform for learning, sharing, and entertainment. With more than 2.6 billion active users in 2022, it’s evident that the platform has potential, and you can use it to make your presence felt. 

So, what makes a viewer click on a video on YouTube?

Well, it is the YouTube title and description. A good description is key to grabbing potential viewers’ attention and encouraging them to watch your video. However, you may need help crafting a striking description, and we are there for you. 

This article will discuss how to write a YouTube description. So, keep reading till the last line.

What Is A YouTube description?

A YouTube description is a short text section that appears below your video on YouTube. It’s a great way to give viewers more information about your video, and you can also use it to help improve your video’s search ranking.

To add a description to your video, click the “Add a description” link below your video on YouTube. Then, type or paste your description into the description box that appears. You can also use this box to add tags, which are keywords that help describe your video. Adding relevant tags can help your video show up in more search results.

Why Are YouTube Descriptions Important?

YouTube descriptions are important for several reasons. 

First, as you already saw, they help improve your video’s SEO, making it more likely to appear in search results. 

Second, they give viewers a brief overview of what your video is about, helping them to decide whether or not it’s something they’re interested in watching. 

Finally, descriptions can also be used to promote your other videos or channels or to include links to your website or social media profiles. 

Including a well-written description with each of your videos can help you attract new viewers and keep them engaged with your content.

Tips For Writing Youtube Descriptions

Here is a list of handy tips on how to write a YouTube description,

1. Keep descriptions short

While it may be tempting to write a novel in your YouTube video descriptions, it’s essential to keep them short and sweet. Why? Well, for one thing, people are more likely to read a short description than a long one. And the other reason is that you should add a mystery element so viewers will be intrigued enough to watch your video.

So, how do you write a good, short description? Start by giving a brief overview of what the video is about. Then, highlight one or two key points that you think will be most interesting to viewers. Finally, end with a call to action, telling viewers what you want them to do after watching the video (e.g., subscribe to your channel, like the video, leave a comment, etc.). 

2. Do keyword research

Just like with SEO for blog posts, using relevant keywords in YouTube descriptions will help your videos show up in search results and get more views. When you do keyword research, look for high-traffic keywords relevant to your video topic. You can use a tool to find keywords that are a good fit for your video. You can help your videos reach a wider audience and get more views by including relevant keywords.

3. Utilize the character limit

YouTube descriptions are limited to 5,000 characters which is quite a lot to describe your video. However, there’s no need for it to be so long. Try including a link to your website or blog in the description, as this will help drive traffic to your other online platforms. It would help if you also used keywords in your description; it will help videos rank in SERPs. Finally, include a call to action, such as asking viewers to subscribe to your channel or like your video. 

4. Maintain a conversational tone

Try your best to maintain a conversational tone in your descriptions. It doesn’t mean that you should write like you’re chatting with a friend; rather, you should write in a way that is natural and easy to read. Avoid using technical jargon or long, complicated sentences. Instead, focus on clarity and conciseness. Use active voice and simple language to get your point across. And if you can, try to inject a bit of personality into your descriptions. This will help to make your channel more relatable and engaging.

5. Offer value

If you want your YouTube channel to be successful, you need to offer value in your descriptions. That means including information that will be useful or interesting to your viewers. 

For example, if you’re a travel vlogger, you could include tips for budget travel or advice on where to find the best food. If you’re a gamer, you could provide tips and tricks for your favorite games. Whatever your niche may be, ensure that you’re offering value in your descriptions so that viewers will keep coming back for more.

6. Avoid clickbait

Clickbait is often used in YouTube descriptions to get more views. However, clickbait can be harmful to both viewers and content creators. Viewers can feel cheated when they click on a video only to find that it’s not what they expected. And content creators can damage their reputation by using misleading titles and descriptions. It is, therefore, essential to avoid clickbait in your YouTube descriptions. Instead, focus on creating accurate and engaging descriptions that will give viewers a good sense of what your video is about.

7. Include a call to action

As a YouTuber, your goal is to get people to watch your videos. But once they’ve watched one of your videos, what’s the next step you want them to take? That’s where a call to action comes in. You can encourage viewers to do something, such as subscribing to your channel, leaving a comment, or watching another video. Including a call to action in your video descriptions can be a great way to encourage viewers to take that next step. Just be sure to keep it short and sweet, or you risk turning viewers off.

8. Add hashtags

Adding hashtags to your YouTube descriptions is a great way to improve the discoverability of your videos and get more views. Hashtags are keywords that viewers can use to search for videos on a specific topic. When you add hashtags to your descriptions, you’re essentially giving viewers a way to find your videos in search. And the more views you get, the more new subscribers you will gain. Therefore, if you want to get more views and grow your channel, add hashtags to your YouTube descriptions.

9. Don’t worry about video tags

One of the most common advice you’ll hear for growing your YouTube channel is to carefully select the tags you use in your videos’ descriptions. This advice is based on the idea that YouTube’s algorithm uses these tags to determine what videos to recommend to viewers. 

However, there is no evidence to support this claim, and it is unlikely that YouTube’s algorithm puts much weight on tags at all. In fact, tags are only visible to YouTube users when they click on the “show more” button in a video’s description, so it is unlikely that many people even bother to read them. Therefore, you should not worry about choosing tags for your YouTube videos; focus on creating great content, and the rest will take care of itself.

10. Optimize for Mobile

As more and more people watch YouTube videos on their mobile devices, optimizing your descriptions for these viewers is essential. Here are a few tips:

– Use short, concise sentences that are easy to read on a small screen.

– Use bullet points or lists to break up the text and make it easier to scan.

– Highlight the most important information by using larger font sizes.

– Include links to your website or other social media channels so that viewers can easily find you.

11. Add timestamps

The truth is that everyone is in a rush these days. Adding timestamps to your YouTube descriptions is a great way to help viewers find the information they’re looking for. Timestamps also make it easier for people to skip ahead to the parts of your video that are most relevant to them. To add timestamps to your description, simply type “ts” followed by the timestamp you want to add. For example, if you want to add a timestamp for the 1:00 mark, you would type “ts 1:00”. You can add as many timestamps as you wish, and they will appear as links in your description.

12. Place links right

If you want to include links in your YouTube descriptions, there are a few things you need to bear in mind. 

First, you need to ensure that your links are relevant to your video content and add value for your viewers. 

It would help if you also used keyword-rich anchor text to make your links more likely to be clicked. Finally, you must be aware of YouTube’s guidelines on external links.

13. Promote Your Other Videos

If you’re looking to promote your other videos on YouTube, there are a few things you can do. First, make sure to include links to your other videos in the description of each video. You can also include a call to action at the end of each video, telling viewers to check out your other videos. You can also promote your videos on social media and other online communities. Finally, consider creating a playlist of your videos so that viewers can watch them all in one go. If you take the time to promote your videos, you’ll be more likely to get views and subscribers.

Get Ready To Write Good YouTube Descriptions That Get Viewer Attention

As you saw above, writing a good description is easier than you think. You may now know how to write a YouTube description. With a little bit of effort and some time to think about how you want your viewers to perceive your content, you’ll be able to craft a compelling description that encourages people to watch and share your content. 

Using our inputs can get you the results you are yearning for and grow your YouTube channel. 

So, go ahead and master writing good YouTube video descriptions. You can thank us once you see the views and subscribers growing.

Till then, Happy YouTubing!

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