You might already be working intensively on your video SEO or maybe you’re just getting started: no matter the situation that you’re in, in this blog you will find our favorite video SEO tools to help you on your way.

Keyword analysis tools

Doing a keyword analysis for your videos is pretty much the same as doing an analysis for a blog or webpage. When it comes to your videos you use the relevant keywords in the title of your video, the meta-description and the tags.

There are several tools you can use to find the most relevant keywords for your content.

Google Keyword Planner

In Keyword Planner you have two options. You can come up with new ideas for keywords, for each country and each language. In this case you will get an overview of related search terms, the monthly search volume and how high the competition is to advertise on the keyword (high, medium or low). The latter also gives a good idea of how difficult or easy it will be to rank on this keyword organically.

The second option is to get a prediction of how many conversions and impressions your selected keywords will bring you in the future. You will also see a historical representation of the search volume for this keyword in the past 12 months.

You can use Google Keyword Planner if you have a Google Adwords account. An account can be created for free, even if you don’t actually use it to advertise.

Google Trends

With Google Trends you can compare keywords, identify search trends and find new search terms. The trend line shows whether a keyword is becoming more popular or declining in popularity. This tool is free to use.

Answer the public

More and more people search using full questions instead of just keywords. Answer the Public helps you figure out what questions people search for in relation to your keyword. In this tool you fill in a word and you get a visualization of questions that people ask related to the word. You will also see an overview of prepositions and comparisons. You can use this tool for free, with a limited number of times a day. There’s also a paid version available that allows unlimited usage and also looks into historical data.

Ubersuggest

Ubersuggest is a tool that lets you enter a keyword and then gives you information about the search volume, difficulty and related keyword suggestions. You can also enter your domain and get an analysis of the number of keywords and backlinks. The tool has a free trial period of seven days, after that it becomes a paid version.

Keyword Sheeter

If you are looking for keyword ideas, you can use the lists of Keyword Sheeter. Fill in a keyword and a list of suggestions will unfold. You can also exclude certain words to make the list more specific. You can use Keyword Sheeter for free.

MOZ Keyword Explorer

MOZ’s Keyword Explorer gives you an overview of the monthly search volume per keyword, how difficult it is to rank on it, how high the CTR is and what the priority should be. The priority score indicates which keywords you should focus on first. You will also get several suggestions for related keywords and a list of top search results that currently rank for the keyword. You get access to the Explorer with a paid MOZ Pro account.

Tools for subtitles and transcripts

Google is getting better at recognizing and indexing video content, but to give search engines a helping hand, it pays to add subtitles and/or closed captions. This way you convert the content of the video into text, making it easier to read for search engines while also giving more context to the video.

YouTube

The YouTube Creator Studio adds subtitles automatically. After that, it’s just a matter of checking the punctuation and timing. Another option is to add subtitles by typing along with the video. When you’re done, you can download the .srt file and use it for other video platforms apart from YouTube. You can use the Creator Studio for free with a YouTube account.

Clips (Apple users)

This is an app for Apple users that instantly turns spoken text into subtitles. Clips also gives you the option to change the look of the subtitles. This app is free to use for Apple users.

iMovie (Apple users)

iMovie is a video editing application is standard for every Mac. As you edit a video, you can instantly add subtitles, called Titles, and set the correct timing. This editing tool is free for Apple users.

Windows Movie Maker

Windows Movie Maker is a video editing program that comes with any Windows desktop or laptop. Just like iMovie, you can add Titles while you’re editing a video and set the correct timing. This editing tool is free for Windows users.

Subtitle workshop

This tool works best if you already have a script. In the program you open the video and the text and synchronize them. You can download Subtitle workshop for free.

Jubler

Just like with Subtitle workshop, with Jubler you make sure the subtitles and the video are in sync. You open the video and the text and an algorithm ensures that the timing runs smoothly and is in sync. You can download this tool for free.

Jubler

Thumbnail editing tools

Consider a thumbnail to be the face of your video, both on your website as well as in the search results. This makes it important to make it as inviting and clear as possible. You can choose to use a still from the video, but you can also use one of the tools below to create one.

Canva

Canva is a tool where you can easily add text and other elements to images. You can choose to create something all by yourself or use one of the many templates Canva offers. You can use this tool unlimited and for free and in the browser after creating an account.

Canva

Pixlr

Pixlr is an online and free alternative to Adobe Photoshop. Just like Photoshop, you can easily edit your photos and images and add effects. You can use this tool in the browser.

Stencil

Stencil is similar to Canva. You can easily upload your own images and logos to edit them. Stencil offers several templates you can use, as well as icons, fonts and other graphics. You can edit 10 images per month for free.

Video sitemap tools

You’re more likely to appear in the search results with your video if Google knows about the existence of your videos. This works better when you create a video sitemap.

Sitemap protocol

This is the protocol you have to follow if you want to create a sitemap. You can then add it to your robots.txt file.

Google’s Search Console

Once you’ve created a sitemap, you can send it directly to Google’s Search Console.

VideoObject schema.org

Google recommends that you mark your videos as VideoObject. This ensures that videos appear correctly in both the general and in the video search results, Google Images and Google Discover.

Now you have all the tools you need to start optimizing your videos for search engines.

Don’t forget your social media

If your social media channels are doing well, it doesn’t necessarily mean it will improve your position in search engine results. However, remember that people are increasingly using social media as a stand-alone search engine. Therefore, it pays to optimize your video per channel as well.

In addition to the tips above, think about hashtags on Twitter or Instagram. Many social media channels are increasingly using algorithms that use popularity to decide which posts are shown to users. The posts that show the most engagement, in the form of likes, shares and comments, will appear at the top. Take LinkedIn, where popular posts appear at the top, even when the post comes from someone outside your network.

So make sure you use the right hashtags that are both trending and relevant. And don’t forget to use your organization’s employees to like and share the messages.