Search engine ranking and SEO are key components of the planning process that goes into the creation of a new article or blog post. When you build new pages, search engine ranking is often critical for traffic and sales. The same level of planning should go into the creation of video content. Here are some important considerations when producing video content for YouTube:

The first 15 seconds are the most important of the video. The highest bounce rates for video are from content that does not hook the audience in that timeframe. A lot of YouTube channels lose viewers and have high bounce rates because of overly-long music and intro sequences.

Create longer videos that retain viewers for most of the video. The key to avoiding a bounce for longer videos is to craft the title of the video very carefully. Watch time is one of the main factors that affect how videos rank in YouTube.

Another positive engagement signal for YouTube is action taken at the end of a video. When a viewer subscribes to the channel towards the end of a video, it shows YouTube that the content was relevant and that the visitor wants to see more.

Also, use the video thumbnail to get viewers to start watching. You can’t use your first 15 seconds to hook the viewer without an audience. The title and thumbnail are the two elements that can drive higher click-through rates.

Finally, if there is a companion webpage for the video, then embed the video, and do so above the fold.