Factors That Correlate With Top Rankings

A study by the video hosting platform Adilo revealed common factors shared by high-ranking YouTube videos.

The research analyzed over 1.6 million videos, focusing on 300 that ranked in the top three for competitive non-local keywords across ten industries.

Authored by Chinasa Ferderick and Felix Johnson, the study offers insights for businesses aiming to improve their visibility on YouTube.

YouTube SEO Study: Top Findings

Engagement Metrics Correlate With Rankings

Research shows that engagement metrics impact YouTube’s ranking algorithm:

• Video Engagement Rate: Top videos averaged 2.65% engagement, compared to the platform average of 0.09%.
• Channel Engagement Rate: Channels with top videos had an average engagement rate of 4.46%.
• View Count: Videos in the top position averaged 358,000 views, while second and third ranked videos averaged 303,000 and 292,000 views, respectively.

Content Formats

The data challenges popular beliefs about video optimization:

• Video length: Videos between 8-9 minutes (median 536 seconds) appeared in top positions most frequently, contrary to popular advice favoring longer content
• Video resolution: 90% of top-ranking videos were in HD or 4K resolution (68% HD, 22% 4K)
• Description length: The average description word count was 222 words

Technical Optimization Factors

The data revealed several technical factors with ranking correlation:

• Transcripts: 94% of top-ranking videos included full transcripts
• Closed captions: Nearly 94% featured closed captions
• Timestamps: 63% incorporated timestamps in descriptions
• Custom thumbnails: 89% used custom thumbnails instead of auto-generated ones
• Hashtags: Only 37% of top-performing videos used hashtags
• External links: 78% included at least one external link in their descriptions

Keyword Strategy

The study found the following patterns in keyword usage:

• Only 6% of top-ranking videos had titles with exact keyword matches
• 75% used related keywords that appeared to address search intent
• 12% used near-exact match phrasing
• 7% included all keywords but in a different order

This data suggests that YouTube may prioritize content relevance over exact-match keywords, similar to trends in traditional search algorithms.

Channel Authority

The study identified several channel-level factors appearing in top-ranked videos:

• Channel age: Top-ranking videos came from channels averaging 111 months (9+ years) in age
• Subscriber count: A median of 520,000 subscribers for channels with top-ranking videos
• Channel type: 63% of top-ranking videos came from brand/organizational channels versus 37% from personal channels
• Verification status: 54% of top videos came from verified channels
• Channel description: 82% of channels included website links or social media in descriptions

Multiple Video Rankings

YouTube appears to allow multiple videos from the same channel to rank for identical keywords.

The researchers found that 19% of YouTube channels have more than one video ranking in the top three positions for the exact keywords.

This suggests that YouTube’s approach to keyword targeting may differ from Google’s, which avoids keyword cannibalization.

Geographic & Age Factors

Two important patterns were noted :

• Video Age: The average age of the top-ranking videos was 29 months. Only 9% of these videos were less than six months old.
• Geographic Patterns: 59% of the top videos came from U.S.-based channels. Channels that didn’t mention their location (15%) performed better than channels clearly identified as non-U.S. (26%).

This trend may indicate that the market size or algorithm preferences favor content from U.S. creators.

What Does This Mean?

Based on the study findings, video creators who want to rank better on YouTube should consider these tips:

1. Track engagement metrics as they can influence rankings.
2. Create videos that are 8 to 9 minutes long and in high resolution.
3. Add transcripts and closed captions to your videos.
4. Use custom thumbnails and include timestamps.
5. Build your channel’s authority by posting regularly.
6. Use a series of videos to target important keywords.
7. Write titles that match what viewers are searching for, not just exact keywords.

Study Methodology & Limitations

The researchers looked at videos that ranked for competitive, non-local keywords in ten different industries. Although the sample size is large, the results may vary for specific industries.

According to the study authors:

“YouTube SEO is constantly evolving, and there’s no guarantee that what works today will work tomorrow. To stay ahead of the curve, creators should stay informed about the latest trends and best practices in YouTube SEO.”

The full study results are available on the Adilo blog.

Featured Image: metamorworks/Shutterstock