Quick answer: YouTube finds and recommends videos by understanding what they are about. That understanding comes from the words you give it: your channel keywords, title, description, captions, chapters and even what you say on camera. Get these YouTube SEO settings right and your videos have a better chance of showing up in search and suggestions. Below are the 9 places to check, what YouTube itself says about each, and how to fix your old videos too.
This guide is inspired by creator Aksh Verma‘s video “9 YouTube SEO Settings That Are KILLING Your Views”, which walks through the same checklist. Watch it below, then use our breakdown as a step-by-step reference.
What is YouTube SEO?
YouTube SEO is simply helping YouTube understand your video so it can show it to the right people. YouTube can’t “watch” your video the way a person does, so it relies heavily on text: the metadata you type in, the words spoken in the video, and how viewers respond. SEO won’t save a boring video, but it makes sure a good video isn’t invisible.
The 9 YouTube SEO settings to check
1. Channel keywords
Many creators never fill this in. Go to YouTube Studio → Settings → Channel → Basic info → Keywords and add 5–10 words or phrases that describe what your whole channel covers, for example “tech news, smartphone reviews, AI tools, Hindi tech”. This tells YouTube what your channel is about overall, not just one video.
2. Video file name
Before uploading, rename VID_20261023_0912.mp4 to something descriptive like best-budget-phone-under-20000.mp4. YouTube hasn’t officially confirmed the file name as a ranking factor, so treat it as a free, 10-second habit rather than a magic fix. It costs nothing and keeps your own files organised too.
3. Video title
This is the most important text you write. Put your main keyword near the start, keep it clear and honest, and make people want to click.
- YouTube allows up to 100 characters, but search results often cut titles short, so put the important words first.
- Write the way people actually search: “how to reduce phone battery drain” beats “My Battery Hacks Vol. 3”.
- Don’t promise something the video doesn’t deliver. Viewers who leave quickly hurt you more than a less exciting title.
4. Description
The first one or two lines of your description appear in search results and above the “more” button, so use them to say clearly what the video covers, including your main keyword naturally. Below that, add a fuller summary, links and your timestamps. You have up to 5,000 characters; you don’t need to fill them, but a two-word description wastes the space.
5. Tags
Tags are the most over-rated setting. YouTube’s own guidance says tags play a minimal role in discovery. They are mainly useful when your topic is often misspelled (for example “GTA 6”, “GTA VI”, “GTA six”). Add a handful of relevant ones and move on; don’t spend 20 minutes on them or stuff in unrelated popular terms.
6. Thumbnail text
Your thumbnail and title work as a team. Use 2–4 big words on the thumbnail that support the title rather than repeating it. For example, a title “iPhone vs Pixel camera test in low light” with thumbnail text “Night Winner?” The thumbnail’s main job is to earn the click; the title gives the search context.
7. Spoken keywords
YouTube automatically turns your speech into captions, so what you say becomes text it can work with. Say your main topic clearly in the first 30 seconds, for example “In this video, I’ll show you how to fix slow Wi-Fi at home”. It also reassures viewers they’re in the right place, which helps them stay.
8. English captions
Auto-generated captions often get names, brands and technical words wrong, especially with Indian accents or Hinglish. Upload or correct captions in YouTube Studio → Subtitles. Accurate captions:
- Make your video accessible to deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers
- Help people who watch on mute, on the bus or in the office
- Give YouTube a correct text version of your video instead of a garbled one
Tip for Indian creators: if you speak Hindi or Hinglish, consider adding both Hindi and English captions, and use YouTube’s option to add translated titles and descriptions so your video can reach viewers in other languages.
9. Timestamps (chapters)
Timestamps in your description turn into chapters in the video player, which helps viewers jump to what they need. According to YouTube’s help page, for chapters to work:
- The first timestamp must be 00:00
- You need at least three timestamps, in ascending order
- Each chapter must be at least 10 seconds long
Give each chapter a descriptive, keyword-friendly name (“02:15 How to set up the router”) rather than “Part 2”.
Quick checklist for every upload
| Setting | Where | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Channel keywords | Studio → Settings → Channel | Set once |
| File name | Before upload | Small, free habit |
| Title | Upload details | High |
| Description (first 2 lines) | Upload details | High |
| Tags | Upload details → Show more | Low (spelling variants) |
| Thumbnail text | Your design tool | High (for clicks) |
| Spoken keyword | First 30 seconds of video | Medium |
| Captions | Studio → Subtitles | Medium, plus accessibility |
| Chapters | Description timestamps | Medium |
How to fix your old videos
You don’t need to re-upload anything. Every one of these settings except the file name can be edited on existing videos:
- Open YouTube Studio → Analytics and find videos that already get some views or impressions.
- Check the YouTube search terms report (under Traffic source) to see what people actually typed to find each video.
- Update the title and the first lines of the description to match those real searches.
- Fix the captions and add chapters.
- Change one or two videos at a time and watch the results for a couple of weeks before changing more.
One warning: don’t overdo it
Keyword stuffing backfires. YouTube’s spam and misleading-metadata policies prohibit things like long lists of unrelated keywords in descriptions or titles that don’t match the video, and breaking them can get videos removed or limited. Write for people first: clear titles, honest thumbnails and helpful descriptions. Good SEO just makes sure YouTube understands what you made.
Frequently asked questions
Do YouTube tags still matter in 2026?
Only a little. YouTube says tags play a minimal role in discovery. They are most useful for common misspellings of your topic. Your title, description and captions matter far more.
How do I add chapters to a YouTube video?
Add timestamps to the description, starting with 00:00, with at least three timestamps in ascending order and each chapter at least 10 seconds long. YouTube can also create automatic chapters, but your own timestamps take priority.
Can I improve SEO on videos I’ve already uploaded?
Yes. You can edit titles, descriptions, tags, thumbnails, captions and chapters on any video at any time in YouTube Studio. Start with older videos that already get some impressions.
Where do I add channel keywords on YouTube?
In YouTube Studio, go to Settings, then Channel, then Basic info, and add them in the Keywords field.
Sources: “9 YouTube SEO Settings That Are KILLING Your Views” by Aksh Verma (YouTube, July 2026); YouTube Help: Video chapters; vidIQ (quoting YouTube’s guidance on tags).
