Youtube Seo
Optimize YouTube titles, descriptions, tags, and thumbnails so videos rank in YouTube and Google search and get cited in AI overviews.
Overview
YouTube SEO is an agent skill most often used in Launch (also Grow) that guides metadata and channel optimization for YouTube search, Google video results, and AI citation.
Install
npx skills add https://github.com/kostja94/marketing-skills --skill youtube-seoWhat is this skill?
- Interconnected title, description, and thumbnail system aligned to primary and secondary keywords
- Covers YouTube search, Google video results, and AI Overview/social citation context
- Initial assessment flow for video type (tutorial, review, vlog, Shorts) and audience
- Reads project-context.md keyword and content-strategy sections when present
- References systematic keyword strategies tied to longer watch time, CTR, and search discovery
- Channels using systematic keyword strategies are described as seeing 156% longer view durations, 89% better CTR, and 312
- YouTube plus Reddit cited as ~78% of social media citations in AI Overviews in skill context
Adoption & trust: 1.3k installs on skills.sh; 586 GitHub stars; 3/3 security scanners passed (skills.sh audits).
What problem does it solve?
You published a video but titles, descriptions, and thumbnails are ad hoc, so search and AI surfaces never surface your channel consistently.
Who is it for?
Solo creators and indie SaaS founders optimizing tutorials, reviews, or Shorts for organic search and AI visibility.
Skip if: Paid YouTube ad campaigns or purely on-site embedded video SEO without a YouTube publishing workflow.
When should I use this skill?
User wants to optimize YouTube videos for search, write descriptions, improve channel visibility, or mentions YouTube SEO, description, tags, thumbnail, title, channel, or video SEO.
What do I get? / Deliverables
You get a structured YouTube metadata and keyword plan that ties title, description, and thumbnail to discovery in YouTube, Google, and AI overviews.
- Optimized title, description, and tag recommendations tied to video type and audience
- Keyword-aligned thumbnail and metadata guidance for YouTube and Google discovery
Recommended Skills
Journey fit
Spans multiple journey phases - primary shelf plus alternate fits below.
Canonical shelf is Launch because the skill targets discoverability and search placement for published videos—the main job after you have content to ship. SEO subphase fits systematic keyword strategy, metadata, and search/AI citation—not paid YouTube ads.
Where it fits
Tune title, description, and tags on a launch demo video so Google surfaces the YouTube result for your product keyword.
Refresh back-catalog tutorials with secondary keywords to compound watch time and CTR.
Align video metadata with a distribution push so search discovery matches your launch narrative.
How it compares
Use for organic YouTube and cross-search metadata strategy, not the separate youtube-ads skill for paid placement.
Common Questions / FAQ
Who is youtube-seo for?
Solo builders and small teams who publish on YouTube and want search-driven discovery on YouTube, Google, and AI answer engines without running ads.
When should I use youtube-seo?
At Launch when polishing metadata before or after publish; in Grow when refreshing descriptions and tags for catalog videos; whenever you say YouTube SEO, titles, tags, thumbnails, or channel visibility.
Is youtube-seo safe to install?
It is instructional metadata guidance—review the Security Audits panel on this Prism page before installing from any third-party skills repo.
SKILL.md
READMESKILL.md - Youtube Seo
# Platforms: YouTube SEO Guides YouTube video and channel optimization for search and discovery. **Google now prioritizes YouTube video results** in search; YouTube + Reddit comprise ~78% of social media citations in AI Overviews. Title, description, and thumbnail form an interconnected system; channels using systematic keyword strategies see 156% longer view durations, 89% better CTR, and 312% higher search discovery. Use this skill when optimizing videos for YouTube search, Google search, and AI citation. For website-embedded video SEO, see **video-optimization**. **When invoking**: On **first use**, if helpful, open with 1–2 sentences on what this skill covers and why it matters, then provide the main output. On **subsequent use** or when the user asks to skip, go directly to the main output. ## Initial Assessment **Check for project context first:** If `.claude/project-context.md` or `.cursor/project-context.md` exists, read Sections 6 (Keywords), 11 (Content Strategy). Identify: 1. **Video type**: Tutorial, review, vlog, Shorts 2. **Target keyword**: Primary and secondary 3. **Audience**: Subscribers vs casual viewers ## Video Titles | Rule | Guideline | |------|-----------| | **Length** | Under 60 characters; mobile may show partial | | **Keyword** | Primary keyword in first 5–55 characters | | **Structure** | Social proof/authority + emotional trigger + primary keyword | | **Style** | Conversational; avoid keyword stuffing | | **Avoid** | ALL CAPS except emphasis | ## Video Descriptions | Rule | Guideline | |------|-----------| | **First 2–3 sentences** | Primary and secondary keywords naturally; meta description under 160 chars | | **Links** | Website, store, relevant resources | | **Readability** | Natural flow; help search understand topic | ## Tags - Help YouTube understand content; titles and descriptions matter more - Use relevant tags; avoid over-optimization ## Thumbnails 90% of best-performing videos use custom thumbnails. | Rule | Guideline | |------|-----------| | **Contrast** | High contrast; readable fonts; bold colors | | **Composition** | Rule of thirds; simple, uncluttered | | **Audience** | Consider subscribers vs casual viewers | | **Test** | What works evolves; test styles | ## Title + Description + Thumbnail Reinforce the same core message across all three; target different algorithm aspects. ## Output Format - **Title** options (under 60 chars) - **Description** (first 160 chars + full) - **Tags** (relevant set) - **Thumbnail** guidance (elements, text, composition) ## YouTube in Google Search & GEO | Context | Implication | |---------|-------------| | **Google prioritization** | YouTube is core search infrastructure; 48.6B monthly visits; video results favored in main SERP, video mode, Discover | | **AI Overviews** | YouTube citations surged 25.21% since Jan 2025; instructional (+35.6%), visual demos (+32.5%); long-form (94%) dominates | | **GEO** | YouTube + Reddit = ~78% of social media citations; optimize for AI citation. See **generative-engine-optimization** | [Search Engine Land](https://searchengineland.com/youtube-seo-ai-overviews-467253), [OtterlyAI](https://otterly.ai/blog/the-youtube-citation-study-2026/) ## Related Skills - **video-marketing**: Video script, hook, structure - **video-optimization**: Website video SEO; VideoObject; video sitemap; embed optimization - **youtube-ads**: YouTube paid ads (TrueView, Bumper) - **content-marketing**: Video as content format - **parasite-seo**: YouTube as high-authority platform - **generative-engine-optimization**: GEO strategy; YouTube as distribution