These 9 Things Can Help Rank Your Sermons on YouTube
The road to digital innovation for your church has many challenges. But one of the simplest ways to increase your online presence and online giving is by making inspirational videos. They can be livestreamed or pre-recorded. Of course, many are then left asking how to rank their sermons on YouTube near the top.
You can film your sermons or make more personal videos to share your heart and thoughts with your congregation. This is certainly a way to increase engagement. Unfortunately, this won’t always result in a great ranking. Here’s everything you need to understand about this process.
Why Put Sermons on YouTube?
YouTube is a great channel for spreading your message of faith. From your uploaded videos, you can share the links in community groups, send them straight to your donors and sponsors, or get more subscribers and have a video ministry. This way, you utilize a modern way to spread the Gospel. It also makes it easy for people to listen. They can choose the time and place to play your videos. Even better, they choose whether to share them with friends. Best of all, they can help spread the word about your inspirational content.
Before the shutdown due to Coronavirus, you might not have been thinking about your online presence. But there is no better time than now to use this digital platform and start making videos. You might have some great content for your church YouTube channel already. This article will help you learn how to make the most of this online medium and get a greater audience.
Check the boxes on all the following tips before uploading your video. They will help you rank your videos higher and stand out from the billions of videos uploaded daily.
1. Get your YouTube optimized for ranking
Remember to use target keywords. Reconsider renaming your video files so that they include this target keyword.
2. Optimize the video title
Once you have determined your target keywords, make sure your title includes this.
3. Optimize the video description
Think about inserting keywords throughout your video description as well. But don’t make it sound like you are peppering the text with keywords. Write it in as naturally as possible.
4. Customize thumbnail images
The thumbnail images do more than just look attractive. Name the thumbnail image file with the same keyword you want searched, so that it shows up in the results links.
5. Categorize your video
YouTube’s Creator Academy teaches a comprehensive process for determining your video category. The suggest answering questions like:
- Who are the top creators within the category? What are they known for and what do they do well? (Think about pastors who are well known amongst digital platforms. Research their sermon videos to see how they are creating).
- What are the patterns between the audiences of similar church or pastor channels?
- Do the videos within the church category on Youtube have similar lengths or formats? (You may think your two-hour sermon was wonderful, but this lengthy format might not work so well in the virtual world.)
6. Add subtitles and closed captions.
To do this, upload an SST (supported text transcript) file. Under the YouTube video manager, click on “Videos”. Next, find the video you want to add subtitles or closed captioning to. Locate the drop-down arrow and choose “Subtitles/CC.”
7. Have better concept themes through Google Searching the keywords
Let’s say you have a sermon on “Faith”. How many millions of sermons on Faith do you think are out there? If I search for “faith” on Google, I can scroll down to the bottom and find, Searches related to faith sermons. Then I see search terms such as:
sermons on faith in hard times
Consider these search words your concept themes when naming your video files and sermons.
8. Understand how search engines work
Yes, Google’s search engine is complex. But the basic concepts are easy to understand. Here is a good article that breaks down each concept in a readable way, by marketing guru Neil Patel.
9. Understand the kind of questions people are asking online to find your topics
Always put yourself in your viewer’s shoes. What sort of inspiration are they looking for? What are the daily problems and challenges they are facing? As a pastor, you have daily interactions with your members, be they in-person or online. Use your knowledge of human character to find out how to reach them with a video message.
As pastors and spiritual leaders, we don’t need to rewrite the Bible. We simply create content that people are already looking for, putting God’s Words within their reach. The above nine steps will help you to ensure that your video content on YouTube is searchable, and relevant.
Remember the following Scriptures when you need inspiration for creating your own church content.
2. Corinthians 5: 17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
Colossians 3:23
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.
Exodus 35:31,32
And he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills— 32 to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze…
At DonorWerx, we will continue to provide you modern-day solutions and software for growing your church and retaining donors. Ranking your sermons on YouTube isn’t the only thing that must be done. And even though it is a difficult time, you are not alone. Call us today to find out how transitioning to a digital platform can work wonders for your ministry.
