How to Rank Your YouTube Videos in Google Search (Not Just YouTube)

To rank a YouTube video in Google search, choose a topic where Google already shows video results, match the title and description to that search, and add chapters so Google can show key moments. Then embed the video on a relevant page of your own website with VideoObject schema and a written summary or transcript, and earn links to both the watch page and the embedding page. Google decides what to show, so none of this is guaranteed, but it gives your video the best chance.

Google search is a second source of viewers that many creators ignore. This guide explains how video results in Google work and what you can do about them.

How YouTube videos appear in Google

A YouTube video can show up in Google in several places:

• Video results in the main search results, often as a video carousel or a list with thumbnails.
• The Videos tab in Google search.
• Key moments, which show links to specific points inside a video.
• Your own web page, as a normal result that also shows the video thumbnail if Google treats the video as the main content of the page.

Google ranks these differently from YouTube. YouTube looks mainly at how viewers respond on YouTube. Google looks at whether the video page is relevant to the search, whether it can be crawled and understood, and how much the wider web trusts and references it.

Step 1: Pick searches where Google shows videos

Not every search shows videos. Search your topic on Google, on a phone and a computer, and look for a video carousel or video results.

Searches that often show videos:

• How-to and tutorials: "how to tie a saree", "how to link Aadhaar with PAN"
• Reviews and comparisons: "iPhone vs Pixel camera test"
• Recipes and DIY: "how to make dosa batter"
• Exercises, demos and software walkthroughs

Searches that rarely show videos include quick facts, prices, local services and definitions. If Google shows no videos for a search, a video is unlikely to rank there however good it is. Pick a nearby search that does.

Step 2: Match the title and description to the search

Google reads the YouTube watch page much like any other page, so the words on it matter.

• Title: include the main search phrase in natural words, near the start. "How to Link Aadhaar with PAN Online (Step by Step)" is clearer to both people and Google than "Important update for everyone!!"
• Description: use the first two lines to say exactly what the video shows. Then add a few short paragraphs that cover the steps, so the page has real text about the topic.
• Intent: if the search is "how to", the video should show the steps. If it is "best" or "vs", it should compare. A video that does not match what the searcher wants rarely stays in results.

Our YouTube SEO guide covers titles, descriptions and tags in more depth for YouTube itself.

Step 3: Add chapters so Google can show key moments

Key moments let searchers jump straight to the part of the video that answers their question. For YouTube videos, Google can use the chapters you add to the description, and it can also identify moments automatically.

To add chapters:

1. List timestamps in the description, starting with 00:00.
2. Add at least three chapters, each at least 10 seconds long.
3. Give each chapter a clear, descriptive label, such as "02:15 Link Aadhaar on the income tax portal" rather than "Part 2".

Descriptive chapter labels help viewers and give Google clear text for each section.

Step 4: Embed the video on your own website

Embedding the video on a relevant page of your site gives it a second way into Google, and this page is one you fully control. A good embedding page has:

• One main video. The video should be the main content of the page, placed near the top, not buried under a long article or one of ten videos.
• A clear title and heading that match the search.
• A written summary, steps or transcript below the video.
• A link to the YouTube watch page, for viewers who prefer the app.

Google has said it is more likely to index a video when the video is the main focus of the page. A blog post with an embed at the bottom may be indexed as a text page with no video thumbnail.

Step 5: Add VideoObject schema

Structured data tells Google exactly which video is on the page and what it is about. Add VideoObject markup in JSON-LD on the embedding page. Google's required and recommended properties include:

The first four are the core properties Google asks for. After adding the markup, test the page with Google's Rich Results Test. Our free Website SEO Audit also checks a page for structured data and basic on-page problems.

Step 6: Add a transcript

A transcript turns the spoken content of your video into text that Google can read. You can:

• Upload accurate captions to YouTube. Correct the auto-captions or upload your own file, especially for Hindi or mixed-language videos.
• Publish a cleaned-up transcript or a step-by-step summary on the embedding page. Edit it into readable paragraphs with headings rather than pasting a wall of text.

This also helps people who prefer reading, or who are watching with the sound off.

Step 7: Get the pages indexed

Google cannot rank a page it has not indexed.

• Your embedding page: add it to your XML sitemap and request indexing with the URL Inspection tool in Google Search Console. If you have not set this up, see our Google Search Console guide.
• Check the Video indexing report: Search Console has a Video pages report showing which of your pages Google sees videos on, and reasons such as "video is not the main content of the page" when it does not index them.
• The YouTube watch page: you cannot verify youtube.com in Search Console, so you cannot request indexing for the watch page directly. Linking to it from your site and elsewhere is how Google finds it.

If your embedding page shows "Crawled, currently not indexed" or a similar status, our guide to fixing pages that are not indexed covers the common causes.

Step 8: Earn links to the watch page and the embedding page

Links are one of the signals Google uses across the web, and they help both pages get discovered and trusted.

• Editorial embeds and links from relevant blogs and sites in your niche are the most valuable. Offer your video as a resource to writers covering the topic.
• Links from your own content: link to the embedding page from related articles on your site.
• Community answers on Reddit, Quora and forums that genuinely help and include the video.
• Discovery links from a YouTube backlink generator can give crawlers more paths to a new watch URL. They are mostly nofollow and do not guarantee indexing or rankings, so treat them as a small extra step.

Our guide to getting backlinks for YouTube videos covers each method in detail, and do YouTube backlinks work? explains what links can and cannot do.

Step 9: Measure Google traffic

• YouTube Studio: in Analytics, open traffic sources and check External. Google search often shows up there as a source of views.
• Search Console for your site: in the Performance report, filter by your embedding page and look at the queries, impressions and clicks. You can also use the Search appearance filter to see results with video features.
• Revisit every few months: if a page gets impressions but few clicks, improve its title, thumbnail or summary.

Common mistakes

• Targeting searches with no video results. Check Google first.
• Vague titles written for curiosity instead of the search.
• No chapters, which removes the chance of key moments.
• Embedding the same video on many thin pages instead of one strong page.
• Expecting quick results. Indexing and ranking take time, and Google may choose a different video.

Frequently asked questions

Do YouTube videos rank in Google search?

Yes. Google shows YouTube videos in video results, the Videos tab and key moments for many searches, especially how-to, review and tutorial topics.

Should I embed my YouTube video on my website?

Yes, if you have a relevant page for it. Embedding gives the video a second way into Google, lets you add VideoObject schema and a transcript, and keeps visitors on your site.

How do I get key moments for my video in Google?

Add chapters with clear labels to the YouTube description, starting at 00:00, with at least three chapters of 10 seconds or more. Google can also detect key moments automatically, but it decides when to show them.

Can I submit a YouTube video to Google Search Console?

Not the YouTube watch page, because you cannot verify youtube.com. You can submit and inspect the page on your own site where the video is embedded.

Do backlinks help YouTube videos rank in Google?

Relevant links can help Google discover and trust a page, including a video page. Automated discovery links mainly help discovery and do not guarantee rankings.

Key takeaways

• Target searches where Google already shows videos, and match the title and description to that intent.
• Add descriptive chapters so Google can show key moments.
• Embed each important video as the main content of one page on your site, with VideoObject schema and a transcript or summary.
• Index the embedding page through Search Console and watch the Video pages report.
• Earn real links to the watch page and the embedding page; use a YouTube backlink generator only for extra discovery, and check your pages with our free SEO tools.