# SEO Discovery

> YouTube SEO: keyword placement in first 40 chars, description optimization, search vs browse strategy. 35% of YouTube traffic comes from search. Small channels can outrank large ones. Use when optimizing a video for discovery.

- Skill: `ravsau/seo-discovery` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add ravsau/seo-discovery`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/ravsau/seo-discovery/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Product & Planning
- Author: ravsau (https://skillmd.com/u/ravsau)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/ravsau/seo-discovery

---


# YouTube SEO & Discovery Optimizer

Optimize discovery for: **$ARGUMENTS**

## The Discovery Landscape

| Surface | % of Traffic | What Drives It |
|---------|-------------|----------------|
| Search | 35% | Relevance + satisfaction. Small channels CAN outrank large ones. |
| Home Feed | ~40% | Watch history clusters, CTR, satisfaction |
| Suggested | ~25% | Related content, session contribution, end screens |

## Title SEO

- **Primary keyword in first 40 characters** (mobile truncation + algorithm weighting)
- Power words ("ultimate," "complete," "surprising," "proven") get 8.3% higher CTR
- Optimal length: 40-65 characters
- Front-load the value proposition

## Description Optimization

**First 2-3 lines** appear before "Show More" — this is prime real estate:
- Line 1: Hook + primary keyword
- Line 2: Value proposition (what the viewer gets)
- Line 3: Secondary keyword + context

**Full description** (after "Show More"):
- Timestamps/chapters (improves search + satisfaction)
- Related links
- Affiliate links (if applicable)
- Social links
- Secondary keywords naturally integrated

## Tags

- Help YouTube understand topic, especially alternate spellings and related terms
- NOT a primary growth driver (thumbnails/titles/retention = 95% of discovery)
- Use 5-15 relevant tags
- Include: exact topic, broader category, related tools/people, common misspellings

## Shorts SEO (Different Rules)

Shorts rank on:
- Audio (trending audio gets 2.5x more views)
- Hashtags
- Hashtag-search combinations
- NOT traditional titles and descriptions

## Search Strategy for Small Channels

Small channels have an advantage in search:
- YouTube prioritizes relevance over channel size for search results
- Target specific, lower-competition queries
- "AWS Bedrock cost optimization tutorial" > "AI tutorial" (long-tail wins)
- Educational content gets 80% of views 6+ months post-upload (patience pays)

## AI Content Detection (2025-2026)

- AI content labeling is MANDATORY
- Channels that don't label AI content face reduced recommendations
- This doesn't mean AI content is penalized — only unlabeled AI content

## Output Format

```markdown
## SEO Optimization: "[Video Title]"

### Title Analysis
- Primary keyword: [keyword]
- Position in title: [character position]
- Mobile preview (first 40 chars): "[truncated title]"
- Power words present: [yes/no, which ones]
- Recommended title revision: "[optimized title]"

### Description
**Above the fold (first 3 lines):**
```
[Line 1: hook + keyword]
[Line 2: value prop]
[Line 3: context]
```

**Full description template:**
```
[Complete description with timestamps, links, tags]
```

### Tags
[5-15 recommended tags]

### Discovery Strategy
| Surface | Priority | Action |
|---------|----------|--------|
| Search | [H/M/L] | [specific optimization] |
| Home Feed | [H/M/L] | [specific optimization] |
| Suggested | [H/M/L] | [specific optimization] |

### Long-Tail Keyword Opportunities
1. "[keyword]" — estimated competition: [low/med/high]
2. "[keyword]" — estimated competition: [low/med/high]
```