How To Get Backlinks For YouTube Videos – 16 Top Sources
You’ve heard about backlinks to YouTube videos!
What are backlinks?
Backlinks are internet links between one website and another.
At its most basic “link juice” flows from the more powerful to the less powerful website.
Is adding backlinks to your YouTube videos a waste of time?
No.
Can backlinks help your YouTube rankings?
No.
Do backlinks help YouTube videos?
Yes.
How?
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) – that’s how.
Let’s say if your YouTube channel is not very strong, getting a backlink from a stronger site e.g. Blogger helps it to rank in Google.
So, is it worthwhile building backlinks to your YouTube videos?
Yes! You bet it is.
Before we go any further, I’ll say this once.
Rubbish” Spammy” backlinks to your YouTube videos will damage your videos’ ranking in Google.
In Google you have two seo opportunities to rank your videos:
1) In the standard Google search
2) In the Google YouTube video carousel
I build YouTube backlinks as a matter of course.
If your time is limited you can make two quick checks.
These will confirm if building backlinks to YouTube videos is a worthwhile exercise.
Check 1
Type your video keywords into the Google search box.
For this example I’ll type in “backlinks for youtube videos”.
This will reveal if there is a “YouTube video carousel” for this search term.
As you can see in the image below, the YouTube video carousel is right across the top of page 1.
Check 2
Repeat your search entry into the Google search box.
Start looking for a video among the standard rankings.
In this case there are YouTube videos ranked at the top of page 2.
If you try both methods and only the YouTube video carousel is visible it’s still good for backlink building.
If both methods reveal no videos it’s unlikely that your video will appear in Google even with some good backlinks.
But there again someone has to be first…..
So, if you’re short on time, backlinks to YouTube videos are only useful for SEO if videos are in either:
- The Google YouTube video carousel or
- The standard Google page rankings.
You’re probably wondering by now “why should I still add backlinks to YouTube videos that probably have no chance of SEO ranking in Google”?
Because the main methods I use for YouTube video backlink building also allows you to embed your YouTube videos in other websites.
Embedding your video, in good places, helps with your YouTube ranking.
This is because YouTube counts views from embedded videos.
Why not do two jobs at the same time with little extra effort?
So how do you create SEO backlinks for YouTube videos?
I use a combination of the following methods
- Web 2.0 Properties
- Google Properties
- Blogs and forum comments
- Tweets and Retweets
- Slideshare
- Quora
Before starting out on this plan, keep in min
- You want to build seo backlinks to youtube videos that will last. To achieve this treat each new property you create as a “genuine” property that Google will recognize and treat seriously.
- There’s little point in creating bare sites/properties. Google is getting better at SEO all the time at spotting sites that are put up purely for backlinks.
- Take it slow and steady. Building backlinks to YouTube videos is not a quick fix but a gradual process.
If you’re like most of us and only create a new video every week or two, backlink building can be done a bit at a time.
Web 2.0 Properties
1) Blogger – I always start off with Blogger mainly because it’s owned by Google and good for SEO backlinks.
Go to blogger.com
If there’s one type of link that Google favours it’s their own products.
First sign up for a new Blogger account.
It’s best to set up a new account for each niche you’re in.
Then create a new Blogger post making sure you give it a genuine look.
Use the keywords of the YouTube video in the title
Embed your video
Type in a decent description but make sure you include a link back to your video.
Link out to an authority site such as Wikipedia or similar for added authenticity.
2) WordPress
WordPress has good SEO credibility with Google and ranks well for backlinks
Go to WordPress.com and open a new account.
Again, it’s best to open a new account for each niche you operate in.
To create a new post click on the “write” button on the top right side of the page.
Enter content as you would for Blogger.
To add your video, use the short code below inserting your YouTube video number in place of the xxxs.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxxxxxxxxxxxxx=560&h=315]
3) Tumblr
Tumblr gives good seo backlinks for youtube videos
Go to Tumblr.com and open a new account.
Create a new post by clicking the text button in the icon row across the top.
Enter your text.
Links and video can be added by using the + button to the left of the blog box.
This gives you access to icons to add videos, pics etc
Save and publish
4) Weebly
A good free source for building your backlink sites
Go to Weebly.com and open a new account.
You just want a web site
Choose the site template that suits your niche best and get editing.
You’ll be offered domain. Name your site as appropriate.
A choice of domain names will be offered.
Choose the bottom one – with the Weebly prefix
This is the free one.
You only have to set up you site once and then add posts as you make new videos.
5) Medium
Medium is another free site for good backlinks.
Go to Medium.com
Go to Medium.com and open a new account.
It’s a bit laborious, you have sign up and wait for a confirming email etc.
Once you’re logged in click on the avatar button on the top right.
You’ll see a drop down menu
Choose “new story”
Enter your post with title, links description and video.
Publish
6) Wix
Wix is a bit similar to Weebly, where you create a wix website.
Go to Wix.com
Go to Wix.com and open a new account.
Choose form the templates offered and build your site
Create posts for your videos
7) Jigsy
Jigsy is similar in many ways to Wix and Weebly.
Go to Jigsy.com
Go to Jigsy.com and open a new account.
Build you site and add posts as appropriate
8) Linkedin
A great social medium platform with strong business associations and good quality SEO backlinks.
Go to Linkedin.com
Go to Linkdin.com and open a new account.
Once you’ve signed start posting.
You can no longer embed YouTube videos on Linkdin but it’s good quality backlink.
Google Properties
Google owns YouTube. Therefore it follows that some of the best backlinks for youtube videos you will get will be form Google.
Once you open up Google properties you’ll see a host of apps.
Some of them are more useful to us than others.
There are three I’ll concentrate on here:
9) Google Sites
Google sites are a simple website hosted on Google. Any links you make here pointing back to your videos are sites will be very high quality.
I’m not going to go into setting up and using Google sites in depth here. If you follow this link Using Google Sites you will get a full explanation.
As usual make the post title your video title, add a description, YouTube backlink and embed your YouTube video.
10) Google Docs
https://www.google.com/docs/about/
Google docs is what says on the tin – documents. For directions on using Google docs follow this link Using Google Docs
When you have your document opened, add a description, your video thumbnail and a backlink to your YouTube video.
It does no harm to add other external links such as Wikipedia etc.
The more genuine your document looks the better it is and the better your backlinks will look.
11) Google Slides
https://www.google.co.uk/slides/about/
Google Slides is another easy to set up method for backlinks for youtube videos.
For instructions on Google Slides follow this link Using Google Slides
As in other cases use your keywords as the title, add a description, backlinks as you desire and embed your YouTube video.
Publish and off you go.
12) Blog & Forum Comments
Leaving comments on blogs and forums can be a great source of backlinks for youtube videos and views.
Find blogs that are related to you niche. Ensure that they accept comments that will link back to your video.
You’ll find some will accept comments only for Facebook. Many will not accept comments at all.
Once you’ve found a blog that will allows comments and a backlinks. Read the post and come up with a reasonable comment.
Just putting “great article” and your link will in most cases not gain approval. So let the blogger know that you’ve read the post. Leave a link either to your video if it’s specifically related or to your channel if it’s general.
There are a couple of quick ways of finding blogs that relate to your niche:
Search through them until find blogs that fit your bill.
13) Twitter and Retweets
The best method I’ve found for this starts off in your Blogger account.
Go to the last YouTube video you posted on Blogger.
Copy the Blogger permalink on the left hand side.
You do not want this long unwieldy link.
To shorten it I go to either Bitly.com or Tinyurl.com. I prefer Bitly since you can brand the link.
Open up your twitter account. Start a new tweet with a brief description and the shortened link and add a photo, maybe the thumbnail for that video.
Post your tweet.
If you have a huge twitter account that’s all you need to do.
If you don’t have a huge twitter account, then click on the number beside the headline.
This will give you the twitter link.
To make sure your tweet has wide distribution, take this link, go to Fiverr and find a retweet offer.
This will give your tweets and backlinks very wide distribution.
14) Slideshare
Slideshare is a PowerPoint (PP) sharing site, now owned by Linkdin.
Previously you could get backlinks to your YouTube video by uploading it to Slideshare. The rules have changed recently to prevent this.
However it’s still a quality link back to your video
Go to slideshare.net and create a new account via the appropriate Linkdin account.
Prepare a Power Point slide of your YouTube video thumbnail image.
On the upload page of your Slideshare account. Upload your PP file. You’ll be asked to enter the Title, Category, Description and Tags to your upload.
Your target here is to make the bottom line go a solid green.
This indicates you’ve matched Slideshare requirements
Lift the description from your YouTube video description or script if you have one.
Ensure you put the video title and link to your YouTube video at the top of the description Also add any other backlinks to your properties.
Publish and you’re done.
Another good quality backlink to your YouTube video.
15) Pinterest
Yes, you can get backlinks to your YouTube video form Pinterest and here’s how to do it.
If you don’t already have a Pinterest account, go to Pinterest.com and sign up.
Next, click on the + button and create your first board.
You can have one Pinterest account for each niche you’re in and then separate boards for categories.
It’s similar to YouTube channels and playlists.
Once you’ve made your first board it’s time to create your first Pin.
Type in your video title, description including a link to your site/offer etc. It won’t be a live link but if you keep it short and snappy, visitors can copy and paste. Add your YouTube video url and upload your YouTube thumbnail image.
Click save and you’re done.
16) Quora
Quora is similar in many ways to forums. It gives good backlinks to your YouTube videos.
Go to Quora.com and sign up.
Again it’s best to create a separate account for every niche you operate in.
Check for interests that you want to answer queries for and add them to your favorites.
Then check every day and see if there are new questions you can provide good answers to.
As in blog commenting it’s best if you can be one of the early answer providers.
If you have a video that answers the question, even better.
Just embed your YouTube video into your answer.
Alternative you can leave a backlinks to your video or your YouTube channel.
So there you are.
Sixteen different places to create SEO worthy backlinks to your YouTube videos.
Another alternative is to use Premium Link Building Services.
Beware of the low cost options. As a rule they are pretty useless and only deliver low value rubbish backlinks. These will do more harm than good.
Reputable companies such as LinksThatRank, Authority Builders, Get Me Links or similar will deliver high quality links, but at a price.
In-house link building is much cheaper and under your control.
You can also build internal backlinks on your own sites to your embedded YouTube videos.
But, what do you do next?
How To Index Backlinks To YouTube Videos?
Backlinks to YouTube videos only benefit you if Google has found and “indexed” them.
I use a backlink indexing service to get this done.
But beware it doesn’t always work.
There are a variety of services available at a wide range of prices.
If you don’t create thousands of backlinks every month a service like Bulk Add URL might suit you.
At $0.02 per link it’s great for lesser quantities and is well spoken of.
So now you’re going to ask me:
How do I check my backlinks on YouTube have been indexed?
Any backlinks to YouTube videos from Google properties are unlikely to show in any link checker.
You just have to take it for granted that they’re working for you.
For other backlinks there is a free backlink checker from ahrefs.
https://ahrefs.com/backlink-checker
I assume there will be a daily limit on how often you can use it, but don’t know what it is.
Backlinks For YouTube Videos – Some Basic Rules
1) Don’t try and build them all at once.
2) Build them slowly and gradually so that it looks natural to Google.
3) Monitor how your video performs in the Google Carousel and Google rankings.
4) You might find you only need very few backlinks to push one video up while others will require more effort.
Use your backlinks wisely and they’ll help your videos rank in Google listings and the Google YouTube video carousel.
Summary
Do backlinks help your YouTube Videos? As you can see from the above there are two main ways that backlinks help in the Google video search process.
First and probably most importantly backlinks will improve your chances of appearing in the Google YouTube carousel at the top of page one.
Get your video into the top three there and you can really boost your views and clicks. Once you are anywhere on the carousel you can work on increasing your backlinks to push you nearer to the top three.
Secondly backlinks will help improve the ranking of your YouTube video in the standard Google search.
I’d advise concentrating on the Google video carousel as that is restricted to YouTube videos.
This means that your YouTube video will leapfrog over popular non-YouTube videos, which rank higher in search
Do backlinks help YouTube videos? Yes!
