seo-discovery

name	seo-discovery
description	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.
argument-hint	[video title and topic, or 'audit my channel SEO']

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

## 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]