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Thumbnail Feedback How Is This Thumbnail?
- Thread starter Yours Truly
- Start date
I didn't realize the other thread you started on SEO Explorer was closed. I wrote all this specifically to your Hobby Lobby video but a lot of what I wrote can apply here to your Walmart video. Simply replace my references to Hobby Lobby with Walmart. It is the same principle. You are fundamentally going after Walmart-search traffic so I suggest incorporating Walmart logo into your thumbnail at the very least. And your thumbnail white text is a bit hard to read.
Below refers to your query on SEO & your Hobby Lobby video.
While SEO is very important (especially to smaller channels), it is by far not the only determining factor to earn views. Your SEO may be very good but if your thumbnails are not appealing, you won't earn the click from viewers. Determining the SEO you will use is one of the BEGINNING steps.
I am constantly experimenting but my research is doing trial YT searches on a working title or SEO phrase I have in mind. I then look at the results to see if I have a lot of competition. I am looking for opportunities to slide my video into the search results.
Some opportunities you can exploit:
1. Crappy thumbnails on certain topics / phrases. I like these because I can create a style or color palette to differentiate myself. If thumbnails have no faces, I will use a face. If all the thumbnails have faces, I will do something else to differentiate my thumbnail with color, action arrows, etc.
2. You see a video that is doing very well and you "draft" it (Drafting in car racing is intentionally being 2nd place or 3rd place behind the lead car which expends the most fuel to be upfront.). Everyone wants to be #1 but sometimes it is just fine with being #2 or #3.
3. Going after smaller niches. It is easier to dominate smaller niches and less competitive SEO. I love finding niches nearly no one is doing.
4. Or if you are tackling a more competitive SEO, you can still sub-niche it down.
In your case of the Hobby Lobby video, the most obvious change I would strongly recommend is to add a Hobby Lobby logo somewhere in that logo or get an exterior photo of your local Hobby Lobby store. And put your face on that thumbnail next to the Hobby Lobby image or maybe you with a shopping cart.
Most recently, I tried one thumbnail which had TWO faces, and that video is now doing very well. I switched it up 3-4 times AFTER I published it. It is now getting traction. However, having 2 faces on a thumbnail was not the only factor but it was one contributing factor of many little things including having suitable SEO and making the title of readable interest.
If a video doesn't get traction, it may not be the SEO. It could be your thumbnail or the way you phrased the words using the SEO words. Remember, humans are reading titles. Titles have to be catchy or compelling enough for them to click IN ADDITION to having a catchy / compelling thumbnail. Nothing on YT stands alone. The combined / cumulative effect is what you see of which SEO is one component.
Below refers to your query on SEO & your Hobby Lobby video.
While SEO is very important (especially to smaller channels), it is by far not the only determining factor to earn views. Your SEO may be very good but if your thumbnails are not appealing, you won't earn the click from viewers. Determining the SEO you will use is one of the BEGINNING steps.
I am constantly experimenting but my research is doing trial YT searches on a working title or SEO phrase I have in mind. I then look at the results to see if I have a lot of competition. I am looking for opportunities to slide my video into the search results.
Some opportunities you can exploit:
1. Crappy thumbnails on certain topics / phrases. I like these because I can create a style or color palette to differentiate myself. If thumbnails have no faces, I will use a face. If all the thumbnails have faces, I will do something else to differentiate my thumbnail with color, action arrows, etc.
2. You see a video that is doing very well and you "draft" it (Drafting in car racing is intentionally being 2nd place or 3rd place behind the lead car which expends the most fuel to be upfront.). Everyone wants to be #1 but sometimes it is just fine with being #2 or #3.
3. Going after smaller niches. It is easier to dominate smaller niches and less competitive SEO. I love finding niches nearly no one is doing.
4. Or if you are tackling a more competitive SEO, you can still sub-niche it down.
In your case of the Hobby Lobby video, the most obvious change I would strongly recommend is to add a Hobby Lobby logo somewhere in that logo or get an exterior photo of your local Hobby Lobby store. And put your face on that thumbnail next to the Hobby Lobby image or maybe you with a shopping cart.
Most recently, I tried one thumbnail which had TWO faces, and that video is now doing very well. I switched it up 3-4 times AFTER I published it. It is now getting traction. However, having 2 faces on a thumbnail was not the only factor but it was one contributing factor of many little things including having suitable SEO and making the title of readable interest.
If a video doesn't get traction, it may not be the SEO. It could be your thumbnail or the way you phrased the words using the SEO words. Remember, humans are reading titles. Titles have to be catchy or compelling enough for them to click IN ADDITION to having a catchy / compelling thumbnail. Nothing on YT stands alone. The combined / cumulative effect is what you see of which SEO is one component.
Specifically, on your thumbnail, I think you may be revealing the mystery of what you shopped for at Walmart. You may want to motivate people to click on your thumbnail to see and find out what you bought. Don't tell or show it on the thumbnail if at all possible.
A possible title, is "Guess what goodies I bought at Walmart today?" "Guess what I bought at Walmart to feed my sweet tooth?"
You imply the snacks but you don't tell them. By asking a question, people might want to click to find out the answer.