Subtitles for Video Ranking

Subtitles play a critical role in video SEO and engagement, which directly impacts ranking on platforms like YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and even websites with embedded videos.

This guide shows you how/why subtitles make such a difference.

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How Subtitles help Video Ranking

1. Accessibility

Subtitles make videos accessible to a broader audience, including non-native speakers, hearing-impaired users, and people who prefer watching without sound.

A more inclusive experience leads to:

• Increased Watch Time: More users can consume content, boosting watch time and reducing bounce rates.
• Higher Engagement: Users who can understand the content are more likely to like, comment, and share, signaling to platforms that the video is valuable.

2. Video SEO

Search engines can’t “watch” videos but can index text.

Subtitles, captions, and transcripts provide a readable version of your content, leading to:

• Keyword Visibility: Subtitles with relevant keywords make videos discoverable through text-based searches on platforms like YouTube and Google.
• Improved Video Metadata: Search engines use subtitle text to better understand video context, helping videos rank higher for relevant queries.

3. Audience Retention

When people can read along, they are more likely to stay engaged, which leads to:

• Reduced Drop-Off Rates: Viewers are less likely to leave if they can follow the narrative through subtitles, even if they lose audio or don’t understand the language fully.
• Higher Completion Rates: Platforms like YouTube reward content that keeps users engaged, pushing it higher in suggested videos and search results.

4. Reach a Broader Market

Subtitles allow your content to transcend language barriers, which means:

• Exposure to International Audiences: Subtitles and translations can attract viewers from different regions, growing your audience size and influencing your video’s performance.
• Localized SEO: Translated subtitles act as localized SEO, helping the video show up in searches conducted in different languages.

5. Increased CTR

Including subtitles can make your content stand out more, even in crowded feeds:

• Text Overlay in Thumbnails: Including snippets or titles in the thumbnail can create intrigue, leading to higher click-through rates.
• Caption Snippets: Platforms often show a portion of subtitles as preview text, which can drive clicks if the text piques interest.

6. Silent Viewership

Most short-form social media platforms autoplay videos without sound, making subtitles essential:

• Engagement Boost: Subtitled videos capture attention even in silent mode, increasing the likelihood of users stopping to watch the video.
• Higher Watch Completion on Social: With the growing trend of muted autoplay, subtitles ensure that the message is communicated even without sound.

7. Text-to-Speech

Some platforms rely heavily on text-based search algorithms:

• TikTok: TikTok’s algorithm prioritizes content where the text (subtitles) matches user interests, leading to better discoverability.
• YouTube: YouTube can parse subtitle text to understand content better, increasing the chances of appearing in recommended sections.

8. Voice Search

With the rise of voice search, videos with accurate subtitles can appear in search results for questions that the video answers:

Well-structured captions can even get pulled into Google’s featured snippets, offering a significant visibility boost.

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Implementing Subtitles for Better Video Rankings

1. Create accurate Subtitles

Use tools like SendShort or your video editing software’s caption feature to create subtitles that match the spoken words. Accuracy is key for both accessibility and SEO.

2. Focus on Keywords

Identify primary and secondary keywords relevant to your content. Include these naturally in your subtitles without overloading.

3. Translate your Subtitles

Create translated subtitles using tools SendShort or human translation services to reach global audiences.

Upload these subtitle files to platforms like YouTube, which support multilingual subtitles.

4. Bio & Description

Platforms like YouTube allow captions and transcripts to be added in the description or as a pinned comment. This increases the keyword density and text content associated with your video.

5. Auto-Generated Captions

Platforms like YouTube provide auto-generated captions, but they can be error-prone. Edit these captions manually to ensure accuracy.

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Tools to help Add Subtitles

• SendShort: A dedicated platform for adding subtitles and editing videos. SendShort’s toolset includes subtitle generation that simplifies the process for social media content.
• YouTube Studio: Offers an integrated caption editor and the ability to upload SRT files.
• Subtitle Edit: An open-source tool for editing subtitle files manually.

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FAQ: Ranking with Subtitles

1. Do subtitles on YouTube help with SEO?

Answer: Yes, subtitles on YouTube help with SEO by making your video more accessible, increasing watch time, and allowing YouTube to index your content more effectively, which can improve search rankings.

2. Why are subtitles important on videos?

Answer: Subtitles are important on videos because they increase accessibility, improve viewer engagement, and make content easier to understand, especially for non-native speakers or those watching without sound.

3. Do subtitles increase viewer retention?

Answer: Yes, subtitles increase viewer retention by keeping viewers engaged, making content more accessible, and helping convey the message clearly even in noisy or sound-off environments.

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Thanks a lot for reading this,
David Ch
Head of the Editing Team at SendShort