Although fashion trends may have brought us back to the 2000s, it’s not 2005 anymore and your YouTube channel shouldn’t look like it either. Gone are the days of 10-minute upload limits and video titles that are just file names.

Today, YouTube is the second most visited website in the world and nearly every media outlet, business and brand runs a YouTube channel. This means every video uploaded is competing with the big leagues now.

The good news is you can make some simple upgrades to make your YouTube channel look more polished, professional and like you know what you’re doing. (And if you need help, you know where to find us!)

1. Search Optimize Everything – Believe it or not, YouTube is one of the largest global search engines, so make sure you’re including related search terms everywhere possible. That means including relevant keywords in the channel description box. This goes double for your video uploads. The title is ideally descriptive, keyword-rich and enticing. The video description should be as well. Think about what your audience might type into the search bar and make sure your written content answers it.

2. Don’t Neglect Your Banner Image – It can be tricky to get it just right, but uploading an on-brand, designed banner image that works across all devices makes a YouTube channel look professional. It’s often the first visual impression visitors get.

3. Take Advantage of Playlists – Group your videos into playlists so people can easily find related videos and video series — and keep watching your content longer. You can even curate a custom playlist of videos from other YouTube channels to display on your channel. Add sections to your channel’s home page to display these playlists and your most popular content. That also makes your channel easier to navigate.

Those were just the first three tips. You'll have to click through to our blog post to read the rest!

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