Closed captioning is more than just a nicety for those who want or need to read along with a video; they’re also a big advantage in the SEO arena and make content marketing so much easier. So when your video memes find their way to Youtube, you want captions — and you want them to be on a separate transcription file.
Why use a unique file?
When you upload your captions and landscape videos separately, this allows your transcription to be searchable on Youtube and Google, making you much easier to find.
After some time, Youtube will automatically assign subtitles to anything you upload. If you’ve ever seen these auto-captions before, then you’ll know firsthand how unreliable and sometimes silly they are. If you rely on YouTube’s captions, you’ll have to go in yourself and fix them manually, at least if you want any semblance of accuracy. You won’t have that problem if you’re using the transcriptions we provide. When you upload your own transcriptions, they will automatically override the auto-captions provided by Google.
You can repurpose your content to take advantage of this increased searchability in just three simple steps. Once you have your files ready, head over to Youtube and do the following:
- Upload your video
Select your landscape video for upload to your channel. It’s even easier to just drag and drop it from your desktop or folder. Youtube will begin to process your video, but don’t worry — you don’t need to wait until the process is complete before moving to the next step. Click “done” and then go to your Youtube studio beta.
- Upload your transcription file
Once there, go to your “videos” section, found on the right hand side of the screen below “dashboard.” Click on the video you just uploaded and then select “additional features” from the menu on the right. There you’ll find the option for translations and transcriptions. Select the “add subtitles” bar and then select English. This will give you the choice to upload a file. Simply select your transcription file, click “save changes” and you’re good to go!
- Enjoy your increased searchability!
Again, this process does not attach your transcription to your video, but rather allows your content to be searchable on the most popular search engine on the planet. Happy marketing!
Subscribe To The Content Coalition
A show and podcast where we interview content marketing gurus about how they crush their digital game.
Shaina Weisinger
Shaina Weisinger is the founder and CEO of Repurpose House, which turns your content into unlimited videos and images. Shaina is on a mission to show content creators the untapped potential and repurposing power of the content they already have. Shaina loves to laugh loudly, be obnoxiously competitive on the volleyball court, treat her dogs as her kin, and recover from tripping on or running into almost everything within a five-foot radius.
226 Comments