The Ultimate Guide to Titling YouTube Videos: Unveiling Best Practices, Length, and Formatting [October 2023]

Introduction

You've spent hours editing your video, fine-tuning the color grading, and getting the audio just right. But there's one more crucial factor that can make or break your video's success—the title. Far from being just an afterthought, your YouTube video title is the gateway to audience engagement and algorithmic love. Let's delve into the unsung hero of your video's digital life.

Section 1: The Dark Arts of Titling—Why It’s More Than Just SEO

While most guides focus on keyword stuffing for the sake of SEO, titling goes beyond that. Yes, SEO is essential. But what about emotional resonance? A title should evoke curiosity or provide immediate value, making someone want to click through.

Contrary to popular belief, you don't always need to prioritize target keywords at the beginning of your title.

Section 2: Goldilocks Zone—Cracking the YouTube Title Length Dilemma

The standard advice is to keep your title between 60-70 characters. While this works, have you ever considered the impact of mobile viewership?

• Desktop: 60-70 characters
• Mobile: First 40-50 characters

Section 3: Formatting Alchemy—To Italicize, Emoji, or Capitalize?

Conventional wisdom says avoid emojis and unnecessary capitalization in YouTube titles; they look spammy. However, what if your target audience is Gen Z, who are native to emojis and digital expressions?

Section 4: Beyond Mainstream—Titling Special Content Like YouTube Shorts

YouTube Shorts are a different beast. The title should ideally contain the word "Shorts" to tap into a specific audience and algorithm.

Given that Shorts are about immediate engagement, the title should be ultra-crisp, fitting within 30-40 characters.

Section 5: The Edit Game—Why Changing Your YouTube Title Isn't Taboo

Ever published a video and later thought the title could be better? Go ahead, change it. YouTube’s algorithm is more forgiving than you think. Be cautious, though—multiple changes in a short span can signal indecisiveness to the algorithm.

Section 6: The Final Brush Strokes—Crafting Titles that Stick

Here's a tip that might sound counterintuitive. Try making your title a complete sentence. Complete sentences provide context and can often promise a result, making them more click-worthy.

Conclusion

Titling your YouTube videos is as much an art as it is a science. While SEO gets you through the algorithmic door, emotional resonance and context-specific strategies swing the gate wide open. Now, take these insights and elevate your titling game to new heights.