If you’re into video streaming, you probably don’t spend as much time thinking about your written content on your Twitch page. You are probably more concerned about visually engaging your audience while playing the hottest games or watching the newest viral videos. Did you know optimizing your Twitch channel is just as important as how well you can create exciting and engaging content? Just as we previously discussed how to use SEO on YouTube, if you are on Twitch, you will need to utilize this tool there as well so you can drive traffic to your channel.
What is Twitch?
Launched in 2011, Amazon-owned Twitch has some similarities with YouTube in being a video platform, but most videos you watch on YouTube are probably not live. Twitch is a haven for video game lovers who like to watch their favorite streamers play games live. If you have chosen to become a streamer, you must master more than all the most effective techniques to win the next raid in your favorite game. Learning SEO and getting more exposure in itself is a game. One of the significant downsides to Twitch is that you can only show up in the “top” channels list if you have streamed in the last 24 hours, and you will eventually need a vacation from recording yourself playing Animal Crossing for 8 hours straight. This is where counting on Google search for your visibility comes into play.
So how do I do it?
Although you aren’t making posts on Twitch like on traditional social media platforms (heck, even YouTube lets you make community posts these days), it’s essential to know how to optimize your profile and stream titles. Your streams will likely be hours long, so you’ll want to upload short clips on top of that for people who aren’t entirely sold on your content yet or don’t have time to watch it. Then, you must pay close attention to your channel description, video descriptions, and panels (“add-ons you can include on your Twitch profile to help the people who join your streams to interact with you more”). The good news is, according to this pro-Twitch streamer, SEO is easier to do on this platform than on YouTube. Consider the games you are playing or the video content you are reacting to. Do you primarily stream Team Fortress 2 or Minecraft, or do you like to watch the newest meme compilations? Incorporate that. If people don’t know what you’re all about, you can’t count on them to assume they’ll take a chance and engage in your content when they can watch someone else.
Nikko, also known as NikitheLiger on Twitch, recommends new streamers use UberSuggest to help them discover what people are Googling and find those keywords they’ll want to use if they still aren’t sure. Another alternative tool is Ahrefs, which is also free! Once you get those keywords, it is highly recommended you keep your description brief and straight to the point. There’s no need to share your life story.
And then there are the thumbnails. Like on YouTube, consider using at least one keyword in the thumbnail. Remember not to make the title too loud. We know that streaming is a super exciting prospective source of income (I mean, getting paid to play games and watch videos? Right on!), but using a combination of titles and thumbnails that are over-the-top will scare potential viewers away – so don’t even think about any “WOW! AMAZING WORLD OF WARCRAFT HACKS 100% WORKS”. You will also want to avoid click-baiting, purposely misleading your audience into thinking they will watch one thing when it is another. This will annoy any potential audience and give you an unfavorable reputation within the Twitch community.
Another Good Idea
Once Twitch streamers gain an audience, some of their fans will post compilations of their favorite streaming moments, but there’s no rule saying you can’t upload some of your favorite highlights from yourself. Chances are, you already have a YouTube channel (which, for the sake of consistency, should have the same name as your Twitch channel), so go ahead and combine your most memorable moments from your stream into a compilation video – and as always, incorporate those keywords into the title and the video description, as well as a link to your Twitch channel in your YouTube’s “about me” section and the video description!
The Bottom Line
We understand that Twitch is a platform for a specific person. If you are a chiropractor, for example, unless you’re moonlighting as a Fortnite gamer when you’re not at work, you won’t be interested in streaming. At Drive Traffic Media, a respected digital marketing agency in Orange County, we want our clients to know how to use every platform effectively wherever they take their online presence. As professionals in Search Engine Optimization, we help all kinds of businesses and individual talents get the traction they need to succeed online and drive traffic to all of their pages, so go ahead and give us a call today at (949) 800-6990 or email us at info@drivetrafficmedia.com for a free quote for social media and SEO online marketing that works.