How to Create a YouTube Channel and Monetize Your Videos Effectively
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How do You Make Money on YouTube?
If you already have a YouTube channel, that's great! But even if you don't have a channel yet, you want to know how you can make money from your videos, right? I will tell you right away that you can make money from YouTube videos. How much you make depends on how popular your YouTube videos become. This is a basic overview of the steps, all the way from creating a YouTube channel to monetizing your videos with AdSense.
Steps:
- First, you need to set up a Google account, if you don't already have one.
- Second, you need to create a YouTube channel using your Google account.
- Third, you need to apply for a Google AdSense account using your Google account. If you already have an approved AdSense account, use that one.
- Lastly, you need to start making quality videos for your YouTube channel. And if you want to get views, i.e., traffic, for your videos, you need to use good keyword optimization in your title, description, and tags.
Let's Get Started!
This Hub will guide you through the process of creating a YouTube channel and monetizing your videos. I have prepared four videos to help you do this, so feel free to watch them for a better visual representation of the process.
How to Make a Google Account
Creating a New Google Account (If You Don't Have One)
The first step to setting up your new Google account to use with YouTube is to go to YouTube's home page. Click on sign in at the top, and then create new account.
You will be presented with a few options to set up your account. One of the choices you have to make is which e-mail account you want to use with your Google account.
Your E-mail Account That You Will Use For Your Google Account
If you want to use a dedicated e-mail address for your Google/YouTube account, choose the option "I would like a new Gmail address," and go through the steps of creating your new Gmail account. Then, create a password and fill in the rest of the information that it asks for.
If you want to use a current e-mail address, enter your e-mail address in the indicated box, create a password, and fill in the rest of the information it asks for.
(I recommend using a separate Gmail account for your YouTube channel, that way you can more easily keep track of and find the e-mails that have to do with your channel).
Phone Verification
Next, you will be prompted to enter your phone number in order to verify your account. Do this, and either select text message verification or phone call verification.
The system will send you a number, either through a text or an automated phone call, depending on what you chose. Enter that number in the specified box to verify your account.
Finished!
Then, you will be redirected back to YouTube's home page. Once you have completed this step, you can use YouTube as the Google account you just created.
How To Make a YouTube Channel
Creating a YouTube Channel For Your Videos
Your Google account is set up, and you can now use YouTube with it. But in order to upload videos, you need to make a channel that is connected to your account.
to do this, go to the top right corner where you see your name and profile picture, and click on your name. This will open a drop down menu. Now, click on YouTube settings.
Click on the link next to your e-mail address that says create a channel. A box will pop up saying, "Use YouTube as..." and it will give you some options.
At this point, make sure that your Google profile is selected, and click OK. Now you have a YouTube channel, and you can upload videos! But there are still a couple more steps before your channel is ready.
Choosing a Custom URL
The last step (shown in the next video video) is to create a custom URL for your channel, and you will see why this is important later. click on your profile at the top right, and choose settings (it may say YouTube settings).
Choose the option that says create custom URL. Type in the URL you want to use, and make sure it is the name that you want your channel to be called, because you cannot change it.
Associating a Google+ account
When YouTube first rolled out the change forcing everyone to link Google+ to their YouTube account, it was despised by many (including me). I waited about a year before I finally made the transition permanently, but I'm glad I did.
To associate a Google+ account with your YouTube channel, go to YouTube settings. There will be a link next to your channel name that will allow you to link your channel to a Google+ account. Click this link, and you can either create a new Google+ account or use an existing one.
When you are asked to "use YouTube as..." make sure you select your Google+ account. It will look bare right now, but don't worry - you can fix this later. Plus, if you don't like the change, you can un-link your Google+ from your YouTube account within a certain time period (it will tell you how long you have before the change becomes permanent).
Once you have your Google+ linked to your YouTube channel, you have to use Google+ to edit your channel name, channel art, and profile picture. Everything else about your YouTube channel is accessible via YouTube itself in the creator studio or YouTube settings.
How to Associate an AdSense Account With YouTube
Assoociating a Google AdSense Account
Now that you have a YouTube channel, In order to make money with your YouTube videos, you need to create a Google AdSense account. YouTube will display ads on your videos and around the page for you so that your videos can generate revenue.
Enable Monetization First
Click on your profile at the top right corner, and click on YouTube settings in the drop down menu. Go down to the bottom, and click view additional features.
In the left menu, features should be selected by default. Then, next to monetization, click enable. Next, click enable my account and accept the terms of service.
At this point, your videos are able to be monetized, and ads will be displayed on and around the videos that you enable monetization on. You have not yet associated an AdSense account with your channel, so you will not be paid yet.
Applying for an AdSense Account
Go back to your YouTube settings, and view additional features at the bottom. Click on view monetization settings, and then click on the heading "How will I be paid?" Click on associate an AdSense account, then next.
Click on proceed to Google account sign in. Sign in to your Google account that you used for your YouTube channel, and then fill in the required information.
Once you have gone through the steps of applying, wait about a week for your application to be accepted. If you associated an existing AdSense account, you will not have to wait.
Once your application is accepted, you can go back to your monetization settings, click on associate an AdSense account, click on use an existing Google account, and sign in with the Google account that you made your AdSense account with.
Using an Existing AdSense Account
You must be at least 18 years old in order to create an AdSense account. If you are under 18, you can associate a parent's AdSense account (with permission, of course), and transition to your own personal AdSense account after you turn 18.
If you already have a Google AdSense account, or if you want to use your parent's AdSense account, you have to sign in using the Google account that you or your parents used to make that existing adSense account.
You Are Set to Earn Money From Your Videos!
After this, you will be set to go, and you can start earning money from your YouTube videos! But your videos will not make money on their own, so in the next section I will show you how to have good keyword usage to drive more traffic to your YouTube videos and your channel.
Monetizing Your Videos
In order for your YouTube videos to generate revenue from ads, they need to be monetized!
Monetizing New And Existing Videos
To monetize existing YouTube videos, go to your video manager, and find the videos you want to monetize.
Go to each one individually in the info and settings option in the drop down menu. then, go to advanced, and check the box that says monetize my video.
Additionally, when you upload new YouTube videos, you have the same option to monetize your videos as you do when you edit them.
Copyright And Ownership Issues
As a word of caution, absolutely do NOT monetize videos that you do not have exclusive rights to (i.e., you made the video, and it has no copyrighted material). There are a few exceptions, but be careful! Read up on what kind of videos you can monetize.
Take, for example, videos featuring video game gameplay and commentary. Many video games do NOT give you the right to monetize your videos featuring gameplay from their game. If they do not explicitly say that you can monetize YouTube videos featuring their gameplay, don't risk it! Simply upload the video without monetizing it.
The most popular video game that I know of that allows you to monetize gameplay videos on places like YouTube is Minecraft, because it explicitly states that in the terms of use. Additionally, Ubisoft specifically states in their video policy that monetizing gameplay videos on YouTube and other sites is allowed, so any games made by Ubisoft are safe to monetize.
There are most likely others that allow YouTube video monetization of their gameplay, so don't give up on video game commentary. Just do your research, and you will be fine as long as you make the right decision.
How To Use Keywords for Good YouTube Video SEO
Effective Use of Keywords for Good SEO
Now that your YouTube videos are monetized, you need people to be able to find your videos to bring you traffic! To do this, you need to use good, long-tail keywords with lots of searches and low competition that you can use in your title, your description, and your tags.
These keywords tell the search engines what your YouTube videos are about, and help people searching for those things to find your videos, bringing you more traffic.
Before You Start
Your keyword research should really start before you even start creating your YouTube videos. Try to find a niche topic for your videos that has lots of people searching for it, but very little content on the web covering the topic.
Start by typing things into YouTube's search bar to see what suggested searches come up. You can look further into these keywords and a list of your own when we use Google AdWords, so write down all of them that sound like they might be relevant to your video.
Using Google AdWords
To get good keywords, you need to do good keyword research. Google AdWords is the best tool that I know of, and it is free. All you need to do is sign in with your Google account, and you are ready to find keywords for your YouTube videos that have good SEO, or search engine optimization.
Search Terms
Start by typing in a general search term that you think someone may use to find your YouTube video. AdWords will then give you a list of related keywords (make sure you have keyword ideas selected, not ad groups). In that list, the level of competition, number of searches per month, and cost per click for each keyword suggestion is displayed.
Keywords To Look For
You want to find keywords with lots of searches per month, low competition, and a decent suggested bid (based on Google's projected cost-per-click).
To change the search results to show keywords that you can use for your YouTube videos, click the headings of each of these statistics so that you can search from high to low competition, traffic, and suggested bid individually.
Using Your Search Engine Optimized Keywords
Once you find keywords that are "optimized" for your topic, write them down, and find ways to work those keywords into your title and description, and add them to your tags. The title is most important when it comes to including these optimized relevant keywords - they are the means that search engines, and by extension, potential viewers, will use to find your YouTube videos.
Do this for all the relevant optimized keywords that you can find, and when you are working them into your text, do it naturally. Don't make it look like you are just using keywords for the search engines. Make it sound good, and if you can use your keywords, then do it.
I haven't covered everything here regarding keywords and SEO, only the basics that will help you get started. There are plenty of other people out there more knowledgeable than me on keyword SEO who can help you refine your keyword skills even more.
Summary
Now that you have your YouTube Channel set up to monetize videos using Google AdSense and good long-tail keywords, start making quality videos and uploading them to your YouTube channel. In no time, your videos should start to get views, and you will start making some money!
© 2013 Ryan Askew