YouTube SEO for Real Estate: How to Rank Higher and Get Found in Your Suburb

YouTube is the second largest search engine. People search there every day for suburbs, market updates, and property tours. When your videos show up first, more locals see your brand, trust you more, and contact you sooner. This guide shows you, step by step, how to set up YouTube SEO so your videos rank higher and get found in your suburb.

How YouTube decides what to rank

YouTube wants to show viewers videos they will watch for longer and enjoy. It looks at many signals. The most important ones are simple.

• Click through rate. Do people click your thumbnail and title

• Average view duration. How long do they keep watching

• Audience retention. Do viewers stay past the first thirty seconds

• Engagement. Likes, comments, shares, saves, new subscribers

• Relevancy. Do your title, description, tags, transcript and content match the search term

• Consistency. Do you publish helpful local videos each week

When you give YouTube clear signals, it knows who to show your videos to, and your rankings improve.

Set up strong channel foundations for local search

Before you upload the next video, fix the basics on your channel. This helps every video rank better.

• Channel name. Include your brand and area if possible. Example: Coastline Realty Gold Coast

• Handle. Use a short handle that matches your brand. Example: @coastlinerealtygc

• About section. Write two short paragraphs that include your service areas, main suburbs, and services. Add your phone number and website

• Channel keywords. Add suburb names and service terms such as vendor tips, auction tips, rental market update

• Links. Add your website, your Google Business Profile, and your key landing pages

• Branding. Use a clean banner that lists your core suburbs and a simple promise such as Local property news each week

Find the right keywords locals already search

Think like a buyer, seller, landlord, or tenant in your suburb. What would they type into YouTube

• Start with suburb names plus topics. Example: Bardon market update, Townsville property prices, Raby Bay waterfront tour

• Add buyer and seller intent words. Best streets, moving to, cost of living, things to know, schools, flood zones, rental yield

• Group keywords by purpose

  • Research. Living in Brighton QLD, pros and cons, suburbs compared

  • Transaction. How to sell in spring, auction tips, choosing an agent

  • Property discovery. 4 bedroom home in Morningside, townhouse tour, waterfront home tour

• Build a simple sheet with three columns. Keyword, video idea, target viewer

Craft titles that rank and get clicks

Your title should be clear, local, and promise a benefit. Keep it under 60 characters when you can. Use the suburb near the front.

• Templates you can copy

  • Suburb Market Update September 2025. Prices, days on market, and trends

  • Living in Suburb Name. Pros and cons before you buy

  • Suburb Name Top 5 Streets to Buy In

  • The True Cost to Sell in Suburb Name. Agent fees, marketing, and tips

  • Suburb Name Property Tour. 4 bed family home near schools

Tips for titles

• Put the suburb first

• Use numbers and time markers such as September 2025 or Q3 update

• Keep language simple so viewers understand fast

Design thumbnails that lift click through rate

Thumbnails are billboards. Aim for clean design and clarity.

• Use a close up face or clear property photo

• Add three to four big words such as Bardon Market Update or Waterfront Tour

• Keep high contrast and large text

• Place your face on the left and bold words on the right to avoid the timestamp

• Keep a simple brand style so viewers know it is you

Write descriptions that help search and viewers

Your first two lines matter most because they show above the fold. Include the suburb, the promise, and your call to action.

• Example structure

  • First two lines. Bardon market update for September 2025. Prices, stock levels, buyer demand, and what it means if you plan to sell in the next three months

  • Body. Add a short summary of key points. Include suburb and nearby area names in natural sentences

  • Resources. Link to your appraisal page, suburb reports, and email newsletter opt in

  • Contact block. Name, phone, email, office address

Use chapters to boost engagement

• Add timestamps with clear labels. Example

  • 00:00 Intro and headline numbers

  • 00:45 Median price and trend

  • 02:10 Buyer demand and days on market

  • 03:25 Advice for sellers this month

  • 04:15 Advice for buyers this month

Use tags and metadata the right way

Tags support discovery but are less important than titles and watch time. Use them to reinforce suburb and topic.

• Add five to ten tags that include suburb names and topics

• Examples. Bardon market update, Brisbane real estate, living in Bardon, Bardon schools, Bardon house prices

Add location and category

• Set the video location if it is a suburb focused piece

• Choose the Education or Howto category for tutorials and updates, and People and Blogs for lifestyle content

Captions and transcripts

Captions and transcripts help search and help viewers who watch without sound.

• Always upload accurate captions or use auto captions, then edit for names and numbers

• Paste a cleaned version of your transcript in the description if helpful

• Include the suburb name naturally in your spoken script

On video structure that keeps people watching

The first 30 seconds are critical. Tell people what they will get, then deliver it.

• Hook. State the main benefit fast. Example. Prices jumped two percent in Bardon this month. Here is what that means if you plan to sell before Christmas

• Credibility. One line only. Example. I am Ken from Coastline Realty. I help families buy and sell across Bardon and Paddington

• Preview. Three bullet points you will cover

• Delivery. Short sections with on screen text for each point

• Call to action. One clear action. Example. Download the Bardon Suburb Report in the description

Local signals that improve trust and ranking

When YouTube sees strong local signals, it learns who should see your videos.

• Say the suburb name in your script and on screen

• Add local landmarks and school names in captions and descriptions

• Link to your Google Business Profile and website contact page

• Pin a comment with a local offer. Example. Want a price update for your street Ask here and I will reply today

The publish checklist

Use this every time so nothing gets missed.

1. Final title with suburb first

2. Designed thumbnail in the same style as your past winners

3. Description first two lines written for humans

4. Chapters added with clear labels

5. Tags that match suburb and topic

6. Location set to the suburb

7. Captions uploaded or edited

8. End screen set to a related video or playlist

9. Cards added at natural drop off points

10. Comment pinned with a call to action and a resource link

First 24 hours playbook

Give your video a strong start signal.

• Share to your email list with one clear reason to watch

• Post a short teaser on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok that links to YouTube

• Send the link to local partners such as brokers and conveyancers who can comment and share

• Reply to every comment with care and a question to encourage more conversation

• Add the video to a relevant playlist and set it as the featured video on your channel for a few days

Build playlists that match how locals search

Playlists help viewers binge your content and lift watch time.

• Suburb Market Updates. One playlist per suburb

• Property Tours. Separate playlists for houses, apartments, and luxury

• How to Sell. Fees, marketing, auctions, open homes

• Moving and Living Guides. Schools, transport, lifestyle, cost of living

Put the main keyword at the start of the playlist title and use a short description for the playlist page.

Shorts and Lives for extra reach

Shorts and Lives feed new viewers into your core videos.

• Shorts ideas

  • One stat for your suburb this week

  • A quick tour of a feature such as a kitchen or view

  • A simple tip to help sellers prepare

• Live stream ideas

  • Monthly suburb Q and A

  • Live auction preview

  • Quarterly market briefing for landlords

Link from Shorts and Lives to your longer videos and playlists.

Measure what matters and improve each month

Open YouTube Analytics and focus on a few simple numbers.

• Impressions and click through rate. Aim for five percent or higher

• Average view duration. Increase by improving your hook and removing fluff

• Audience retention curve. Find the first big drop and fix that part in your next video

• Traffic sources. Search and suggested videos are your friends

• Top search terms. Make more videos for the terms that already bring you views

Simple ways to lift results

• Test two thumbnail styles for the same series and keep the winner

• Move the main value higher into the first 30 to 60 seconds

• Use more chapters so viewers can jump to the part they want

• Ask for one clear action, not three

Privacy, safety, and compliance tips

Stay professional and protect people.

• Get written consent before filming owners or tenants

• Blur number plates, house numbers, and children where needed

• Respect no drone zones and follow local rules

• Do not make price promises. Share facts and your opinion clearly as an opinion

• Keep your privacy policy link in your description when collecting leads

Ten ready to use local video ideas and titles

• Bardon Market Update September 2025. What buyers and sellers must know

• Living in Townsville. Pros and cons from a local agent

• Raby Bay Waterfront Tour. Best streets and lifestyle

• Paddington vs Bardon. Which suburb suits your family

• How Much To Sell in Redlands. Marketing, fees, and timelines

• New Farm Apartment Tour. River views and local cafe walk

• Top 5 Schools near Wynnum. Family buyers guide

• Flood Risk in Brisbane. What to check before you buy

• Landlord Update Q3 2025. Vacancy, rent growth, and yield

• Auction Day in Bulimba. What to expect and how to bid

Repurpose each video to reach more locals

Squeeze more value from your work.

• Turn the transcript into a blog post with images and the video embedded

• Cut the best 30 seconds into a Short and Instagram Reel

• Pull three quotes for LinkedIn and Facebook

• Convert the key stats into a one page market snapshot PDF

• Add the video to the suburb page on your website and to your Google Business Profile as an update

A simple weekly routine you can keep

Consistency beats perfection. Use this rhythm.

• Monday. Choose one keyword and write a 5 point outline

• Tuesday. Film for 10 to 12 minutes. Keep it simple

• Wednesday. Edit, add captions, design thumbnail

• Thursday. Publish at the same time each week. Follow the publish checklist

• Friday. Share to your list and socials. Reply to comments

• Weekend. Record two Shorts that point to the video

Quick script template for market updates

Use this to write faster and speak with confidence.

• Hook. One result in suburb name surprised us this month. Here is what changed and what it means for your plans

• Headline stat. Median price is X. Up or down by Y percent

• Context. Listings, days on market, and buyer enquiry levels

• Advice for sellers. One to two clear tips

• Advice for buyers. One to two clear tips

• Close. If you want a price update for your street, message me or use the link in the description

Final checklist to keep near your camera

• Suburb in title, thumbnail, script, and description

• Hook in the first 10 seconds

• One clear call to action

• Chapters added

• Captions uploaded

• Pinned comment with a local offer

• Playlist updated

When you follow these steps, YouTube understands your topic and your suburb, viewers watch longer, and your brand rises to the top. Keep it simple, keep it local, and keep showing up each week.

Author. Ken Hobson