9 Incredibly Useful YouTube Tips to Enhance Your WordPress Site

After 15 years running WordPress sites, I‘ve learned a few tricks of the trade when it comes to integrating YouTube videos. Videos bring your content to life, boost engagement, and help you connect with your audience.

In this post, I‘ll share 9 incredibly useful YouTube tips to take your WordPress site to the next level. These tips come from my own experience managing sites that rely heavily on video content.

I‘ll provide detailed explanations and actionable advice you can follow right away. My goal is to help you solve common video problems quickly so you can spend more time creating amazing content!

1. Effortlessly Embed Videos with the WordPress Shortcode

Let‘s start with the basics. The easiest way to add a YouTube video to your pages or posts is by using the WordPress embed shortcode.

Here‘s how it works:

1. Go to your YouTube video and copy the video URL from the address bar.

2. In your WordPress editor, paste the URL on its own line.

3. WordPress will automatically embed the video using the proper iframe code. No copying and pasting embed codes manually!

This shortcut embeds the video instantly with no coding required.

According to HubSpot, using video on landing pages can increase conversion rates by up to 80%. The WordPress embed shortcut makes it quick and easy to start incorporating video content.

2. Showcase New Content with Latest Video Widgets

Want to display your newest YouTube videos prominently on your site? Video widgets are a great way to showcase fresh content to visitors right when they land on your site.

Plugins like WP YouTube Lyte add customizable video widgets you can use to highlight your latest uploads.

To add a video widget:

1. Install and activate the WP YouTube Lyte plugin.

2. Go to Appearance → Widgets in your WordPress dashboard.

3. Find the "YouTube – Channel Videos" widget and drag it into a widget-ready area like your sidebar or footer.

4. Configure the widget settings like title, channel ID, number of videos, layout, etc.

5. Save your widgets. Your latest videos will now display automatically!

The plugin supports multiple widgets, so you can feature different playlists or channels around your site.

According to Insivia, relevant and frequently updated content on the homepage helps increase visitor retention by up to 20%. Video widgets make this easy to achieve.

3. Boost Click-Throughs with Custom Thumbnails

Your video‘s thumbnail image is the first touchpoint for catching your viewer‘s attention.

By default, WordPress uses the generic YouTube thumbnail. To create more enticing previews, use a plugin like Auto YouTube Thumbnail to fetch custom thumbnails instead.

Here‘s how to set it up:

1. Install and activate the Auto YouTube Thumbnail plugin.

2. When embedding a video, check the box to "Fetch thumbnail from YouTube video."

3. Auto YouTube Thumbnail will automatically set your custom thumbnail as the featured image.

According to Venngage, posts with relevant images see 94% more views than posts without images. Setting custom video thumbnails helps your content stand out in the feed.

4. Optimize Watch Time with Responsive Embeds

Have you noticed YouTube videos don‘t adapt well to mobile screens by default? They end up tiny on phones or stretched out on tablets.

Thankfully, it‘s easy to fix responsive issues using a plugin like FitVids.

To make your embeds responsive:

1. Install and activate FitVids.

2. By default, it makes your YouTube videos adapt beautifully across all devices. No further settings needed!

FitVids uses fluid widths so videos size down on smaller screens but never become distorted. This results in better watch times all around.

According to Google, 60% of YouTube watch time comes from mobile devices. Optimizing your mobile embed experience is crucial.

5. Add Social Sharing Buttons to Amplify Reach

Do you want to make it ultra convenient for visitors to share your videos on social media? Social sharing buttons do just that.

Plugins like Easy Social Share Buttons add floating share icons over your YouTube video. Viewers can share the video on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and more without leaving your page.

The setup takes just minutes:

1. Install and activate Easy Social Share Buttons.

2. Go to Settings → Easy Social Share Buttons.

3. Select YouTube as the video source.

4. Choose your button locations like Video Top Right or Video Bottom Left.

5. Save settings and share buttons will automatically appear.

According to Sprout Social, posts with social sharing buttons see 2-3x more shares on average. Make sharing frictionless for your viewers.

6. Regain Control by Disabling Related Videos

Ever had an inappropriate or irrelevant video appear in the "Up Next" section after your YouTube embed?

While you can‘t completely control the related video algorithm, you can disable suggested videos with a quick tweak:

Simply append ?rel=0 to the end of your video URL or embed code.

For example:

https://youtu.be/12345?rel=0

This prevents the related videos panel from showing below your video. Take back control over what appears on your site.

Over 50% of YouTube users rely on the recommendation engine to choose videos. By disabling related content, you keep the focus solely on your original video.

7. Give Viewers a Behind-the-Scenes Look

Want to give your audience insider access to your video creation process? Plugins like WP YouTube Lyte make it simple to record and upload videos right from your dashboard.

Just click the "Record Video" tab to:

• Record directly to your webcam.
• Provide video details like titles, descriptions, and tags
• Upload the video instantly to YouTube

With one click, your raw behind-the-scenes footage goes straight to your followers – no complex editing required.

According to HubSpot, behind-the-scenes content is one of the most popular types of video. Give your viewers the VIP experience they crave.

8. Extend Your Reach with Text Widget Embeds

By default, you can‘t embed videos in your sidebar text widgets. But with the Text Widget Embed plugin, you can enhance your widgets with rich media.

Here‘s how to enable video widgets:

1. Install and activate the Text Widget Embed plugin.

2. Go to Appearance → Widgets.

3. Add a text widget to your sidebar or other widget area.

4. Paste in your YouTube embed code and save. Videos now work beautifully!

Place video widgets strategically around your site – for example, in the footer or sidebar areas. Use them to promote popular content, playlists and more.

According to Social Media Today, 35% of people watch recommended videos in the sidebar while viewing other content. Video widgets boost viewership and clicks.

9. Let Commenters Embed Videos Too

Your comment section is prime real estate for user-generated content and engagement. Allow commenters to embed YouTube videos by using the Comment Embeds plugin.

Installation takes just a minute:

1. Download, install and activate Comment Embeds.

2. The plugin automatically enables YouTube oEmbeds in comments.

3. Let your community link and embed videos in the discussion!

Comment videos help drive conversations and make your community more vibrant. Visitors stick around when they actively participate.

According to Mention, websites that allow user-generated content see 4x more engagement than websites that don‘t. Empower your readers!

Optimizing your WordPress site for video might sound intimidating – but it doesn‘t have to be. With the right approach, you can easily integrate engaging video content that wows your visitors and boosts results.

Start small by adding a simple video embed or enabling social sharing buttons. Then work your way up to more advanced tactics like responsive embeds, behind-the-scenes footage, and UGC in comments.

By following the tips in this guide, you’ll be on your way to becoming a video pro in no time! Let me know in the comments if you have any other video hacks I missed. I‘m always looking to improve my own sites.

Happy video making!