How to Make Your Video More Clickable: The Ultimate Guide

November 18, 2022
Contents

Storytelling, promoting a product, and making an experience more immersive are all possible with the help of an interactive video. 

YouTube video creators and brands can significantly benefit from including clickable links in their videos to create engaging content.

Adding clickable links attract the viewer's attention and, by extension, to your company. Here are ways to add a clickable link and use an interactive video to attract viewers to your YouTube channel.

What Types of Content Can You Link to From YouTube Videos?

The safety and well-being of YouTube's audience are critical to the company. It means that YouTube has content guidelines for what video creators can and cannot link to their videos. 

Look at this list of what can and cannot be linked to from your YouTube videos to learn more about the rules to keep your content aligned with YouTube’s guidelines.

Other YouTube Videos

You can insert links to other videos on YouTube on your own, even if you're not part of YouTube's Partner Program. Your audience might appreciate it if you link to relevant videos on your channel or from other YouTube creators and influencers.

Own Verified and Associate Site

YouTubers are free to promote their works by including external links in their videos. Add a clickable link to your YouTube video only after you have proven ownership of the associated website you are linking to. 

You'll also need to enroll in the YouTube Partner Program if available in your country. You need at least 1,000 subscribers and over four thousand watch hours in the past 12 months to be accepted into the partner program. 

Approved Crowdfunding and eCommerce Sites

For creators looking to promote their campaigns or sell their products online, YouTube has a list of crowdfunding and eCommerce sites they can use. Check YouTube's list of partner sites and links before directing your audience to an external site to purchase merchandise or donate to a cause.

The Types of Content You Can't Link to From YouTube Videos

Sale of Illegal Goods

YouTube prohibits external links to sites that promote or facilitate purchasing or selling counterfeit goods, fake government documents, or illegal drugs. 

You should read YouTube's policies if you're selling something that needs to be regulated.

Sex and Nudity

While YouTube prohibits sharing links to pornographic material, it does allow the use of nudity in educational settings. Before you post a link to a sexual or otherwise inappropriate video, make sure you've read YouTube's policy.

Malware, Viruses, Data Phishing

YouTube discourages its creators from directing viewers to malicious websites or apps that collect personal information, known as phishing, or install malware, known as malvertising. Users are at real risk of harm from these activities, leading to identity theft, service disruptions, and lost data.

Child Abuse

It should go without saying that YouTubers aren't permitted to link to external sites that feature or otherwise promote graphic depictions of child abuse.

Terrorism Financing and Recruitment

Terrorist organizations have turned to online platforms for recruitment and fundraising due to the internet's facilitation of the dissemination of propaganda. 

YouTube discourages terrorism by preventing its creators from promoting material associated with terrorist organizations or ideologies.

Unauthorized Access to Paid Content

YouTubers aren't allowed to include links in their videos that lead viewers to illegal copies of paid content. The act of doing so is unlawful and considered piracy. You must strictly follow YouTube's copyright policy.

Types of Links on YouTube Videos

Now that you know what can and cannot be uploaded to YouTube, we'll go over the steps you need to take to add active links to your videos. 

It will help viewers easily navigate to your website, email newsletters, affiliate marketing programs, or any other destination you'd like to see increased traffic, leads, or sales.

Description

Just paste a URL into your video's description, and you've got yourself a link on YouTube. The fact that it's so simple to implement could explain why it's become the standard for adding links to YouTube videos.

Cards

At times you choose, cards will appear in the corner of your video in lowercase in the corner of your screen. You can click on it to access relevant links, videos, playlists, or channels. 

You can use cards at any time to add links to videos, playlists, and channels; however, if you want to add clickable links to your videos that use a custom URL, you must be a YouTube Partner Program member.

End Screen

End screens function like cards but appear at the end of your video on YouTube. End screens, much like cards, can be used to jump to a different video, playlist, or channel. 

You can use end screens to encourage viewers to subscribe to your channel. You must be a YouTube Partner to use the end screens feature and insert links to a custom URL.

Video

The links mentioned within a video are called video links. One way to put video links is to talk about it, another is to add a watermark to the video, and a third is to display the information on-screen at the appropriate time in the video. You must only insert links to related videos.

How to Add Clickable Links to Your YouTube Videos

There are many ways to insert links into your YouTube content, but only cards and end screens allow viewers to interact directly with your links. Here, we'll show you how to use those programs to add external links to your videos on YouTube.

Add Links to YouTube Videos Using Cards

Information cards are one method for making a clickable video on YouTube that users can interact with.

Add cards that appear on the right side of your screen at predetermined times in your video and change them into "i." It allows viewers to access the card anytime by hovering over the "i."

You can have more options by adding up to five information cards to your video, linking to another video, public playlist, YouTube channel, or external website.

To add a card's menu to a video on YouTube:

  • After logging in on the YouTube Studio dashboard, click "Content" on the left side menu.
  • To edit a video, select it and click Editor on the left.
  • Here's where you can begin adding information cards.
  • If you're adding multiple cards, you'll need to adjust the video timeline of each one below the video. 
  • In addition to the usual call-to-action and custom message, channel cards (link cards) require teaser text to explain the channel they lead. When it comes to the remaining cards, the inclusion of a card title will help.
  • Click Save.

Add Links to Your Video Descriptions

Including a clickable link in the video, descriptions are common on YouTube. Including a clickable link in the video details boost the likelihood that viewers will check out your site, subscribe to your channel, or click on any affiliate links you may have included.

Adding a link in the video's description on YouTube is as follows:

  • To access YouTube Studio, click the button in the top right corner of your screen.
  • In the new window that just opened, go to the Videos section of the left sidebar and choose the clip you wish to modify.
  • Copy and paste the link and select add to add into the video description box, and save your changes.
  • To save, click the Save button. It won't take YouTube long to transform that text into a clickable URL link.

Add Links to YouTube Videos Using End Screens

The end card, end slate, and end screen are all similar to information cards. They typically appear in the final few seconds of a video on YouTube.

An end screen can link viewers to a specific playlist, video, or even an external website like a shop.

Include closing credits in your video by doing the following:

  • The first thing you should do after logging into YouTube Studio is head over to the Content section.
  • Choose Editor on the left-hand side and pick the video you want to edit.
  • Click on the video elements screen, and you will come across the End screen options. Select videos you want to include.
  • Choose the Save option.

Monitoring Traffic From Your YouTube Video Links

Including links is only half the process of making interactive videos. You'll need Google Analytics to track your link's clickthrough to verify its efficacy. 

Links added to your YouTube videos using UTM codes allow you to monitor the traffic they generate. Campaign URL Builder, a free Google tool, will enable you to quickly create UTM codes for tracking your link activity.

6 Tips to Make Your Video More "Clickable"

1. Upload Transcripts

YouTube uses various metrics, such as authority, channel strength, trust, reactions, comments, views, title, and keyword relevance, to determine a video's ranking. Transcription helps determine which keywords are most appropriate.

2. Live Stream Videos

The sense of immediacy created by live-streaming videos is perfect for drawing in clicks and views. You can get people excited to tune in to your channel at a specific time and date.

3. Ensure Your Video is in HD Quality

More people will watch your video if you take the time to ensure it is of the highest possible quality. Users are more likely to opt for a high-definition (HD) video over one with a lower rate because they seek a better experience.

4. Maximize Metadata

The main factors in the video's ranking are its title, description, and tags. Optimizing your video's metadata will be displayed whenever someone searches for related material on Google or YouTube. 

5. Optimize the Thumbnail to Be Consistent with Your Brand

Please pay close attention to the thumbnail because it can affect how many people click and watch your video. 

Having YouTube pick a random thumbnail for your video is an option, but we don’t recommend it. 

6. Provide Value

Before even watching a video, its worth is clear. The video title, thumbnail, description, tags, and comments can all give it away. 

If you want people to press play, you must ensure that all of these conditions are met. Get your videos as much exposure as possible by making your channel valuable.

Bonus Tip: How to Create an Engaging YouTube Video in Minutes?

OFFEO allows you to make professional videos in minutes with its interactive features. Using its simple drag-and-drop interface, you can quickly and easily make a new video and add a clickable link. 

Use one of our social media video templates and add your brand's colors, fonts, and logo to make videos that will get shared and liked.

1. Choose a Video Template

Check out our extensive collection of templates and pick the one that best fits your needs.

2. Add your Assets

Simply replace the placeholder content with your logo or image and watch the progression unfold.

3. Customize

Want to add a little more flavor to that social media video? The cloud-based OFFEO video editing platform makes it simple to add titles and transitions. Complete the video by adding some music.

FAQs: How to make video clickable

Can a video have a clickable link?

Add clickable links on a YouTube video through a hotspot, overlay, or card title, and they exist within the video itself. Videos with clickable links provide more value to viewers and, by extension, to your business.

How do I make a YouTube video clickable?

First, you must ensure that your videos follow YouTube's guidelines for video content. You can make clickable videos by adding links to your videos through cards, descriptions, and end screens.

It would be best if you made your video interactive. Impact your audience and have a compelling call to action.

How do I make a video clickable?

Make your videos clickable by putting a video link that takes your viewers to a new page with your product or company website. Choose the words or images you want to turn into a clickable link. 

Then, press "Ctrl + K" to proceed. It is also possible to right-click the text or image and select "Link" from the context menu. Type or paste your link into the Address box of the Insert Hyperlink dialog box.

Conclusion: How to make video clickable

You can now insert active links into your videos on YouTube. As you can see, the process is simple, but the payoff is significant. 

Including external links in your YouTube videos gives you more control over your brand's story and allows you to direct viewers to the information you feel is most relevant to them. It can bring you more customers and better leads in the long run.

Written By
Kim Pañares

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