Description SEO Scorer
Score your video description against SEO best practices. Find missing keywords, broken structure, and get an optimized rewrite of your above-the-fold text.
One video here. Your whole channel in ChannelGrade.
Connect your channel and every upload is pulled in on its own, no pasting links.
Free to connect. A plan adds the written read of each upload: why viewers left, what comments ask for, what to make next.
Every video against the middle of your own others of the same kind, at the same age. Shorts with Shorts.
On screen: one still shot of the pan while the voice-over explains the rule. Said: "so the reason this works is". Likely why: the payoff already happened, and the explanation is slower than everything before it.
Why: StarterYour title and thumbnail in real YouTube search, next to the videos you are up against. Checks that give the same answer every time, no made-up scores.
Channels like yours, each video against that channel's own usual. You see the moment one of theirs takes off.
Mostly excited and asking for more. A few viewers say the music drowns out your voice in the middle.
They ask you to make
do this in the snow next PLEASE
what spices did you use at 2:10?
They ask
where is that pan from??
how many hours was the hike in
SEO is one part. See which of your videos actually got found, and why.
Paste your channel and see your newest videos compared with each other, in seconds. Free, no sign-in.
How It Works
Paste Your Video
Link any video you want to optimize the description for
We Score Your Description
Keywords, structure, links, timestamps, and above-the-fold text are all audited
Apply the Fixes
Follow specific suggestions to boost your description SEO score
Perfect For
SEO Optimization
Score and improve descriptions to rank higher in YouTube search results
Back-Catalog Audits
Revisit older videos and upgrade descriptions for a second wave of traffic
Pre-Publish Checks
Make sure your description is fully optimized before hitting publish
Competitor Research
Analyze top-ranking videos in your niche to learn their description strategy
FAQ
What does the SEO score measure?
The 0-100 score evaluates your description against proven YouTube SEO best practices: keyword placement in the first 25 words, above-the-fold text quality, total length, link count, timestamps, hashtags, calls to action, and overall readability. Each factor is weighted according to its known impact on YouTube search rankings.
What is "above the fold" in a YouTube description?
The first 150 characters of your description are shown before the "Show more" button on YouTube. This is the most valuable real estate in your entire description because most viewers never click "Show more." Your primary keyword and a compelling hook should always appear in this space.
How many keywords should I include in my description?
Aim for 3-5 relevant keywords woven naturally into 200-500 words. Your primary keyword should appear in the first 25 words. Avoid keyword stuffing, which can hurt rankings. The tool checks both keyword density and placement to ensure you hit the sweet spot.
Should I add timestamps to every video?
Yes, for any video over 5 minutes. Timestamps (chapters) improve viewer experience and appear as rich results in Google search. YouTube also uses them to understand your video structure, which can boost rankings for specific sections of your content.
How many free uses do I get per day?
Up to 5 description scores per day on the free tier, no signup needed. That is enough to audit your latest uploads and compare against competitors. ChannelGrade's paid plans remove the daily cap and include automatic scoring for every new video you publish.
Get the full read of every video you upload
Description Scorer stays free here. A plan reads every video on your channel for you: what to change, where viewers left and why, what your comments ask for, and what to make next. It also follows channels like yours and checks every title and thumbnail before you post.
- 1 channel, every video compared with your usual
- Views per day and the retention curve (with YouTube Studio)
- Where viewers came from and who watched
- 5 free runs a day of every tool
- 1 channel, every new upload read for you
- Where viewers stop watching and why (with YouTube Studio)
- What to change on each video, from its own numbers
- What your comments ask for, counted and quoted
- What works on your channel, and what to make next
- Follow 10 channels like yours and see what takes off for them
- Check every title and thumbnail before you post
- A weekly email: what moved and what to make next
- 30 tool credits/month
- 3 channels, every new upload read for you
- Where viewers stop watching and why (with YouTube Studio)
- What to change on each video, from its own numbers
- What your comments ask for, counted and quoted
- What works on your channel, and what to make next
- Follow 30 channels like yours and see what takes off for them
- Check every title and thumbnail before you post
- A weekly email: what moved and what to make next
- 100 tool credits/month
- Priority support
- 20 channels, every new upload read for you
- Where viewers stop watching and why (with YouTube Studio)
- What to change on each video, from its own numbers
- What your comments ask for, counted and quoted
- What works on your channel, and what to make next
- Follow 100 channels like yours and see what takes off for them
- Check every title and thumbnail before you post
- A weekly email: what moved and what to make next
- 500 tool credits/month
- Priority support
Monthly, cancel anytime. Payment by Stripe. Plans include more runs of every tool.
Want to try Starter first? Get it free for 30 days by following ChannelGrade on X.