HOW CREATE A YOUTUBE CHANNEL

At Lillian Purge, we specialise in Local SEO Services and provide a step-by-step guide on How To Create a YouTube Channel so you set up your brand for visibility and engagement from the start.

Creating a YouTube channel is one of the most effective ways to share your brand’s story, connect with customers, and build long-term visibility online. Whether you’re a business, freelancer, or content creator, YouTube offers a powerful platform to reach new audiences and showcase expertise. Setting up a channel is straightforward, and with the right structure, it can quickly become one of your most valuable marketing assets. This article explains how to create a YouTube channel step-by-step and how to set it up for success.

Step 1: Sign in or create a Google account

Every YouTube channel is linked to a Google account. If you already use Gmail or any other Google service, you can use the same login credentials. If not, visit Google’s account creation page to set up a new account.

Once your Google account is ready, go to YouTube and sign in using those details. This gives you access to all YouTube features, including subscriptions, playlists, and channel creation.

Step 2: Create your YouTube channel

After signing in, click on your profile icon in the top-right corner and select “Create a channel.” You’ll be prompted to choose whether to use your name or create a custom brand account.

For personal content, using your own name works fine. However, if you’re building a business or professional channel, it’s better to create a brand account so multiple users can manage it later.

Enter your desired channel name and upload a profile image that represents your brand—typically a logo or headshot. Then click “Create Channel” to finalise setup.

Step 3: Customise your channel layout and branding

Once your channel is live, it’s time to personalise it. A well-designed channel builds trust and helps attract subscribers.

Start by adding a banner image (also called channel art) that visually represents your brand. YouTube recommends an image size of 2560 x 1440 pixels. Include your logo, tagline, or posting schedule within this banner if possible.

Next, add a channel description. This section explains what your channel is about and appears in search results. Use concise, keyword-focused language that reflects your niche. For example, “We create weekly tutorials on home fitness and nutrition for beginners.”

You can also add links to your website and social media profiles, which appear as clickable icons on your banner.

Step 4: Add your first video

With your channel ready, you can start uploading videos. Click the “Create” button (the camera icon with a plus sign) and select “Upload video.” Follow the upload prompts to add your video file, title, description, and thumbnail.

A compelling title is essential for attracting clicks, while your description helps YouTube’s algorithm understand the content. Include relevant keywords naturally but avoid overstuffing.

Your video thumbnail is also important—choose an image that’s clear, engaging, and accurately represents the video. Custom thumbnails typically perform better than automatically generated ones.

Step 5: Organise your channel content

As you upload more videos, keeping your channel organised becomes crucial. Create playlists based on themes or categories to help viewers navigate your content easily. For example, a marketing agency might have playlists for “SEO Tips,” “Social Media Strategy,” and “Case Studies.”

Playlists improve user experience and encourage longer watch times, which positively impacts YouTube rankings.

Step 6: Optimise your videos for SEO

Just like Google search, YouTube uses SEO principles to rank videos. To improve visibility, include keywords in your video title, description, and tags. Add timestamps, use accurate captions, and write detailed descriptions that help viewers and search engines understand your content.

You can also optimise by engaging with comments and encouraging viewers to like, share, and subscribe—these actions signal quality and relevance to YouTube’s algorithm.

Step 7: Set up channel sections and featured videos

Your homepage is the first impression for new visitors, so use channel sections to organise featured videos, playlists, or recent uploads. You can also add a channel trailer—a short video introducing your brand or explaining what viewers can expect from your content.

Make sure your featured video highlights your most engaging content, as this will influence whether visitors decide to subscribe.

Step 8: Enable channel settings and analytics

Open the “YouTube Studio” dashboard to access advanced settings. Here, you can manage monetisation, community comments, and audience settings. If your channel is aimed at children, ensure it complies with YouTube’s policies on content for kids.

YouTube Analytics is also available in this dashboard, showing performance data such as views, watch time, traffic sources, and subscriber growth. These insights are essential for improving future videos and understanding your audience.

Step 9: Create a consistent upload schedule

Consistency builds momentum on YouTube. Decide how often you’ll upload—weekly, biweekly, or monthly—and stick to your schedule. Posting regularly helps maintain viewer engagement and signals to YouTube that your channel is active, increasing the likelihood of being recommended.

You can schedule videos to go live at specific times using YouTube’s publishing options, ensuring consistent posting even when you’re unavailable.

Step 10: Promote your channel

Once your channel has a few videos, promote it across other marketing channels. Share your videos on social media, embed them on your website, and include links in your email newsletters.

For local businesses, optimising videos with regional keywords and promoting them to nearby audiences can improve both local SEO and brand recognition.

Step 11: Engage with your audience

Building a successful YouTube channel requires interaction. Respond to comments, thank new subscribers, and ask for feedback. Creating a sense of community around your channel encourages repeat visits and fosters brand loyalty.

You can also use YouTube’s Community Tab or Stories (if eligible) to post updates, polls, or teasers to keep viewers engaged between uploads.

Why YouTube is valuable for businesses

YouTube isn’t just a video-sharing site—it’s the second-largest search engine in the world. Having a channel allows businesses to reach audiences visually, explain complex services, and build trust more effectively than text alone.

Videos can drive traffic to your website, increase brand awareness, and support your SEO efforts when properly optimised. For local businesses, YouTube can also improve discoverability among nearby customers searching for solutions.

How Lillian Purge helps businesses grow through YouTube SEO

At Lillian Purge, we help businesses leverage YouTube as part of a broader SEO and digital marketing strategy. We optimise channels, video metadata, and keywords to increase visibility and engagement.

Our approach combines technical SEO expertise with creative content strategies to help brands attract local audiences, generate leads, and build long-term online credibility. Whether you’re launching your first YouTube channel or scaling your content marketing, we’ll help you achieve measurable results.

We have also written in depth articles on How Much Does YouTube Pay? and How to Advertise on Youtube as well as our YouTube Hub to give you further guidance.