YouTube SEO Guide for 2014

The following guide provides detailed directions to properly optimize your YouTube channel and videos.

YouTube SEO - Channel

Advanced settings:
To view advanced settings, navigate to the “Creator Studio”. You can access it by selecting  your channel’s icon located in the top-right of YouTube’s home page.

Selecting the “Creator Studio” will open your channel’s dashboard. Using the left-hand navigation menu, select  Channel>Advanced to view advanced settings.

Make the following adjustments to properly optimize your channel:

• Channel name: Make sure your business name is used as the name of your channel. Note: Changes to your name will also apply to the Google+ account associated with your channel.
• Channel icon: Your icon should be simple and accurately portray your business. Company logos are often used for this purpose. YouTube recommends using a 800 X 800 px image. Note: Changes to your icon will also apply to the Google+ account associated with your channel.
• Channel keywords: This is the most important part of channel optimization. Choose three to five relevant keywords that are the same ones you use on your website. Separate each keyword with quotation marks to look like this: "art school Pennsylvania" “international relations degree" "pennsylvania engineering schools"

Channel settings:
To access channel settings, return to your dashboard and select “View Channel”.

On your channel’s “Home” tab, you can add or edit  channel art. Channel art should be both attractive and relevant to your business. YouTube recommends using a 2560 X 1440 px image.   

Select the “About” tab to access additional channel settings.

Make the following changes to properly optimize your channel:

• Channel description: In a few sentences, briefly highlight the content of your channel. Include the name of your business and your targeted keywords.
• Links: Select the “Links” option and make the following changes:
• Email for Business Inquiries: This option applies only to businesses who wish to provide a public email address for business inquiries.
• Custom Links: Enter your company’s website address in the “URL” field. In 30 characters or less, provide an accurate description of the link in the “Link Title” field.
  
• Social Links: Provide links to the primary social media pages associated with your business. YouTube automatically provides a link to your Google+ account page. However, you can add up to four custom social links.
  

Custom and social links will appear overlaying your channel art.

YouTube SEO - Video

Content:

• Create high-quality, engaging video content.
• Choose video content related to your targeted keywords.
• Mention the targeted keywords in the video's script.

Video file name:
Before uploading your video, rename the video file to include your targeted keywords.

Upload options | Basic info:
To upload your video, select the “Upload” option in the top-right corner of YouTube’s homepage.

Once you start the upload process, you can begin to edit your video settings.

• Video title: With limited plain text for search engines to crawl, the title of your video is probably the most important SEO factor to consider. Titles for YouTube videos should include relevant keywords to ensure high rankings in Google and YouTube search, while still being compelling enough to encourage clicks and views.
• Video description: Write lengthy descriptions. Generally, you should aim for descriptions that are at least 150 words. Both YouTube and Google rely heavily on the text surrounding the video to understand your video’s topic. The more YouTube knows about your video, the more confidently it can rank it for your targeted keywords. When writing a description, you should also:
• Put your company's URL at the beginning of the description.
• Mention the company name after the company URL.
• Include three to five of your targeted keywords.
• Include links to your Facebook and Twitter pages at the end of the video description.
• Tags: Tags are very important in optimizing videos for search. To set strong tags:
• Choose three to five keywords you want to target.
• Separate each keyword using quotation marks, like you did when you entered tags for the channel. They should look like this: "art school Pennsylvania" “international relations degree" "pennsylvania engineering schools"
• Thumbnail: Note: Custom thumbnails are only available for accounts that have been verified and are in good standing. To verify your account visit the following URL: https://www.youtube.com/verify. Obtaining a good standing account is accomplished by adhering to YouTube’s Community Guidelines and Copyright rules. Once the thumbnail feature is available on your account, follow these steps:
• Before uploading your thumbnail, rename the image file to include your targeted keywords.
• Choose a visually appealing thumbnail to make the video more inviting to viewers. The thumbnail should be relevant to the video’s content. Thumbnails often include brief descriptive text. YouTube recommends that you use 1280 X 720 px images,
• Broadcasting and social sharing:
  These settings are located on the right side of the “Basic info” page.
  
• Privacy: Set to public
• Message: The “message” field is only relevant when sharing your video on social media. It should include a brief and appealing description of the video’s content.
• Sharing options: Select any social networks where you wish to share your message and video. Note: YouTube automatically selects the Google+ sharing option.
• Playlist: If you plan on creating a series of videos that share similar content, it is best to place these into playlists. Playlists allow for better channel organization. You can easily create a new playlist by selecting Add to playlist>Create new playlist. A playlist title should accurately describe the entire series of videos.

Upload options | Advanced settings
To view advanced settings, select the “Advanced settings” tab.

• Comments:
• Check “Allow comments” and select “all”
• Check “Users can  view rating for this video”
• License and rights ownership: Select the “Standard YouTube License”
• Captions certification: Choose an option that applies to your video
• Distribution options:
• Check “Allow embedding”
• Check “Notify subscribers”
• Age restrictions: Uncheck “Enable age restriction”. This option applies only to videos that contain content that may be offensive to younger audiences.
• Category: Choose an option that applies to the content of your video
• Video location: Set the location to your business address
• Video language: Choose the appropriate language
• 3D video: Select “No preference”z

How to Watch Amazon Prime Instant Video on Android Tablet or Cell Phone

Unless you're a Kindle Fire owner, you may have found it difficult or impossible to stream Amazon Instant on Android. This article explains how you can easily watch Amazon Prime Instant Video on any Android device.

 If you are reading this article, it is probably because the solutions you've found are no longer solutions to this issue. Most sources that I've found tell people to use Adobe Flash with Dolphin Browser. However, this method is dated, and will no longer work on your devices. Luckily, there is another way to watch Amazon Instant on your Android. Here is how I did it:

1. Download FlashFox from the Google Play Store. There is a free version that displays ads or you can buy the pro version for $2.99. FlashFox is a browser that uses Adobe Flash.

2. Once your have downloaded FlashFox, find the options and make sure Request Desktop Site is checked. This will fool Amazon into thinking you are a desktop user.

3. Log in and start watching Amazon Instant Video on your Android device! It is as easy as that.

Unfortunately, because you are you the desktop version of Amazon, navigation may be a little frustrating, but this wasn't a huge issue on my 10.1 Galaxy Note.

Repentance and Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag

“Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.”

—John the Baptist, Matthew 3:8

Warning! As this article will cover the entirety of the Assassin’s Creed 4 plot, major spoilers are in order.

“Change your destiny” is a recurring theme in media surrounding heroes. It is not much of a surprise, then, that Ubisoft’s latest game in the Assassin’s Creed line—AC4: Black Flag—centers heavily on that theme. Shortly after completing the game, I read Matthew 3:3, and these words from John the Baptist’s ministry stuck in my mind as I contemplated the course of Edward Kenway’s adventure in Black Flag.

Edward Kenway is the player-controlled character of Black Flag. My first instinct is to label him the player-controlled hero, but that moniker is not entirely accurate. Kenway is sucked into the ages-long conflict between the Assassins and the Templars (the two opposing orders in the Assassin’s Creed universe) while living the life of a privateer (read: pirate) right smack in the beginning 18th century. Pirating isn’t exactly Kenway’s career of choice, but the lull of riches and the promise of an easy retirement that comes with it pulls him away from his sweet Caroline, who emphatically begs him not to leave. Kenway promises her two years away at the most, which, after nearly drowning in a ship battle, killing an assassin and taking his disguise, pirating a ship and becoming its captain, and getting involved in a world-scale conflict, quickly turns into ten.

Oops.

Throughout his ten-year career as a pirate, Kenway is faced several times with a decision: should he keep pursuing the mystical Observatory and the riches that supposedly come with it, or should he abandon this crazy dream and repair his relationship with Caroline?  It wouldn’t make for a very fun adventure if Kenway hangs up his captain hat and goes home, so time and time again he chooses to continue chasing after the Observatory. Each decision usually comes after a tragedy, however, as the body count piles up as Kenway approaches his goal. Friends lose lives and dreams are crushed as he blunders down the destructive path of his dream, just like his companions constantly warn him.  As it turns out, being an assassin can get pretty dangerous.

Despite being told many times to change the course of his life, Kenway finally listens when one of his closest friends tells him just before her death that he can still change. The ghosts of his mates who were slain because of his determination constantly haunt him, and Kenway finally reaches the tipping point with this friend (I’m keeping it a bit vague here for the sake of spoilers). He vows to undo the damage he has caused the best he can just before embarking for the final confrontation.

Though Kenway’s change of heart seems a bit late, the final clip scenes show a man who is willing to give up his own will in order to bring peace to others. He leaves the wealth he established on a secret island to his former friends and leaves for London with his daughter, whom he had never met. A new leaf can’t fix everything, as the Kenway learns of Caroline’s death, but the sequences during the credits show Kenway adjusting to fatherhood and working to mend broken relationships. Overall, the ending is positive, showing us how a disastrous path can be left even when it seems too late.

Prior to Jesus’ ministry, Matthew records a brief moment of John the Baptist’s ministry. John, who is Jesus’ older cousin, dedicates his purpose for preparing the people’s hearts for Jesus. A bit eccentric, John’s highly effective ministry drew many people despite his outward appearance (Camel’s hair clothes and bugs for food? Really?). Or maybe because of his appearance—I’m not sure which it is. What we do know is that John baptized many whose hearts were changed, saying that “after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Matt. 3:11).

At one epic moment, though, a bunch of religious leaders (Pharisees and Sadducees) showed up, and John blasted them with these words: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance” (Matt. 3:7-8). His harsh words for the religious leaders echo Jesus’ later when He speaks similarly, calling the Pharisees “whitewashed tombs” because they only worry about appearing holy (Matt. 23:27). The reason for the tension is that the religious leaders of the time were the keepers of the Law of Moses and often took advantage of the people on account of the extensive knowledge they possessed.

So, here in Matthew 3, we have two groups of people coming to listen to John: people who knew of their sin and openly repented in order to receive forgiveness, and religious leaders who thought that they didn’t need to repent because of their adherence to the Law of their fathers. Jesus’ death and resurrection fulfills the Law and creates a new covenant (i.e., the New Testament) that is based on love and mercy, not strict rules. John saw this coming and fired the first shot at the religious leaders, basically declaring that their time for controlling forgiveness through sacrificial rites would soon be over. To emphasize the point, he says that we should “produce fruit in keeping with repentance” (Matt. 3:8). What does this mean?

To “produce fruit” is a symbolic way of saying “use actions.” Jesus spoke often of fruit, especially how the goodness of a tree is shown by the fruit it makes (Matt. 7:17). In other words, a person’s character can be determined by the deeds that he or she performs. So, John says to “use actions” that are “keeping with repentance,” or “behave like a person who turns away from evil.” A person who repents—turns from evil—doesn’t just change on the inside, but shows the change through his or her actions.

Thus, Edward Kenway shows his inward change by actively trying to repair what he left broken. After all, that’s what sin does: it breaks relationships, lives, and people. It leaves a destructive path. As Kenway began to realize that what he was doing was wrong, he decided to change; with his decision to change came actions that tried to fix what was broken. He couldn’t fix everything: lives were lost and promises were broken, but the changes he made brought peace in the end.

Is there something in your life that leads you down a path of destruction? Is there anger or lust that fractures relationships? Is there greed that sours intentions? Lies that create mistrust? Listen to the words of John, and make a change like Edward Kenway: “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.”

Why Can't You Set Down Your Phone?

If you, like me, sometimes find yourself wondering why you have become so attached to your smartphone, you may be just as clueless as I. Okay, but seriously, are we really that clueless? Take a minute and think about the many conveniences that your smartphone provides. It supplies you with virtually endless amounts of information, entertainment, social connectivity, and much more.

               

The current generation is often referred to as the “Information Age”. This is largely due to our ability to access the World Wide Web. Knowledge can now be shared, instantly, with the click of a button. And we can access this information in the palm of our hand. As technology progresses, people seem to become more and more impatient. Why should anyone have to wait for anything? We have gotten so used to having instant access to virtually anything (that can be digitized), that we have forgotten what it was like to live without it.

I’m not inferring this is good or bad, but I think we should be aware of the effects that smartphones have on us. Not everyone is the same. Not everyone has fallen under the spell of smartphone madness. But some of us, me included, find ourselves constantly depending on our handheld devices.

My smartphone lives with me. Wherever I go, my smartphone follows. Whenever I forget my cell phone, I feel restless. When I say it like this, I make myself sound like someone suffering withdrawals from an addictive substance. I wouldn’t quite place my dependency on my smartphone in the same category as an addictive substance, but I recognize that it is an object of dependency.

It may be my personal opinion, but I don’t believe any material dependency is ever a positive thing. Okay, so maybe that is an overstatement. What I mean is that it is unhealthy to allow material things to have power over us.

So, how smart is your smartphone? Is it smart enough to control you? Maybe, but maybe not. I stumbled upon this video on YouTube a few weeks ago. I thought it was beautifully done. Whether or not it is relevant to you, it is worth a watch.

If you have any thoughts or comments, I would love to receive feedback on this subject!

God bless, Kellen

Happy Thanksgiving!

Enjoy the day, friends!

Appreciate any and all time spent with friends and family today, and don't forget to stuff your face!

In all the festivities, don't forget what it important to you, though. Remember the purpose of Thanksgiving, and don't neglect the opportunity to enjoy some quality time with family. We will never find more love in this world than at home, and it's important to never forget that.

And as you indulge in the feast of turkey and stuffing, and then move on to football games and a nap, don't forget to also be thankful for whatever material gifts God has given you. It is a wonderful day, enjoy it, and give thanks! Count your blessings!

Thanksgiving is the beginning of a wonderful time of year, sit back and enjoy yourself with many reasons to spend time with friends and family. Have a blessed holiday season!

From all of us here at Rebooted Gamers, Happy Thanksgiving and God bless!

How Rich Are You?

I'm pulling an oldie out of our forum today. I recently found this post and was blown away that no one had responded to it. Jay brought this website to our attention, and it is truly humbling.

The Global Rich List

This website compares you annual salary, income, worth, loans, whatever you want to put in there to the average world income and some other very interesting statistics. It is easy in our culture to start taking things for granted. Instant gratification is so ingrained in our culture and isn't going away anytime soon. Society demands more and more out of media and the internet in response time, quality, and quantity of content every day,and we often feel like we're not good enough if we don't have the latest and greatest.

One trip to the downtown in any major city is a nice shock out of that reality. Any sort of research or trip to a third world country is even better. We have so much in this American society that is so quickly and easily overlooked, but it's important to remember how lucky you are to just have a roof over your head and running water the next time you catch yourself complaining about not being able to pre-order that new game. This website shows you in an almost unbelievable way how good you have it compared to the rest of the world.

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money." - Matthew 6:24

This verse is often misunderstood. It is not evil to have money. It is evil to love and worship it. It's easy to let the desire for money and things to consume your life, and it's nice to have little reminders like this to see what you really have. Count your blessings!

God bless,

Cooper

Do Violent Video Games Cause Aggression in Children?

Over the past few years, video game violence has become increasingly realistic. The gore found in many popular titles, such as the game Dead Space, is even more graphic than gore shown in the majority of R-rated films. I have observed the changes in the gaming industry personally. Through my observations and personal involvement in gaming, I have developed an interest in studying the possible effects that these gore-glorifying games have on child behavior. 


Science Daily, a news organization which specializes in scientific news, notes Craig Anderson and his study involving 130 reports and over 130,000 test subjects, showing an increase in aggressive behavior in children who are exposed to violent video games (“Violent Video Game Play Makes More Aggressive Kids”). Many parents have few restrictions on the video games their children play. As a result, children gain access to numerous violent video games. Grand Theft Auto, an extremely popular third-person shooter, allows gamers to explore vast generated cities, engaging in endless acts of crime and immoral violence. Unfortunately, Grand Theft Auto is one of many games which reward players for completing objectives involving acts of violence. With games, comparable to Grand Theft Auto, sold in-stores everywhere, the need of restrictions for children on video games grows stronger. The Palo Alto Foundation, a not-for-profit health organization which provides research and educational information for the public, documents Lynch, Gentile, Linder and Walsh on their study stating that adolescent boys play an average of 13 hours of video games a week. They continue claiming teens that play violent video games for extended periods of time often show an increase aggressive behavior (“The Impact of Video Games on Children”). Appropriate steps can be taken to avoid violent content in video games. By placing restrictions for children on violent video games, aggressive behavior can be lessened. 


Opponents argue that violent media does not affect child behavior. However, many studies have concluded that children whom indulge in violent movies, television shows, and video games are directly affected and often portray an increase in aggression. Aimee Tompkins, journalist for allpsych.com, writes the following on media violence and its connections to child aggression:
Current research tends to agree with the proponents who argue that violent media is associated with aggressive behavior. Risky behavior by children and young adults can include violence against others, lack of remorse for consequences. The type of faulty thinking creates stressors in children which can lead to the onset of many different symptoms. Children who view media violence are more likely to have increased feelings of hostility, decreased emotional response to the portrayal of violence and injury that lead to violent behavior through imitation. An example here would be the television show Jack A**. There have been several accidents related to young men attempting stunts that are done on the show. The act of imitating what they have seen on a television show causes injury to themselves or others around them. (Tompkins 1)

Constantly, children monitor people’s actions and the world around them, learning ways to interact and socialize with others. Joelle Ferrell, psychology and criminal justice graduate of Troy University, enlightens on this issue stating, “Children are very imitative in very much of their behavior, as that is one of the ways that they learn. So inherently, a child that witnesses violent behavior is likely to imitate such behavior” (Ferrell 1). When children watch or play violent media, the characters they observe can become role models. When these fantasy figures illustrate violence, children mimic their actions, which often results in aggression. 


Opponents argue that video games are unrealistic, and do not exhibit realistic or explicit violence. Nevertheless, this accusation is no longer valid. In recent years, video games have become increasingly realistic. DICE, a Swedish game developer, recently advertised their new war-action game, Battlefield 3, in a TV trailer, mixing live-action footage with gameplay taken from the actual game. Surprisingly, the graphics shown from the game could be smoothly blended with the live footage. As video games continue evolving, it will become difficult for children to distinguish between real and animated violence, yet increasing the effects of violent video games. Dead Space, a sci-fi horror game released in 2008, is another example of how violence is becoming extensively realistic in video games. In Dead Space, players are forced to survive by dismembering and blowing apart horrifying aliens. Darren Gladstone, an editor for PCWorld.com, rates Dead Space to be the most violent video game ever made (Gladstone 16). As violence in games continues to intensify, the need of restrictions for children on violent games enlarges. 


Opponents argue that playing violent video games are no worse than watching violent films. Nevertheless, it has been claimed that playing violent video games can lead to higher aggression than watching films. When children play video games they become mentally, sometimes emotionally, involved. Children can control their game character’s destiny, providing an addictive freedom which movies and TV shows lack. The Palo Alto Foundation proclaims that the interactive requirements of video games vary from movies because it allows gamers to partake in the role-playing of the game’s development. In order for players to continue through the game, they must complete assigned acts of violence (“The Impact of Video Games on Children”).

Proactive arguments in favor of more restrictions for children on violent video games demonstrate positive results. With restrictions on violent gaming, children will begin playing more non-violent games. By doing so, the market for non-violent games will increase, forcing game developers to produce more family-oriented content. As children play less violent games, aggressive behavior can be diminished. These possibilities are plausible, but adults and parents must take necessary steps to prevent violent games from being played and affecting their children. 


The first proactive argument that supports restrictions for children on violent video games is that children who have restrictions will begin playing family-oriented games, making household entertainment less threatening. Nintendo’s Wii has been noted as one of the most successful gaming consoles ever made. Its success, partially due to its innovative motion sensitive controls, is a result of its appeal to the entire family. Julie Fletcher, a professional children’s book author, confirms this stating that the Wii is, “One of the most successful platforms of all time, [and]. . .is most likely the best family-oriented console available today” (Fletcher 1). Sony’s Playstaion 3 and Microsoft’s Xbox 360 are both noteworthy gaming consoles, but nearly all of their popular game titles have been rated T(Teen) or M(Mature) for violence, sexual content, and language. Avoiding consoles, which provide violent games, lowers the availability of violent content to children. Appropriate game choices may not only reduce children’s aggressive behavior but also decrease offensive content found in many family households.


The second argument which supports restrictions for children on violent video games is that children, who play more family-based video games, will push developers to produce fewer violent games. Aside from the Wii, the game library for most consoles consists primarily of violent shooters and sword play games. This means that kids have an extremely limited non-violent game selection. If parents place restrictions on violent games, sales for violent games will drop. To address the issue, developers will begin producing games featuring family friendly content which consumers desire for their kids.


The third argument which supports restrictions for children on violent video games is that children who play non-violent video games may show less aggression than children who play violent games. Grace Shin, a highly respected student of Bryn Mawr College, writes on a study, conducted by A. Irwin and M. Alan, which involved a group of 2nd grade students. Some students were asked to play an aggressive game while others were asked to play a non-aggressive game. After the study, the boys who had played the aggressive game exhibited more aggressive behavior than the boys who played the non-aggressive game (Shin 1). Many more studies have been conveyed, reinforcing that children who play non-violent games display less aggression than those who do. The APA notes Craig A. Anderson and his supporting of parents becoming involved in media selection for their children, and how creating alternate non-violent options can decrease entertainment’s effect on the youth (“Violent Video Games”). Parents who take the necessary action, refraining children from violent games, can diminish aggressive behavior. 


When children express aggressive behavior, it is typically a result of their observations of how others interact with one another. Video games create hero figures which children can control and observe. Violent video games often require players to hunt, kill, and survive to progress through the game. Sadly, these violent interactions can alter a child’s behavior, increasing aggression. Parents and adults who allow their children to play violent games can reduce their children’s violent and aggressive behavior with appropriate restrictions for violent game content. 


Sources Cited:

Ferrell, Joelle. Message to the author. 3 Dec. 2011. E-mail.

Fletcher, Julie. “Is the Nintendo Wii Console the Best Family Oriented Console Available?”
Ezinearticles.com. Ezine Articles. 30 Aug. 2008. Web. 27 Nov. 2011.

Gladstone, Darren. “The Most Violent Video Games Ever Made: Ready for a Bloody Good Time? We Dissect Some of the Goriest Video Games Ever Made.” Pcworld.com. PCWorld
Communications, Inc. 15 Mar. 2011. Web. 25 Nov. 2011.

Shin, Grace. “Video Games: A Cause of Violence and Aggression.” Serendip.brynmawr.edu.
Serendip. 4 Jan. 2008. Web. 24 Nov. 2011.

“The Impact of Video Games on Children.” Pamf.org. Palo Alto Medical Foundation. 2011. Web.28 Nov. 2011.

Tompkins, Aimee. “The Psychological Effects of Violent Media on Children.” Allpsych.com.
AllPsych and Heffner Media Group, Inc. 14 Dec. 2011. Web. 25 Nov. 2011.

“Violent Video Game Play Makes More Aggressive Kids, Study Shows.” Sciencedaily.com
Science Daily. 1 Mar. 2011. Web. 28 Nov. 2011

“Violent Video Games: Psychologists Help Protect Children from Harmful Effects.” Apa.org. American Psychological Association. 8 June 2004. Web. 1 Dec. 2011.