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Author: Katie Long

Katie is a Content & Video Editor at Blacksmith who combines a strong creative eye with a performance-driven approach to video. She integrates SEO, AEO, and discoverability-focused strategy into every stage of production — from scripting and editing to packaging and publishing — ensuring content is not only visually compelling, but built to perform. Having worked across dozens of client channels in a wide range of industries, she specializes in turning creative ideas into high-quality, discoverable content.

The YouTube Feature Most Brands Ignore — And Why It’s the Easiest Loyalty Win on the Platform

Blacksmith's YouTube Posts tab displayed on a desktop Studio interface alongside a mobile phone showing a live Blacksmith poll in a subscriber's YouTube home feed — illustrating how a published Post reaches subscribers directly between video uploads.

Quick Summary YouTube Posts — formerly the Community tab — lets brands publish polls, updates, questions, and announcements directly to their subscribers’ home feeds between video uploads. Channels that use it consistently see 23% higher subscriber retention and 31% more video views from returning subscribers compared to channels that only post videos. It’s available to […]

How to Rank Videos, Win AI Overviews, and Drive Real Business Growth in 2026

YouTube SEO in 2026 concept showing video distribution across Google, AI search, and multiple platforms for increased visibility

Quick Summary: YouTube SEO in 2026 is about more than just ranking on YouTube. It’s about showing up everywhere your audience is searching — from Google AI Overviews, where video is increasingly prominent, to AI-driven tools like Bing Copilot and, in some contexts, ChatGPT Search. YouTube is the world’s second-largest search engine, with around 2.6 […]

How Removing Friction Improves YouTube Audience Retention

YouTube Studio analytics dashboard showing audience retention graph with low friction and high friction curves, average view duration of 3:24 and 56% average percentage viewed, with overlay text reading "Improve Retention Fast

Quick Summary:  Most viewers decide whether or not to leave a YouTube video within the first few seconds. Not because your content is bad, but because something got in the way. Slow branded intros, repeated information, and vague openings create friction that kills retention before your message even lands. The fix isn’t complicated: remove what […]

How Structured YouTube Thumbnail & Title A/B Testing Improves Video Performance

YouTube thumbnail A/B testing comparison showing two video thumbnails labeled A and B with different CTR results, illustrating how thumbnail and title testing improves video performance.

Quick Summary: A/B testing of YouTube thumbnails and titles allows creators to compare multiple variations of video packaging to identify which version attracts the most viewers and generates the strongest engagement. Instead of relying on instinct alone, creators can test titles, thumbnails, or full packaging combinations directly in YouTube Studio and measure how real audiences […]