Do you remember a time when finding a specific video online felt like an exercise in futility? Thankfully, in May 2007, Google introduced Universal Search, where they mixed different types of media like text, videos, and pictures on their search results pages (SERPs). Today, we take these results for granted, as we’re so accustomed to them. But here’s the thing for marketers: When we don’t realize how much search engines have evolved, we also don’t understand how important some things, like video SEO, are for making our stuff easier to find.
Let’s talk about video SEO. Even after eight years of Google shifting gears and placing a bigger priority on making this type of media easier to search, it’s perplexing how many online marketers still don’t see how much video SEO can help with their SEO efforts. With almost every business promoting themselves online, getting noticed can be tough. Capitalizing on how video SEO can impact your business’s success is essential.
One big reason to use video SEO for SEO is that videos rivet people’s attention more easily than written content. When given the choice to read text or watch a video, most people pick the latter. So, it’s a great way to get the folks you’re trying to reach to notice you. When videos are optimized properly, Google and other search engines quickly reward them with higher search rankings. Just do a quick online search, and you’ll see videos ranking high among the top results.
If you’re still not sure about adding video SEO to your online marketing plan, here’s more proof that it’s a super important tool you can’t afford to ignore:
Using Video SEO to Succeed on the Second Biggest Search Engine in the World
Everyone knows Google is the biggest search engine worldwide. But are you aware that YouTube, owned by Google, ranks as the second-largest search engine? Yes, you read that right. YouTube isn’t just a place for videos; it’s also a search engine and a very important one at that. It’s interesting to note that while you’re reading this article, YouTube is receiving uploads of over a hundred hours of video content. Even more importantly, thousands, maybe even millions, of people are watching videos on YouTube at this very moment. If this doesn’t show you how valuable YouTube can be for reaching your target audience, then I’m not sure what will.
Of course, to make the most of it, you’ll need to put effort into making high-quality videos, using eye-catching video titles, writing detailed video descriptions, and carefully using keywords and tags. This way, each video uploaded to your YouTube channel will be well-optimized, increasing the probability of them showing up higher on both the YouTube and Google SERPs. And don’t forget to optimize your YouTube channel itself with effective video SEO techniques.
You have to make sure your videos are of excellent quality, the titles are catchy, the descriptions are as detailed as possible, and you use the right keywords and tags.
How Videos Dominate Google Search Results
For SEO experts and online marketers, the main goal is to appear at the top of Google search results. That’s why you shouldn’t overlook the findings of a Forrester study. It revealed that web pages featuring videos are 53 times more likely to land on the first page of Google search results. Even though this study dates back to 2009, it still underlines how highly Google values video content.
As mentioned before, when you use Google today, you often see little video images on the first search page. Some of these videos are from different websites, but most come from YouTube. Since Google owns YouTube, it’s no surprise. If you can establish authority on your YouTube channel, you greatly increase your chances of ranking well on Google.
Boosting Conversion Rates with Video SEO
When people spot video thumbnails on search result pages, they tend to click on them and overlook text links. An aimClear study proved this, showing a 41% higher click-through rate for results with videos compared to plain text links. This could occur because people are naturally more attracted to images and moving visuals than just plain text. So, when you combine video and text on search result pages, users are more inclined to click on the video link.
By the way, don’t limit yourself to just uploading videos on YouTube. If you want remarkable results from your videos, embed them directly on your website. That means when a user clicks on your video link from Google search results, they’ll land on your website, not just on YouTube. This is how you transform video views into actual website traffic that benefits your business. It’s also a crucial step towards improving conversion rates. Keep in mind that customer review videos work well in gaining the trust of viewers. Having a high trust rating can strengthen your brand’s value and influence a viewer’s decision to make a purchase.
Sharing Videos Online Made Simple
Do you use Facebook often? If you do, you’ve probably seen how people share videos there and on other social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram. Sharing on social media is key to your strategy because of the inherent design of such platforms in quickly disseminating large volumes of content to a significantly wider audience, netting you better engagement with your target audience. Moreover, Google pays attention to these social signals. The more your target market engages your videos on social media, the better chance of your content ranking high on the Google SERPs.
You can start by posting your videos on your blog and social media pages. You should also share them on communities like Quora and Reddit. If you have an email list and send out newsletters, including your videos in them would be a smart move. Observe what online platforms your target audience frequents, and then share your videos on those sites.
People share videos on social media sites all the time, which is why Google is now paying attention to social signals.
You can start by posting your videos on your blog and social media pages. You should also share them on communities like Quora and Reddit. If you have an email list and send out newsletters, including your videos in them would be a smart move. Observe what online platforms your target audience frequents, and then share your videos on those sites.
Strengthen Your Link Profile with Effective Video SEO
You probably know that getting quality links can help your website rank higher on the SERPs. But did you know that videos are excellent for building a strong link profile? According to Casey Henry, Moz’s director of inbound engineering, videos can almost triple the number of links you get compared to using only text.
Why do videos work so well for link building? Is your link profile created by the people who link to your website? As mentioned earlier, people prefer videos over written content, so they’re more likely to link to your site when you share videos from time to time. As an SEO pro or online marketer, it’s easy to forget that web content serves people, not just search engines. Content pieces that people find useful and interesting, not ones solely tailored for search engines but bore people, are what earn you valuable links.
The video has the great advantage of being liked by both search engines and people. When a video is well-optimized, it gets indexed and has a good chance of ranking high on search results pages. And if it’s of excellent quality and you promote it effectively, people will appreciate it, link to it, or share it with others who will then link to it. Dr. James McQuivey even said in a Forrester study that “A video is worth 1.8 million words.” To make the most of video for link building, make sure each video you make focuses on a single topic, is of high quality, and is embedded on your website.
Just like with any other online marketing strategy, keep an eye on your progress and measure the results of your video marketing efforts. If you don’t see the results you want, do an audit to find the problem and make the necessary changes. Remember to set clear goals for your video marketing campaign from the beginning so you can easily track your performance. Having specific goals will help you stay on the right track.
Conclusion
Given that search engines are continually evolving and have now placed a greater priority on video content and considering that people find video content easier to consume, it’s easy to see that video SEO is an essential tool for standing out in the digital realm. Indeed, video SEO is a game-changer in the online world. It’s an indispensable tool for boosting your presence on the internet and climbing higher in search engine rankings.
Moreover, videos do more than just improve rankings. They can supercharge your conversion rates. Videos engage viewers and build trust, making them a potent way to sway purchase decisions.
So, don’t underestimate the power of video SEO. It’s the key to boosting your online presence, climbing the search rankings, and achieving overall digital success. Incorporating video SEO into your digital marketing efforts is a strategic move that can propel your brand to new heights in the digital landscape.