The Ultimate Guide to Video SEO

The Ultimate Guide to Video SEO

Video search engine optimization makes it possible for people to find your videos online. If you want to generate meaningful traffic to your YouTube channel or your website, you should consider hiring a local SEO service. SEO is highly technical so it makes sense to invest in professional help. That being said, there are several things you can do to improve your video rankings and we’ll discuss them in this article. But first, let’s look at exactly what video SEO is.

Video SEO optimization is the process by which you improve the visibility of a video in search engines so that it ranks as high as possible. Ideally, you want it on the first page of results since people tend not to move on to the second page. Video SEO involves using metadata that’s relevant to what individuals are searching for and creating content that generates traffic.

If your target market can find your content and it answers their questions, this is likely to result in higher traffic, a lower bounce rate, and increased time on your site. This tells search engines that your videos contain useful content and they’ll be more likely to recommend it. Let’s take a closer look at some of the things that go into improving your video rankings by using video SEO 

Keyword Research

Keywords are the words or phrases that individuals use to find specific content on the web. They play a major role in video SEO. Before uploading a video, you need to find the keywords that will get it in front of your target audience. How do you do this? You use keyword research. When optimizing video for SEO, there are a number of tools you can use. These are different from the ones you would use when promoting text-based content.

YouTube’s suggest function is similar to Google Suggest. You simply type in one keyword and get a list of suggestions. Meanwhile, TubeBuddy Tags is a free Google Chrome extension that shows you the tags your competitors use to promote their videos. Another option is YT Cockpit which is a keyword research tool designed specifically for YouTube. These are just some of the programs you can use as part of your SEO video marketing.

To improve your video rankings, you should also ensure you use long-tail keywords. These are three or four-word phrases that are more specific and likely to have less competition. This means that instead of trying to rank for “shoes”, you may try to rank for “men’s shoes in Philadelphia, PA”.

Video Creation

There are many different kinds of video content on the web. The type you choose will depend on the nature of your product or service, who your target audience is, and what they prefer. Some of the most popular are:

• How-to videos featuring either a live person performing a task or an animation
• Webinars featuring PowerPoint presentations or graphics
• Ted Talk-style presentations or recordings of public information sessions

The length of your video matters when engaging in video optimization for SEO. Many video SEO experts say that it’s best to keep videos under five minutes. However, again, this depends on the nature of the content and what your audience prefers.

Optimizing Video on a Video Hosting Platform

Video optimization for SEO differs depending on whether your video will be shared on your website or on a video hosting platform.

Optimizing Video Elements

If your content is going on a hosting platform like YouTube, here are some of the things you need to consider.

Tags

Tags are a basic element of video search engine optimization. When you’re uploading your video to YouTube, you need to ensure that you add relevant tags. These help YouTube to understand what your video is about and this can improve your video’s rankings.

Video Description

Your descriptions also provide valuable information for both viewers and search engines. To improve your video rankings, you also need to include a solid description that includes the right keywords. This will help to increase views and watch time and improve the likelihood that your video will show up high in the search results.

Title

The title of your video also needs to serve dual purposes. Not only should it capture the attention of potential viewers but it should include at least one keyword. To improve your video SEO optimization, the title should be concise, descriptive, and also searchable. Be sure to avoid using misleading titles. If people discover that your video is not what you say it is, they won’t watch it for very long and you’ll lose credibility.

Thumbnails

Your video’s thumbnail is also important. The more attractive it is, the more likely it is that people will watch it. Your thumbnail should work together with your title to tell your viewers a story. Of course, your thumbnail should also be an accurate reflection of the video’s content if you want to climb the video rankings.

Promotion

As you know, even the best content won’t magically attract visitors and that’s why SEO for video is critical. However, it’s also important to note that video SEO marketing isn’t only about keywords. You also need to find other ways to promote your videos. Promotion doesn't need to be complicated. Here are some of the things you should do.

Ask People to Share Your Content

You’ve probably noticed that YouTubers often ask their viewers to like and share their videos. That’s because this video SEO tactic may be the easiest way to boost views and engagement. At the end of your video, be sure to encourage your viewers to share the content.

Add a Clear “Subscribe” CTA To Your Script

At the same time, ask viewers who have not already subscribed to your channel to do so. Don’t be afraid to be direct. Clear calls-to-action have been proven to work. As more and more people discover your content and share it, your video rankings are likely to improve.

Feature Experts in Your Videos

The subjects in your videos also have implications for video search engine optimization. Some videos are popular because of the person who is featured in them. Including a well-known subject matter expert in your video is likely to get more eyes on it. The individual may also share your content on their channels so that it reaches an even wider audience. If you include an expert or influencer in your next video, be sure to include their name in your title and description.

Optimizing Video on Your Website

If your video is going on your website, your video SEO marketing tactics will need to be different.

Put Your Video at the Top of the Page

Search engines are more likely to rank your video highly if it’s the main piece of content on the page. Either place it at the very top of the landing page or under a short introduction.

Always Use Video Schema

Video schema markup is a type of HTML code. It tells search engines what your video is about. The title of your video, its description, and even the date you uploaded it twill affect your ranking in search engine results. The details may seem minor but they are crucial to video SEO optimization.

Publish a Transcript on the Same Page or Make Captions

Adding captions or a transcript further helps Google and other search engines to learn what your video is about and this can boost your site’s ranking. Not only does a keyword-optimized transcript attract a wider audience. It also helps to ensure that viewers who can’t listen to the video can still access the content.

Let Direct SEO Help with Your Video SEO Marketing

SEO for video can be a lot to take in. However, it’s essential that you optimize your content whether it appears on your website or a hosting platform. Our experienced team at Direct SEO can handle all your video search engine optimization needs. We serve:

• Denver, CO 
• Philadelphia, PA 
• Austin, TX 

 Ask us about our SEO service today!