Have you ever wondered why some videos seem to dominate search results while others fall by the wayside? The truth is, video content has a huge impact on SEO and can make or break your online visibility.
When I first began creating videos for my website, I was completely in the dark when it came to optimizing them for search engines. I would just upload them and cross my fingers that they would somehow attract the right kind of attention. But as time passed and my videos remained buried on the second or third page of search results, I knew something had to change. I realized that if I wanted to see real success with my videos, I needed to learn all about the power of video SEO. And let me tell you, it was a game changer.
Its not rocket science, its just knowing the game...
One of the most important things to keep in mind when optimizing your videos for search engines is to include keywords in the title, description, and tags. For example, let's say you're a personal trainer and you've created a video about how to do a proper deadlift. By including keywords such as "personal trainer", "deadlift", and "proper form" in your title, description, and tags, your video is more likely to show up when someone searches for those keywords.
Another important aspect of video SEO is to make sure your videos are easily shareable on social media. This means including social media sharing buttons on your video page, making sure your video can be embedded on other websites, and creating a catchy title and thumbnail that will make people want to share it. For example, if you're a travel blogger and you've just posted a video of your latest adventure, make sure it's easy for people to share on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Speaking of those, lets talk about some optimal settings for these platforms...
Mostly youtube, and you'll mostly post there and link or embed into other sites. The optimal video resolution for YouTube is 1080p (1920x1080 pixels) as it provides a balance between high-quality video and accessibility. A 1080p resolution provides a high-definition image that is suitable for most viewers, while also being compatible with a wide range of devices, including smartphones, tablets, and laptops. Additionally, most viewers expect high-quality video on YouTube and 1080p resolution is a good way to meet that expectation.
However, depending on the device or internet connection being used, some might not be able to watch videos in 1080p, so it's also important to provide alternative resolutions such as 720p (1280x720 pixels) and 480p (854x480 pixels) to ensure that your videos are accessible to as many viewers as possible. (People will only stand so much buffering before just leaving). YouTube allows to upload videos in 4K resolution (4096x3072 pixels) for those with powerful devices or fast internet connection, but don't feel like you need to do that. Unless you're a film blogger, you'll most likely never need to go buy a several thousand dollar camera just to upgrade your video quality.
In fact, an important note is that having higher resolution videos does not guarantee better performance on search engines, but it's the video's meta data, such as the title, description, and tags, that help search engines understand what your video is about and make it more likely to appear in search results. A better quality video plays into audience retention, and keeping them wanting more.
Lastly, it's important to track the performance of your video...
Don't be discouraged if your videos aren't instant viral videos. Its just important to make your next video better than the first, and to better understand that, you need to know how your last video is performing. Use tools like Google Analytics and YouTube Analytics to see how many views, shares, and clicks your video is getting. This will help you understand what's working and what's not, so you can optimize your video and create even more effective content. For example, you're an e-commerce store owner and you've created a product video and you notice that the video is not getting many views, it's a good idea to analyze what went wrong, and if you see that the video quality is not good, you can re-shoot the video with better quality.
In conclusion,
video content can make a huge difference for SEO and online visibility. From my own experience, I can tell you that including keywords in the title, description, and tags, making your videos easily shareable on social media, optimizing for speed and mobile compatibility, and tracking performance, are all key to getting your videos seen and understood by search engines. So don't be like me when I first started, just throwing videos up and hoping for the best. Take the time to do it right and you'll see the results for yourself! Take a second to sign up for our newsletter, and if you're serious get our SEO workbook to really leap frog you ahead on your journey to content perfection!