How Important Is Video For SEO?
When it comes to search engine optimization, the first thing that many of us tend to think of is good old text. Keywords, subheadings, using backlinks, they all relate to the text that we’re using on our websites each day. However, video can be just as (if not more important) than text for your website’s SEO.
Think about the most visited websites in the entire world. Google is, of course, the top dog since it’s the most popular search engine in the world, but its subsidiary YouTube is the second most visited page on the planet. That’s because, more and more, people are looking to get their content in the form of shorter videos. This is another reason why apps like Vine or TikTok became popular in the first place, as well.
Adding videos to your website creates organic growth that boosts your SEO rankings tenfold. Not only will your website be more prominently featured on the catch-all page for Google searches, but you’ll also pop up in the videos tab when someone’s looking to get their content that way.
Many might be apprehensive to make short-form videos for their website despite the improved search engine optimization. However, analytics say that those who watch one video are more likely to not only stay on the website longer but even more likely to make a purchase. Apprehension can also come from the desire to make videos. Many believe that it’s too time-consuming and can be expensive, but videos can be made quickly, cheaply, and easily to help boost your SEO.
There’s plenty of free video editing software to be found, and you can create as many videos as you want. Some websites are even making videos for every single one of their pages or blog posts, even if it’s just something simple like using text-to-speech because of the impact videos have on SEO. At the end of the day, you never have to step in front of a camera or come up with a detailed script while still getting videos on your site.
The big thing that you’ll have to look out for when adding videos to your website is the impact it has on loading times. In some cases, videos can severely increase these times, which leads to a knock against your SEO. Make sure you’re using Google Analytics to keep an eye on these load times, and the webmaster tool they have available also gives you pointers on how to upload videos to reduce these load times.
The next important aspect of using your video content for SEO is to make sure you have the right thumbnail. You’re much more likely to click on a video that has a clear thumbnail with text and a still image compared to a screen capture that was automatically taken and can show blurriness. Make your thumbnail look as professional as possible, and adding your website’s name or logo to the thumbnail goes a long way in creating brand recognition and search engine optimization.
It was no accident that Google acquired YouTube, as videos make up a big part of the search engine algorithm. When you’re browsing on YouTube, most of the suggestions that you’ll end up getting have professional-looking thumbnails. There was a time when YouTube created a thumbnail for you, but thankfully you can upload whatever image you want to be that thumbnail for every video.
Finally, don’t be afraid to use outside help. Making videos can be simple, but making ones that will catch the eyes of millions via search engines isn’t so easy. A professional can make sure that your videos have all of the content you need, while also looking world-class to help attract attention. While it might not be your first thought, even enlisting the help of influences can help drive web traffic tremendously.