SEO often works in trends and can change as search engines like Google alter their algorithms. Some trends persist, while others phase out of popularity as how people search changes. One current trend that I predict will stick around is video marketing for SEO.
Video content is HUGE right now on platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. You will also commonly see video content promoted on Google search results and on company websites. This popularity has led to the development of SEO video marketing and I aim to uncover its secrets below.
How Video Marketing Can Boost SEO
You may not see how videos can help your SEO campaign as traditionally, SEO deals with text and written content. However, this type of multimedia content can help in the following ways:
- Videos contribute to your content marketing strategies.
- They tick the quality content box that Google prefers.
- Videos also prompt customers to spend more time on your site.
- They help generate backlinks.
- They can also be used as part of your keyword strategy.
Firstly, if you have a content marketing strategy, videos fit naturally into this and if you publish consistently, they can really boost your content generation.
Google also loves quality content that gives something useful to the end user and this is where videos shine. If you make entertaining and educational videos, your site will have a better quality score which can only help search engine rankings.
Depending on where you publish your videos (YouTube, on your website, on social media), they can also pump up your backlink catalog. Lastly, as you will see below, it’s possible to insert keywords into parts of videos which will help your overall keyword strategies.
6 Simple Strategies for SEO Video Marketing
Video marketing for SEO is still developing and even the most reliable SEO consultant cannot give you a cast-iron strategy. However, there are some simple things you can do to increase the effectiveness of your video SEO and I have listed them below:
1. Make the video content relevant to your target SEO audience
The first thing you should do for video marketing for SEO is to make your content relevant to your ideal customer. Hopefully, as part of your wider SEO research, you should have already done customer research and know who your products are aimed at.
You must use this research when creating your video content too as search engines are more and more looking to promote relevant content that has real use to customers.
2. Create a transcript for your video and publish it on the same page
Google likes websites and content that are accessible for everyone so when you publish your videos on your website or social media, include a transcript.
A transcript is essentially a written log of what is said in your video. This can either be inserted beneath where your video is published, or as a downloadable file. Transcripts are fantastic for accessibility and great for search engine optimization.
3. Insert keywords into your video content
Keywords aren’t only used in website content and PPC ads – they can also be used in video content! These aren’t used within the actual content of your videos, i.e. the script, but instead the written content surrounding your video.
For example, if you create your video content on YouTube, you have numerous text areas to optimize including the chapter descriptions, video cards, video tags, description, and title. The title and description are the most important ones and these are prime areas where you can add keywords.
You can also take this one step further and optimize your YouTube channel with keywords too. This includes the channel name, channel keywords (different tags that represent what your channel does), and description.
4. Consider paid video advertising
Social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook have paid advertisements and these could be included as part of your SEO strategy. By using paid video ads, you can make sure that your content is seen by the right people which should result in more conversions.
5. Make sure the videos are technically sound
Creating high-quality, technically sound videos helps SEO by making them searchable and more likely to be promoted by platforms like YouTube.
Technical aspects to tailor include video tags, the video description, and title, the thumbnail, video length, subtitles or captions, and time stamps.
6. Insert videos logically, with relevant context
I’ve seen many businesses make the mistake of simply embedding a video onto a blank page with no surrounding context. This is a sure-fire way to harm your SEO and whenever you publish a video, it must be surrounded by relevant content that explains what it is or refers to it.
This includes linking videos on social media and publishing them on your website. Don’t make the video the sole focus of the content, but instead, use it to enhance what is already there.
You Don’t Need to be a Master Cinematographer to Make Video Content Work!
Video content is currently trending and it’s never been as popular so it makes sense that it can be instrumental in your SEO strategies too.
If you want to diversify your SEO and tap into video content platforms like TikTok and YouTube make sure primarily that the videos are high quality and relevant to your audience. After that, you can take care of SEO video marketing including adding keywords to the content, creating a transcript, and using the published content to produce backlinks.
