How to use video to help with SEO
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) has become an important strategy for many businesses in the past several years as more consumers are searching for products and services online. InternetRetailer.com recently shared reports finding that 83% of U.S. consumers go online to research electronics, computers, books, music and movies and that 73% go online in search of information about clothes, shoes, toys and health and beauty products before buying those items in bricks-and-mortar stores. Even if your company or organization does not fit into one of these categories, these statistics show how critical is to have an online presence.
So how does online video marketing and video production help with SEO? There are several ways that businesses can improve their websites to increase search engine rankings and adding video is one. It is actually a big one. For starters, Google likes to see that websites have video because it shows them that there is engaging content for the visitor. The better the video, the longer the visitor will stay on the site. The longer visit indicates to Google that you have quality content, so your site ranks higher.
Web videos also provide the opportunity for incoming links. One of the oldest factors in search engine rankings is the number of quality links that point back to your website. If your business has video content on it’s site that others want to share, visitors will reference back to it and this can significantly help rankings. Maximize your reach by posting the video on video search engine sites like YouTube, Vimeo, and others.
Video production can also serve for more than one purpose! By recording a video you also attain other valuable content to use for your SEO and marketing efforts. For example:
Text transcription – transcribe the video and post on the site. Since search engine bots can’t actually see or hear what is going on in the video this serves as a great substitute to provide readable content. Having this transcription will also provide material for you to post on your social media accounts and refer back to the video.
Images – take screenshots from the video. Images are frequently searched and with the popularity of sites like Instagram, Pinterest, and Flickr it is key to spread content through these channels.
Audio – If the video you record is informative to the audience, providing this as an audio file (i.e. podcast) is an alternative for those that may not have the time to watch the video or those that want to listen to the material again. iPods and smart phones have made this an easy medium for businesses to reach more consumers.
Summary
While videos may help increase your sales or train your employees, they also perform another valuable function: improving your search engine rankings. By adding new, engaging content on your site you can keep visitors connected longer and create the opportunity for more backlinks. Repurposing your video will also give you the chance to expand your online presence and provide your content in different formats. These are factors that search engines, like Google, take into consideration when deciding your ranking.
Looking to record a professional product, marketing, or communications video? Contact us today!
