How do you optimize VR content for SEO and social media algorithms?

1 Use VR-specific keywords and metadata

One of the first steps to optimize your VR content for SEO is to use relevant and specific keywords and metadata that describe your content and its features. Keywords are the words and phrases that users type into search engines to find what they are looking for. Metadata is the information that describes your content and helps search engines understand what it is about. For VR content, you should use keywords and metadata that indicate the type of VR content, the VR platform or device, the VR genre or category, the VR format or file type, and any other relevant details. For example, if your VR content is a 360-degree video tour of a historical site, you could use keywords and metadata like "360 video", "VR tour", "history", "VR headset", and the name of the site.

2 Optimize your VR thumbnails and previews

Another important factor to optimize your VR content for SEO and social media algorithms is to create attractive and informative thumbnails and previews that showcase your content and entice users to click on it. Thumbnails are the small images that appear on search results and social media posts. Previews are the short videos or animations that play when users hover over or tap on your thumbnails. For VR content, you should use thumbnails and previews that capture the essence and quality of your content, highlight its VR features, and show its compatibility with different VR devices. For example, you could use a thumbnail that shows a screenshot of your VR content with a VR headset icon and a preview that shows a short clip of your VR content with a 360-degree indicator.

3 Create engaging and shareable VR stories

Another way to optimize your VR content for SEO and social media algorithms is to create engaging and shareable VR stories that connect with your audience and encourage them to interact with your content and share it with others. VR stories are the narratives and messages that you convey through your VR content, such as the purpose, the theme, the emotion, the action, or the value of your content. For VR content, you should create VR stories that are immersive, interactive, emotional, and memorable, and that appeal to your target audience's interests, needs, and goals. For example, you could create a VR story that immerses users in a different culture, lets them interact with the environment, evokes curiosity and empathy, and inspires them to learn more or take action.

4 Leverage VR platforms and communities

Another strategy to optimize your VR content for SEO and social media algorithms is to leverage VR platforms and communities that can help you distribute and promote your content to a wider and more relevant audience. VR platforms are the websites, apps, or services that host, stream, or sell your VR content, such as YouTube VR, Oculus Store, Steam VR, or Viveport. VR communities are the online groups, forums, or networks that share, discuss, or review your VR content, such as Reddit, Facebook, Twitter, or VR blogs. For VR content, you should leverage VR platforms and communities that match your content's type, format, genre, and quality, and that have a large and active user base. For example, you could leverage YouTube VR to host your 360-degree videos, Oculus Store to sell your VR games, Reddit to get feedback and reviews, and Facebook to share your VR stories.

5 Measure and improve your VR performance

The final step to optimize your VR content for SEO and social media algorithms is to measure and improve your VR performance based on the data and insights that you collect from your analytics tools and user feedback. VR performance is the measure of how well your VR content performs on search engines and social media platforms, such as the ranking, the traffic, the engagement, the retention, the conversion, or the virality of your content. For VR content, you should measure and improve your VR performance by using analytics tools that can track and report on your VR-specific metrics, such as the views, the watch time, the completion rate, the heat maps, the interactions, or the ratings of your content. You should also use user feedback that can provide you with qualitative information on your VR content's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, or threats. For example, you could use Google Analytics to measure your SEO performance, YouTube Analytics to measure your 360-degree video performance, Oculus Insights to measure your VR game performance, and user comments and reviews to measure your VR content's satisfaction and loyalty.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?