Your website's SEO needs a boost. How can you use video to make it happen?

You want your website to rank higher on search engines and attract more organic traffic. But how can you achieve that without spending a fortune on ads or hiring an SEO expert? One of the most effective and affordable ways is to use video content. Video can boost your SEO in several ways, such as increasing engagement, improving user experience, and enhancing your authority. In this article, you'll learn how to use video to optimize your website for SEO and grow your online presence.

1 Choose the right video platform

The first step to use video for SEO is to choose the right platform to host your videos. You have two main options: using a third-party service like YouTube or Vimeo, or using a video content management system (VCMS) like Brightcove or Kaltura. Each option has its pros and cons, depending on your goals, budget, and technical skills. For example, using a third-party service can help you reach a larger audience and save bandwidth, but it also means you have less control over your videos and how they appear on your website. Using a VCMS can give you more flexibility and customization, but it also requires more investment and maintenance. You should weigh the benefits and drawbacks of each option and decide which one suits your needs best.

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2 Optimize your video titles and descriptions

The next step to use video for SEO is to optimize your video titles and descriptions. These are the elements that search engines and users see when they encounter your videos, so they need to be clear, relevant, and catchy. Your video titles and descriptions should include your main keywords, but also be engaging and informative. They should tell users what your videos are about, why they should watch them, and what they can learn from them. You should also avoid keyword stuffing, misleading claims, or clickbait tactics that can harm your reputation and ranking. Instead, you should focus on creating value and interest for your audience.

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Olin Downs

Experienced Digital Marketing Leader | SEO | SEM | Data-Driven Decision Maker
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Optimizing video titles and descriptions is very important on YouTube. Make sure your description accurately describes the video and provides additional related resources and/or call to actions in the description that link out to other helpful videos or content. Use tags for the video. These will be keywords related to the topic of your video and can provide additional information on what category/topic your video belongs to. Another tip is to use hashtags in the descriptions. These are different from tags and should also be keyword focused. In addition to call to actions and links in the description, make sure that they are in the video so that it makes it easier for the user to visit a related video or important webpage.

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3 Add video transcripts and captions

Another step to use video for SEO is to add video transcripts and captions. These are the text versions of your audio and visual content, which can help search engines and users understand your videos better. Video transcripts and captions can improve your SEO by increasing your keyword density, enhancing your accessibility, and boosting your engagement. They can also help you rank for voice search queries, which are becoming more popular and convenient. You can create video transcripts and captions manually, or use tools like Rev or Otter to automate the process. You should also format them properly and include them in your HTML code or as separate files.

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Olin Downs

Experienced Digital Marketing Leader | SEO | SEM | Data-Driven Decision Maker
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If you utilize a tool that automates the process of creating video transcripts and captions, make sure to review it. Due to things like background noise in the video, an accent, or mispronunciation, the transcript can end up creating the wrong text.

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4 Embed your videos on your web pages

The next step to use video for SEO is to embed your videos on your web pages. This means placing your videos within your website content, rather than linking to them externally. Embedding your videos can help you improve your SEO by reducing your bounce rate, increasing your dwell time, and enhancing your user experience. It can also help you drive more traffic to your website, rather than to your video platform. You should embed your videos on relevant and strategic web pages, such as your landing pages, blog posts, or product pages. You should also use responsive design and optimize your loading speed to ensure your videos display well on different devices and browsers.

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5 Generate video sitemaps and schema markup

The final step to use video for SEO is to generate video sitemaps and schema markup. These are the technical aspects of your video SEO, which can help search engines and users find and understand your videos better. Video sitemaps are XML files that list and describe your videos, such as their titles, descriptions, thumbnails, and URLs. Schema markup is a code that adds structured data to your videos, such as their type, duration, rating, and creator. These elements can help you improve your SEO by increasing your visibility, relevance, and authority. They can also help you get featured snippets, rich results, and video carousels on search engines. You can create video sitemaps and schema markup manually, or use tools like Yoast or Wistia to simplify the process.

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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?

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Arash Attari

Seo Specialist at Rebelde Publishing
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1. Use platforms like hotjar, clarity or in some cases Google tag manager and Google analytics to track users behavior and see how much they play the video, how much of the video do they watch normally? 2. Is that special video exactly the one that you should use there? 3. Optimize the title and the text you write for the video, after getting some feedback and data.

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Your website's SEO needs a boost. How can you use video to make it happen?

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1 Choose the right video platform

2 Optimize your video titles and descriptions

3 Add video transcripts and captions

4 Embed your videos on your web pages

5 Generate video sitemaps and schema markup

6 Here’s what else to consider

Video Technology

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