Youtube and Video Optimisation

Video optimisation is growing in importance. If you’re not yet using video or aren’t getting the traffic and shares you would like here’s why it’s essential knowledge. Google likes ‘sticky’ sites: Sites that get their fair share of social shares and where searchers linger. Video can be an important tool in getting visitors to stay on your site and give you social exposure on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and the rest. Of course your video should be good quality but it’s all too easy to get distracted by it. However if the use of video suits your market then you must make sure your videos are appropriately optimised. Otherwise you’re not going to get a return on your investment.
SEO for Video
You may be surprised to learn that SEO for video is just as important as it is for other content. Of course post-Panda and Penguin we know SEO isn’t the be all and end all but it’s still important to optimise video to enhance your chances of getting found and getting those all-important backlinks.
There are two important elements: Titles and Descriptions, and Tags.
With your video Title and Description it’s important to include your main keyword. Keywords are still a correct element of SEO, just don’t over-do it with keyword stuffing. The important point to bear in mind is that you must give Google clues about what your video is about. Be focused but make sure Titles and Descriptions are crafted in ‘natural’ language.
Your Video Tags should also reflect some of your keywords. Ideally you will have done your own keyword research but if you haven’t you can do some research on the likes of YouTube to see what other similar videos use. Think like one of your customers. What are they likely to type into Google or YouTube to find you?
Maximising the Benefits of Video
One of the best things about well-produced and optimised videos is that your efforts will be rewarded with backlinks. These links are likely to look natural and so the search engines will reward you with better rankings and traffic. And most importantly you’ll find your video being shared on social networking sites which will, in turn, give your rankings a boost.
Now, as I mentioned above, grappling with video marketing can be distracting. I can help by optimising your videos for you or teaching you how it’s done so you can manage your own video marketing going forward. Naturally video marketing suits some sectors better than others but you’d be unwise to discount it without checking first what your competition is doing.
If you’re uncertain how to improve your video marketing please do get in touch.