If you’re creating videos, you want them to be seen of course. But the problem is that everyone knows the power of video content in modern marketing, therefore everyone is using them. So how are you going to be seen among an ocean of video content? Well, optimising your videos for search engines ensures they don’t just exist but rank and get clicked too.
Let’s break down how to get your videos seen into some easy, actionable steps.
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Start with keyword research
Keywords are the foundation of SEO and videos are no exception. You can use tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs or even just YouTube’s search bar to discover what people are searching for so you can utilise the best keywords.
Think about what you would type to find a video like yours.
You should also aim for search terms where video results are popular on the search page such as ‘how to’ guides.
A tip when choosing the best keywords is to go for long-tail. This is because they are less competitive and more targeted.
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Nail your title
The title is your first impression- it’s what tells viewers what your video is about so it needs to be both compelling and keyword-rich.
You want to keep titles short and sweet and front-load your main keyword to improve visibility.
We find that it works best to combine clarity with curiosity. Make sure they know what the video is about while still making sure they must watch it to find out more.
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Write a good description
Use your description wisely.
Your main keyword should be used in the first sentence but should then only be used where natural. By this, we mean avoid keyword stuffing.
A description should be readable, engaging and approximately 200 words to give search engines (and viewers) enough context.
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Strategically use hashtags
Hashtags categorise videos and improve discoverability. Around 5 to 8 relevant and focused hashtags can help viewers to search for and find your video.
Variations and secondary terms can be used but it is important that your hashtags still focus on your main topic.
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Optimise thumbnails
Thumbnails might not directly impact SEO but they play a big part in click-through rates which indirectly affects rankings.
Thumbnails grab attention, highlight key takeaways or inform viewers of the video’s topic.
Make sure that your video’s thumbnail entices viewers to click on your video and watch it whether it’s through interesting graphics, a compelling piece of text or a fun image.
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Don’t forget captions and subtitles
Subtitles are an SEO boost because they make videos more engaging, accessible and searchable.
Search engines can only crawl text and platforms like YouTube crawl captions for keywords to help them determine the topic of the video and how relevant it is to different users.
Subtitles can also help to expand your audience as they can be translated into different languages.
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Create a playlist
Playlists group related videos which helps to boost watch time and engagement. These playlists can be created on platforms like YouTube and TikTok and should be focused on a single theme or niche.
Treat them like video titles and use keywords and the description! Yes, playlists have descriptions too.
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Share them elsewhere
SEO isn’t just about the platform you’re posting it on- other platforms matter too.
Most importantly, your videos should be tailored for social media. Social media is a catalyst for video growth and by sharing your videos on those platforms, you are increasing visibility.
You can also embed your videos in blogs which will help the blog to rank for both video and text content!
Emails are also an effective way to direct recipients to your video and thus, boost views and engagement metrics.
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Focus on watch time
Search engines reward engaging content so you need to keep your viewers watching.
Hook them early (in the first 10 seconds) to encourage them to watch the rest of the video and ensure you cut the fluff and stay relevant and concise.
If your video is of a longer length, this doesn’t necessarily mean it will not rank well or be enjoyed. Take many YouTube videos for example- they’re longer in length but are still watched. However, with a recent popularity spike in short-form video content, it can be advantageous to cut your longer video into smaller sections either by creating a playlist or with timestamps for easy navigation.
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Get the Metadata right
Metadata tells search engines what your video is about so it’s important to get it right. You should ensure that you:
- Use a descriptive, keyword-rich filename prior to uploading
- Optimise your title and description as mentioned earlier
- Choose the most relevant category when uploading
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Check the analytics
SEO is never just a case of ‘set and forget it’. You should be monitoring and adjusting to optimise your SEO based on data.
Take a look at if your viewers are sticking around, how long for, who’s clicking on your video after seeing your thumbnail and where your views are coming from. You can do this by using platforms like YouTube or Google Analytics.
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Host them on your website
If you’re a business, hosting videos on your website can boost on-site SEO.
The best practices to do this are to place the videos on high-value pages, use compressed versions of videos to ensure page speeds aren’t slow and use video sitemaps to help search engines crawl your videos.
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Mobile-friendly is a must
As you’ve probably guessed, most video traffic comes from mobile. Ensuring that the site or platform your video is on is mobile-friendly is a necessity. You should also check that your video still looks good on a smaller screen.
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Keep learning
SEO is always evolving so it’s important to keep up with the latest trends, algorithm updates and best practices. Make sure to keep checking SEO blogs and forums as well as the search engines themselves to find this kind of information.
Video SEO requires effort and consistency. By focusing on all the things we’ve mentioned above, you’ll increase your chances of standing out in the crowded world of video content. Need a little more guidance? Get in touch with us and our experienced team of video, SEO and marketing specialists can help you to skyrocket your videos’ visibility.