By the end of 2015, online video will rise to 90 percent of all Internet traffic. In fact, the top spots in Google search results are increasingly occupied by websites with video content, pushing those with traditional content to the bottom or out of the first page search results. Ninety percent is not just a majority number, but a takeover of Internet traffic.
This change in Google search results is certainly a problem for the organic web ranking of websites with plain text content, but it offers a huge opportunity for video-rich websites. However, most companies may not have caught on to this new development yet because online video marketing is not yet the main focus of their marketing strategies.
Whether created as product announcements or mini-documentaries, online video is now the fastest way to introduce unique content to a broader audience. Internet users simply prefer video over text or motionless images, which drives more traffic, content sharing, and leads to video websites. According to Search Engine Watch, the click-through rate for videos is 41 percent higher than for plain text. So, if you want your website to rank high in search engine results, optimized videos should be the main part of your content.
How do you optimize your videos? The following are five online video marketing tactics that you can implement.
Create quality videos
A video is of good quality if it has useful and relevant content, is short in duration (preferably 3 minutes, maximum 10 minutes), well scripted, with appropriate music, and the best videography that technology can create.
Relevant content is important because internet users click on your video based on your title and tags, as well as the topic of your site. Therefore, if your site is about water sports, visitors expect to see videos about different water sports activities. If you uploaded carpet installation videos because you just wanted to, your visitors won’t be happy.
You should also keep your videos short because the viewer may not have the patience to finish the video and hear your message towards the end. Split long videos into multiple segments with SEO optimized titles and descriptions.
Host and/or publish your video
Once you have created your video, you are ready to upload it to the Internet. You have two basic options: host it on your website, or upload it to YouTube, Vimeo, or other third-party sites. Uploading the video on your website will increase traffic to it. Posting it on another site will maximize the exposure and reach of your videos. To maximize your video’s audience, it’s best to host and publish it. For videos that you will be posting on other sites, be sure to abide by the sites terms of use.
For the video you’ll host, add the word “video” in your title and description to ensure it’s indexed correctly by search engines. There’s no need to do the same for videos you’ll be posting on video hosting sites.
Use the right keywords in the right places
Use standard SEO practices on the keywords you’ll use in your video title, tags, and descriptions. Adding a transcript of your video will also make it easy for even the hard of hearing to understand it. The text will also help your video get indexed by search engines.
Create a video sitemap on your website
Your video will not be indexed by search engines without a sitemap. Therefore, your site will not be included even on the last page of the search results. It is a common SEO mistake to forget about the sitemap. Your video sitemap should include the following: the video file, a full title and description, and a thumbnail image.
Promote your videos
After you’ve uploaded your optimized videos to your chosen locations, it’s time to promote them. You can post links to the video on your company blog, as well as on your social media accounts like Twitter and Facebook. If you allowed comments in the various locations of your videos, be sure to reply to them.
Effective video marketing strategies will make it easier for your site to rank high in search engine results.