The attention spans of visitors to websites, social media and video are getting shorter, however, video reigns supreme, and newer short-form video formats such as YouTube shorts, Instagram and TikTok capture the audience with moving images and video much better than static images do. According to a Cisco report, they predicted that by 2023, online video would make up more than 82% of all internet traffic. Video presents a golden opportunity for businesses to leverage video marketing and connect with their target audience in a very engaging way. But simply creating a video isn’t enough. To truly maximise your reach and impact, you need to understand SEO for video marketing.
Why SEO Matters for Video Marketing
Imagine crafting the perfect video, one that perfectly captures your brand message and resonates with your ideal customer. You hit publish, feeling a surge of accomplishment. But then…nothing. With no views and no engagement, your video masterpiece disappears into the vast abyss of the internet.
Here’s where SEO steps in. By optimising your videos for search engines like Google and YouTube, you dramatically increase the chances of your target audience finding your content. Think of it as putting up neon signs that scream “Look! This video is exactly what you’ve been searching for!”
A Tale of SEO Video Success
To illustrate the power of SEO with a real-world example:
SEO Success Story: Dollar Shave Club’s “Our Blades Are F*cking Great“
This 2012 video exploded onto the scene, garnering millions of views and propelling Dollar Shave Club to instant success. Here’s how SEO played a role:
- Keyword Rich Title: “Our Blades Are F*cking Great” (albeit with a more family-friendly title variation) targeted search terms like “best razors for men.” which gets 4400 searches per month in the UK alone!
- Engaging Description: The description used humour and keywords to capture the correct audience and highlight product benefits.
- Compelling Thumbnail: A handsome man riding a forklift or pointing at the slogan above grabbed attention in search results.
- High-Quality Content: The video was funny, informative, and resonated with the target audience.
The SEO Checklist for Video Marketing Domination
Now that you’ve seen the power of SEO for video marketing, here’s a quick checklist to ensure your videos rank high and resonate with viewers:
Pre-Production Video SEO:
- Keyword Research: Identify relevant keywords your target audience searches for. Tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs or our online keyword tool can help.
- Optimise Your Title: Keep it concise (ideally under 60 characters), include your target keyword naturally to help grab the viewer interest.
- Craft a Compelling Description: Use keywords in a detailed description of the video, highlight benefits, and include a call to action (CTA) to watch the video, contact your company and visit your website too.
- Target the Right Audience: Tag your video with relevant keywords and categorise it correctly on your hosting platform.
- Put it Where it Will be Found: YouTube is the obvious choice, being owned by Google puts you ahead of the game right away.
Production Video SEO:
- High-Quality Content is King: Invest in good lighting, sound, and editing to create a professional and engaging video. For best results hire in a video production company to do the hard work for you.
- Optimise File Name: Include your target keyword in the video file name.
- Closed Captions and Transcripts / Subtitles: Increase accessibility and provide search engines with more text to crawl and understand your video content.
- Create Multiple Versions: As well as your full-length video, ensure you create short-form versions for trailers, teasers, and for both social media posting and #shorts.
Post-Production Video SEO:
- Promote on Social Media: Share your video across your social media channels to increase viewership and engagement.
- Embed on Your Website: Embed your video on a relevant page on your website with a clear call to action.
- Build Backlinks: Encourage other websites to link to your video, which is a strong SEO signal for search engines.
- Track and Analyse: Monitor your video’s performance using analytics tools to see what’s working and what needs improvement.
Beyond the Checklist: Advanced SEO Techniques
- Create Video Playlists: Organise related videos into playlists to keep viewers engaged and watching for longer.
- Leverage Influencer Marketing: Partner with relevant influencers in your niche to promote your video to their audience.
- Run Video Ads: Consider strategic video ad campaigns to reach a wider audience and drive targeted traffic.
- Use in Remarketing: You can add videos to your Google Ads campaigns for example to gain more views quickly.
Unleash the Power of SEO for Your Videos
By implementing these SEO best practices, you’ll equip your videos to climb the search engine rankings and land directly in front of your target audience. Remember, SEO is an ongoing process, so stay data-driven, refine your approach based on analytics, and keep creating high-quality content that resonates with your viewers.
But if you’re feeling overwhelmed or unsure where to start, don’t go it alone! At Wiser IT, we can guide you through keyword research and video SEO, and work closely with a professional video production company to help bring your vision to life and will optimise the heck out of it to ensure your videos rank high and convert viewers into loyal customers.
Ready to take your video marketing to the next level? Contact Wiser IT today for a free consultation. Let’s discuss your goals and create a video SEO strategy that gets results. Call us on 07941 783434 or fill in the contact form.
Remember, in today’s competitive online landscape, SEO is the key to unlocking the true potential of your video marketing. Don’t let your videos get lost in the crowd. Start reaping the rewards of high-ranking, high-performing SEO friendly video content today!
Image courtesy of Vermillion Films