How to Improve SEO With Video Marketing
A comprehensive SEO strategy is necessary for online growth. Video marketing fits nicely into any SEO strategy to accelerate growth, visibility, traffic, and leads. Here’s what you need to know to leverage them in your business today.
Importance of SEO for growth and credibility
SEO is the framework for how the internet works. It’s the language that search engine algorithms speak to serve up perfect-fit search results. Without an SEO strategy, your website will be banished to the far corners of the internet, unseen, or you’ll have to pay thousands in advertising costs to force your brand into higher visibility, hoping it makes a connection.
From on-page SEO and off-page SEO to technical SEO strategies, they all play a part in elevating your brand and growing your reach. This is a reliable, sustainable path toward consistent growth.
Credibility
Showing up organically as a top resource in your niche elevates consumer perception of your brand. Based on their search query, seeing your content proves you are a reliable source of information on a niche topic and improves your reputation. People develop an immediate spark of trust and greater assurance that you have the solutions they need over a competitor.
Visibility
I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase, “If you build it, they will come.” This is a centuries-old ideology built in a pre-internet world. And it couldn’t be farther from the truth. Effective SEO strategies are the only way to organically boost your visibility in online searches based on keyword-specific searches.
Granted, showing up on top SERPs (search engine results pages) takes time, but the payoff is well worth the effort. Don’t create your perfectly branded website full of strategically crafted offers and let it live in a dark corner of the internet, never to be seen. Maximize the impact of your offer with strategic SEO implementation.
Traffic boost
The clicks will start coming in once you begin showing up in search results. The traffic to your website increases, and you’re finally getting traffic to your offers. The algorithm will continue to learn from consumers’ post-click activities, influencing your future rankings.
Your messaging, imagery, and branding play a vital role here. Showing up isn’t enough. You need to convert eyeballs into clicks to prove to the algorithm that your content matches the search query.
Lead generation
Once the SEO-generated traffic is buzzing, you’ll see an increased conversion rate for lead generation or sales. How they found you in the search rankings matches what they find when they navigate to your site or landing page, and you’re primed to collect those leads. Here is where landing page optimization, video marketing, and strategic messaging come into play.
How video content elevates SEO strategies
Video marketing is aggressively taking over the marketing space in countless ways. Video content is quickly becoming the top choice for brands everywhere, including the following:
- Social media
- Online ads
- Digital billboards
- Explainer videos
Feeds the algorithm what it wants
The algorithm is looking for the best possible solution to the search query. Its obligation is to the searcher, not the brand or website. Google is looking for high-quality video content to diversify search results and serve what the searcher is looking for.
YouTube video content maximizes search result impact
Everyone knows that Google is the number one search engine. But did you also know that search engine number two is YouTube? In addition, over 70% of YouTube searchers report going straight to the Google sub-company to find a video that solves their problem.
Creating content to rank on conventional search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo is essential for SEO health. But don’t neglect the video-only search engine at the top of the leaderboard, YouTube.
What differentiates high-quality video content from average and forgettable video content?
Planning
Memorable and high-quality videos don’t just happen. Of course, the odd viral video is an exception but certainly not the norm. Most SEO-driven video content has undergone detailed planning. From perfecting your message and drawing up a storyboard to video transitions and calls to action, it should all be laid out in advance.
Branding
Consistent branding in your video marketing content is essential for brand recognition and brand credibility. This includes:
- Messaging
- Brand colors
- Logos
- Imagery
- Resources
- Callouts
- Anything else that can strengthen the connection between the content and your brand
SEO integration
Integrating search keywords into video titles, descriptions, banners, cover photos, and end tiles further solidifies their place on search engine results pages. Taking it a step further with linking strategies to other brand content, reliable sources, official studies, and industry partners is another ingredient to the video SEO recipe.
Integrating video marketing content into your SEO strategy for traffic and leads
Whether you’re uploading videos to YouTube, TikTok, or just your company website, the following are top tactics for enhancing the SEO quality of video content.
Detailed keyword research
Use trusted industry tools to conduct detailed keyword research. From HubSpot and Ahrefs to Google’s keyword analyzer or SEMRush, these tools will help you understand what your market is searching for before you create content to match.
Video file names
Different from the video title, the video’s file name is something the algorithm bots will crawl and index. Not only will this help you with internal organization, but it also feeds the algorithm yet another confirmation that this content matches the search query.
Strategic video titles
Keyword-rich video titles are critical to improving search rankings, but the title must also be written to appeal to the human searcher. Use SEO keywords but make it make sense.
Elevate video production quality
As much as possible, elevate the quality of your video production in every video. While selfie videos in the car can still get engagement, they are not the standard for video marketing or long-form content. From camera quality to backgrounds and lighting or hiring a professional videography crew, elevating the quality is another way to enhance credibility.
Video tags
Video tags give search engines like Google and YouTube context for the topic and intent of the video. They’re also an essential element in ranking higher on SERPs. Make your brand stand out with the following:
- Keywords
- Niche phrases
- Relevant tags about your brand
Smart, SEO-infused descriptions
Video descriptions communicate to the searcher what they’ll learn by watching. This is also a valuable digital real estate space to use keyword variations, include hashtags, incorporate links to other content, or convert leads.
Niche and keyword-driven hashtags
Not just for Instagram, hashtags in video descriptions are searchable and are another opportunity for you to leverage keyword research and niche language.
Video transcription and captions
Not only are video transcriptions and captions more inclusive and user-friendly, but it’s also essential for SEO. By providing a complete video transcription, you’re giving the search engine algorithm more content to scroll and index, increasing your chances of higher visibility.
Long-form content
It takes more time and planning to create long-form video content. However, the depth and quality of information you can communicate in long-form video content greatly exceed that of any written content. Search engines like Google and YouTube seek highly valuable and deeply relevant video content that is more than just a few snippets.
Video categories and playlists
When uploading your videos on any platform, use as many organizational tools as possible. Create a playlist of similar videos and categorize the video types to appeal to the searcher and make it easy to navigate from video to video.
Click-worthy graphics and thumbnails
The first thing anyone sees before ever clicking on a video is the cover graphic or thumbnail. Use this digital real estate to your advantage. Create branded graphics and thumbnails to increase brand recognition. Use the messaging and titles on the image to include keywords and niche phrasing.
Use video end-screen cards
Video end-screen cards are a gold mine of opportunity. Here you can:
- Link to other resources
- Insert a QR code for redirecting traffic to your website
- Link to supporting content
- Share more about your brand
Utilize video marketing to increase traffic and generate leads
Video marketing and SEO strategies can work seamlessly together to increase traffic and generate leads for your brand. What will you implement first?
Tags: SEO, Social Media Marketing.
