The role of video in SEO

The role of video in search engine optimisation (SEO) is becoming increasingly relevant. Video has become one of the most important forms of content marketing in today’s digital landscape. As more and more users turn to video for information and entertainment, search engines like Google have adapted their algorithms to prioritise video content in search results. Therefore, to enhance your online presence and reach a wider audience, you should incorporate video into your SEO strategy. Let’s take a closer look at the role video plays in SEO and why it’s important.

Video ranks well

Well-optimised video content finds favour in Google. The search engine giant has adjusted its algorithms to reward video content with higher rankings. In a regular search, Google shows a mix of web pages as well as video thumbnails. With video being such a popular way to consume content nowadays, as soon as someone sees the visual image of a video in the results, they are more likely to click on the video link rather than a text link. Because video content is often more engaging and informative than text-based content, it makes it more likely to rank higher in the results.

While Google has never confirmed nor denied the idea, the search engine does tend to prioritise search results that contain a video above content without a video. You could even run a test. Take note of the average number of page views per month a piece of content on your site currently gets. Add a video to that page and over time, you’re bound to see a considerable increase in visitors as a result of improved Google rankings. If you post your videos on YouTube as well, even more traffic will be directed back to your website. The mere inclusion of quality, well-optimised video content in your SEO mix not only improves your rankings but leads to increased click-through rates as well.

An enhanced user experience (UX)

These days, search engine rankings and the prosperity of any business or online enterprise rely heavily on user experience. In other words, how easy, enjoyable or informative things are for the end user is the priority.

Video content will enhance the user experience on your website. Videos can convey information more effectively than text, they are easier to focus on than reading words on a page, and video helps users better understand complex concepts or products.

Key metrics video helps in SEO

Google considers many things when deciding which websites and content to rank and how highly. Two key considerations are how long visitors spend on your web page/site, and how many quality backlinks there are referring back to your site. The presence of videos goes a long way towards improving both of these metrics.

For example, let’s say you have a page of text that takes approximately ten minutes to read. Chances are, the visitor is merely going to skim through it and maybe spend only a minute or two on that page. Alternatively, a web page that contains a ten-minute video will likely see the visitor remaining on the page for a full ten minutes.

As far as backlinks go, whether the video is on your website, on YouTube, or both, if it’s quality,  helpful or entertaining content, more people are likely to link to it. This creates backlinks that will further elevate your search engine rankings. Video affects SEO both directly and indirectly. The video itself brings in traffic and improves rankings, while the presence of video enhances other metrics that Google uses to rank content and domains.

With Google so focused on prioritising video content, this is something that is only going to increase moving forward.

Social sharing and engagement

Video content is highly shareable on social media platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn and others. This makes it a valuable tool for driving social engagement and increasing awareness of your brand. Social media users are far more likely to engage with and share video content than any other type of content, such as text or images. This will help your content reach a wider audience and increase its visibility online.

When users share your video content on social media, it will generate invaluable word-of-mouth promotion for your business and brand. Friends and followers of those users who do share your content are more likely to trust and engage with it, leading to increased brand exposure and potentially more traffic to your website.

Often being more engaging and memorable than other forms of content, social media users are more likely to watch a video than scan through a long article or blog post. This makes video content a highly effective way to grab their attention and keep them engaged. Naturally, engagement metrics increase. Your video will get more likes, comments and shares.

Google takes notice of these social signals. When the search engine takes note that your video content is being well received on social media, this can also lead to an increase in rankings.

Wrapping up

The role video plays in SEO is significant. By incorporating video content into your SEO strategy, you can enhance your online presence, improve your visibility in search results, and increase engagement with your audience.

Get in touch with the experts at MintTwist today about incorporating quality video content into your SEO strategy.