Optimize your video content and improve your SEO

We are all aware that the most dominant search engine out there today is Google.  But what would you say is the second largest?  Yahoo?  Bing?  Would you be surprised if I told you YouTube?
Most of you are probably not surprised but for those of you this is news to, also note that YouTube is owned by Google.
Video content has repeatedly proven to be one of the best ways to boost search engine rankings.  Adding video requires implementing a common-sense approach that produces relevant content.
When creating content, think like a user. What do you find interesting and useful?  When creating metadata, think like a search engine.  What do consumers search for when they search for products or services like yours?
What are the most important steps to take to optimize your video content for search engines?  Here are some tips to go by.

1. When creating video look to create video with high user engagement.  Think quality and timeliness of the video to your audience.
2. Relevancy is key.  Search engines are built on that very principle.
3. Find keywords that resonate with your audience as well as with search engines.  Analyze other similar websites, channels and blogs for specific keywords. Add the keywords to the video title and description.
4. Provide a compelling next step with a clear call to action.
5. Keep your video fresh!
6. Submit a video sitemap.  Make it easy for Google and other search engines to crawl your site to verify that videos do exist.
7. Leverage your video content.  The more content you have on your pages that can be ranked the more traffic you can drive to your site.
8. Track results.  Use analytic tools such as YouTube Analytic Basics to monitor your video and channel performance.
9. Focus on best-practice video optimization.  Don’t take short-cuts.

 
As video and content marketing become even more prevalent it is crucial for businesses to clearly describe their websites content.  Consumers need to easily sort through the abundance of online information.

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