How to Optimize Video for SEO

Our Guide to Video Marketing and SEO
Reading time: 3 minutes

Video has become an integral element of marketing in the past couple of years. Videos had humble beginnings with DSLRs and platforms like YouTube. But taking videos and uploading them online has become easier with the use of mobile phones and numerous internet sites. And getting them to be seen has become easier thanks to SEO. So, you should know how to optimize video for SEO.

Even if you are not a business that works with media or content, you should consider using video to promote your brand, services, and products. Because when someone does a search for your offerings, they will also be shown videos at the top of the SERPs.  

So, it is no wonder that many businesses invest lots of money and time in creating video marketing content. But this content does not always rank after being published. This is because many marketers think that what works for content SEO will work for video SEO as well.

What Is Video SEO?

Video SEO is the process of optimizing a video to get more views through search engines so that it can be indexed and rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). The video can hence increase organic traffic to the page it is on and hence makes a great addition to the digital strategy for construction companies.

Why Should I Do SEO Video Marketing?

Google’s algorithms prioritize their rankings according to a few factors, with the main ones being keyword relevancy, backlinks, on-page optimization, and domain authority. Most of the videos rank from YouTube and there are three main types of queries relevant to the construction industry that return video results at the top of Google SERPs. These are as follows: 

  • How to [keyword] 
  • [keyword] video 
  • [keyword] tutorial 

Adding videos increases click-through-rates on your page, lowers bounce rates since people spend a longer time on pages with videos, and creates backlinks since video is considered valuable content. 

Videos are also easy to consume, accessible, and they are very engaging for audiences. You will be able to share more information through a combination of text, images, and sound, rather than just one or a combination of the others.

Dive deeper: Make the Most of Video Marketing for Your Construction Business

How to Optimize Video for SEO

There are several ways through which you can optimize your videos and come out ahead of the competition with the best video and top SEO for construction companies. Some of the best ways are listed below: 

1. Add a title and description using keywords

Similar to the title and meta description that you would write for a blog or article, you need to do the same thing with the title and description of your video. Do keyword research on the subject your video is related to, pick some target keywords, and use those. Make sure that these keywords are relevant to both what people are searching for and to the topic itself.

2. Choose an appealing thumbnail

Choosing a random still from your video to be a thumbnail is one of the worst things you can do for your video. Instead, create a custom thumbnail that is relevant and will attract a searcher’s attention. The thumbnail does not just have to be an image; you should also use descriptive text on top of the image. Using a strong thumbnail improves click-through-rates as searchers will see it if the video is indexed.

3. Add a video transcript

Under some YouTube videos and even on platforms like Facebook, you will see videos with captions at the bottom, making them easy to watch even with the volume down. This text is called a video transcript. Video transcripts allow your videos to be seen by a wider audience, and they add content to the page they are on, making them easier for bots to find.

4. Optimize the rest of the page for SEO and relevance

Working on the video you put up alone, is not going to be enough. In addition to optimizing the video itself before posting to YouTube or any other platform, you will need to optimize the page that you are posting to as well. There is a high chance that even if you have optimized the video, it is not ranking because the page is generic, and the video didn’t relate to it. It also means that the page would not be crawled by search engines.

5. Embed your video on an optimized page

Google has a “Videos” tab that returns organic search results of YouTube videos and pages with video embeds. So, if your video is relevant to a person’s search, it will show up at the top of the SERPs. Similar to the previous point, if you are putting your video on a page, ensure that it is an embedded video, so that a searcher will be led directly to your page instead of YouTube.

Know more: Common SEO Mistakes Made by Contractors

Don’t rely only on SEO

As much work as you put into SEO, remember that only a small portion of clicks on your video will come through SEO alone. You will still need to rely on other methods to promote and share your videos. With how often algorithms change and how often you will have to improve upon your strategies, you should have other methods. This includes sharing to social media, investing in paid video advertising, and adding emails to your marketing material.

SEO video optimization can be a valuable part of your overall construction marketing strategy. Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, your own website, and emails are all great places for you to promote your videos. So, remember to optimize your content for both YouTube and Google to increase video traffic and get more ROI.

CMGurus offers the most affordable SEO services for construction marketing, and our experts will provide the top-notch SEO for construction companies. Contact us if you are looking for SEO guidance or any digital marketing services for your construction company.