Your website is one of around 1.5 billion websites online right now. So how can you make sure it gets as many eyeballs (read:potential customers) as possible?
One word: video.
We’ve said it a million times, but by utilising video, you’re giving your audience the type of content they’re looking for (96% of online consumers watch videos to learn about a service or product).
But there’s another strong reason to make video a priority: you’ll be making Google extremely happy too.
Why video?
We don’t need to tell you about the importance of SEO, and how content plays into that. Well, marketers everywhere are now combining their old tactics with video content to improve their Google ranking.
Why?
Studies show that 86% of online consumers want brands to produce even more video content.
Figures like this tell Google just how much consumers love a good video, which is why the search engine is making significant changes to its algorithms in favour of video content.
Below, we take a closer look at what this means for your SEO efforts, and why video is no longer a nice-to-have; it’s a must-have in 2023.
Why does Google love video?
When ranking sites, Google looks at web traffic – the number of visitors to your page. This doesn’t mean that 1,000 clicks a day is always good news, though.
If 90% of those people visit your site only to leave again in seconds, Google will assume that your content isn’t truly relevant. The search engine only knows your content is engaging if people are spending a lot of time on your page.
So, what’s the best way to make sure everyone sticks around for a while and is engaged with your page? Quality video content.
For many of us, watching a video is much easier than sitting down and reading through a long article. We also process the information much quicker than with text – 60,000 times faster, in fact!
So, whether you’re engaging your audience with a product explainer video, behind-the-scenes footage or answering their pain points with a punchy animation, you’re sure to keep them on your site longer with a well-thought-out video. And you’ll be boosting your relationship with Google while you’re at it. We love a win-win!
What Google’s latest Broad Core Algorithm Update means for your video content
When Google updates its algorithm, it changes the search ranking systems. This means that it finds new ways of seeking out quality and relevant content, which sometimes sees previously high-ranking sites drop and make way for new top results.
This doesn’t mean that those that were once above the rest are now irrelevant or bad in any way – there are just others that are deserving of a higher ranking. It’s a way of finding and benefitting the under-rewarded.
The latest May ‘22 update to the way Google ranks articles was a huge game changer for those focusing their efforts on video content. In what way?
It saw a shift to algorithms that prioritise video:
- Google prioritises well-researched, specialist content over the general stuff – so keep those videos relevant!
- Video content will rank higher and websites with video should see a dramatic increase in traffic.
- Social media platforms that revolve around video will see significant growth.
So, if you have video-based content on your site, you could see a huge boost to your ranking and traffic. This doesn’t mean you should forget about other SEO techniques, such as long-form written content with relevant keywords. But, if it’s not already, video should certainly be a key part of your content strategy.
Ways to optimise your video content
You’ve seen the benefits of video with the May ‘22 Google update, and data collected since then shows promising results for sites with lots of video content.
What can you do to hop on the bandwagon and soar in the rankings? Make sure your video reflects your brand and is optimised to the max:
Get them to watch to the end
Your video should address the customer’s pain points rather than going for the sell, sell, sell approach. Tell a story and make your video engaging and interesting enough that they can’t help but watch the whole thing.
Make use of transcripts
Keywords have long been a pillar of an SEO strategy, and you can incorporate them into your video content quite easily. Every time you upload a video, make sure it includes a transcript.
If you’re not transcribing all your uploads, you’re missing out on an excellent opportunity to boost SEO on your site by including keywords.
Don’t forget the captions
Around 69% of consumers watch videos in public places with the sound off, and 25% continue to watch them on mute in private.
What does that tell you? It’s really important to attract an audience and inform them about your service or product solely with visuals.
Meet the demands of your target audience
Whether you’re selling the latest in vegan-based products, have a blog about motorbikes, or want to draw attention to a worthy cause, your target audience will have pain points.
Rather than simply focus on the product or service you’re promoting, make sure you present them with an issue and demonstrate you can help them. Your content will engage them for much longer this way, boosting the time they spend on your page.
Make it shareable
Social media users are far more likely to share a video than a post that’s based on text alone. And whenever a user shares your video, you get a new backlink, which means a higher ranking on Google.
There’s never been a better time to start making videos
If you’ve been hesitant about creating video content for your website up until now, it’s time to make a change.
Boost your page’s traffic and increase your Google rankings by making the most of the new update. It doesn’t need to cost a lot or take up all your time, either – short videos between 30 seconds and two minutes are ideal. You don’t need to make an epic feature film!
Your main goal is to get users to spend more time on your page, which, in turn, will improve your credibility with Google.
At Q Content, our extensive experience in creating video for a variety of brands and sectors has refined our processes. This means that video production is usually more cost effective than you might think!
Make 2023 the year you focus on video to please both your audience and Google. From scriptwriting and storyboarding to voiceover and editing, we’d love to support you. Get in touch today using the contact form below.
Contact
Telephone +44(0)1225720099 | Email: info@qcontent.co.uk