Why You Need Video SEO for Your Marketing

Along with other types of SEO, video SEO is crucial for digital marketing efforts.

Platforms like YouTube need content creators to optimize their videos to stand out. Through the use of video SEO and video marketing, you’ll be able to support other SEO efforts.

Why Video SEO?

There are several reasons you should use video SEO for marketing. These include:

Increased Social Media Engagement

Over half of marketers have stated that video is the most valuable type of content for social media. In addition, 93% of companies have also converted new customers with social media videos.

People engage with these videos and are more likely to share them. If you want to get the most from your videos, using them with social media can prove invaluable. Video SEO can ensure people see your videos on these platforms.

Complement PR

When you create videos, you can optimize them for SEO with PR campaigns. Include videos in PR releases or publications. Videos enhance these releases while PR helps boost video performance.

Boosts Conversations and Sales

Good video SEO and marketing can also increase conversions and sales. Video engages viewers and may help attract more leads as a result. It will also allow salespeople to connect more effectively with leads to boost sales.

Connects with Mobile Users

Video SEO can also appeal to mobile users. Studies have found that people use mobile devices to view up to 75% of video content. People are always watching videos on the go or at home on their mobile devices. This is particularly true with social media, which people access most often on mobile.

Education and Building Trust

Use well-optimized videos to educate audiences and earn their trust. Using a variety of video content, you’ll connect with people along the buyer’s journey.

For instance, you can use onboarding videos to introduce people to your brand. You can also use behind-the-scenes videos to show the people behind your brand. Videos like these can win more people over and drive more conversions.

Types of Marketing Videos & Live Events

If you want to use video SEO to your advantage, there are plenty of ways to use it. Here are some ideas to get you started with your next campaign:

1. Demo Videos

These videos show how certain types of products work. For example, a video might highlight the different features of a physical product. Meanwhile, another video could function as a basic tutorial for business software.

2. Webinars

Webinars offer a great way to inform and guide audiences. A webinar could cover a specific topic and subtopics. It could feature speakers and a Q&A session that engages live audiences. People could also download or view webinars after they launch to make them timeless.

3. Brand Videos

When introducing your brand to audiences, brand videos are critical. These can complement other branding efforts to tell people what you’re all about. They can showcase your brand’s values and mission. 

4. Event Commercials

If you’re hosting or attending an upcoming event, advertise it with event commercials. These can go over what people will expect to see. For instance, you can highlight key speakers and explore various event elements.

5. Expert Interviews

Conducting interviews with other trusted figures will reflect well on you. They’ll connect your brand with industry authorities, giving you more authority.

These interviews can also explore topics that inform and engage audiences. In turn, they’ll bring real value to audiences and impress them at the same time.

6. Educational or How-To Videos

If you want to give your audiences some valuable guidance, create educational videos. In these videos, you can give some tactical advice that audiences can act on later. How-to videos may also provide some clear directions for viewers to follow.

7. Case Studies

You may have helped clients or customers in the past with specific problems. With case studies, you can explore how you helped solve these problems. If new leads are facing this problem, a case study can convince them you have the solution.

8. Customer Testimonials

In these videos, past or current customers can talk about their experiences.They show what people think about you in their own words. This can go a long way in further building trust among audiences.

9. Go Live

To complement your marketing videos, launch the occasional live stream. There are many ways you can use live videos. Some examples include live webinars, events, interviews, and behind-the-scenes insights.

10. Test Out AR

Augmented reality (AR) videos offer far more engagement through interaction. AR tech allows viewers to use mobile devices to mix the physical world with virtual reality. For example, you can let people view virtual animated versions of your products at home. They can look at it from every angle and see how it functions. You can also add other virtual elements that mix with the viewer’s physical space.

Video SEO in Customer Awareness Stages

You can use marketing videos and SEO to connect with audiences at every stage. Whether first interacting with you or getting ready to buy, your videos can reach people.

Here is some guidance to help you connect with audiences along the buyer’s journey.

1. Awareness – Top of Funnel

At the top of the funnel, create videos that generate brand awareness. Videos at this stage will introduce people to your brand and offerings. You should also track metrics that align with brand awareness goals. For instance, views and duration are ideal for tracking.

2. Consideration – Middle of Funnel

During the consideration stage, people will look at their options. At this point, marketing videos should tell people what sets you apart.

What makes your offerings better than your competitors’? What kind of expertise do you have that others don’t? Answer these and similar questions at this stage.

When it comes to metrics, view duration and click-through rates matter most. These reveal engagement and conversions, respectively.

3. Conversion – Bottom of Funnel

At the conversion stage, people are ready to buy. They’ve weighed their options and want to make a decision. This is when you must convert leads who express interest.

Conversion videos should make a unique value proposition that drives sales. Think about what deals or offers you can make that get people to buy. Your marketing videos should then position you above less enticing competitors.

When measuring the performance of these campaigns, measure click-through rates and sales. A high click-through rate shows that videos drive action. Meanwhile, sales will show how effective your marketing is at selling your offerings.

Video SEO: Prep

1. Identify your company’s goals, timeline, and budget. These elements will guide your video SEO strategy. Without them, your videos may not connect with anyone.
2. Find your target audience by conducting some market research. This could involve looking at your competitors’ audiences. Build buyer personas based on your ideal customers. Personas can help segment different types of customers. You can then create videos that speak to each segment.
3. Find a keyword to target. Each keyword should be relevant and be something that people would use. Look for terms that have high volume and lower competition.
4. Review competitors’ related videos. What are they doing right that you can do with yours? What aren’t they doing that you can do to set you apart? You can’t steal from competitors, but you can take cues from them.
5. Script your content and create an outline. Careful planning for your videos will help drive their success. Keep your messages concise and comprehensible. Structure each video with a detailed outline.
6. Create a content calendar. Before creating your videos, decide when it’s best to post them. You don’t want to post videos too often. At the same time, you want to avoid posting too little. You may want to post a video once or twice a week, which can help drive engagement. Over time, you can post more often as your audience grows. You can also find out when your audience is most active online. Posting at the right time of day can further boost viewership.

Video SEO: Recording for Optimization

1. Record an intro and an outro. Your intro should hook viewers into the video and keep them watching. Your outro should summarize the video and offer a clear takeaway.
2. Record your video. After recording the intro and outro, fill in the rest of the video with the meat of the content. Make sure it’s neither too long nor too short. Only include the information you need for a complete video and avoid filler.
3. Edit your video. After recording, it’s time to polish the video. Cut out any pauses or other unnecessary footage. Cut out any flubs you may have made during the recording. Add transitions or overlays where appropriate. You can also use framing and color schemes that reflect your brand.
4. Create a content vault. This step involves creating a group of videos that share a theme. You can then curate these videos and repurpose them. Share them on social media, create blog posts around them, and do more to increase their value.

Video SEO: Post Your Videos

1. Optimize your video elements. Start with the title and description. Your title should include your target keyword in a phrase that engages viewers. Your description should also accurately describe the video’s contents. If needed, compress the video so the file size isn’t so large.
2. Create a thumbnail. Your thumbnail should include an image that complements the title. You can include a frame or overlay that’s unique to your brand. For instance, you could use a colored background that all your videos have. If you have a personality who presents each video, include his or her image. These elements will make your videos instantly recognizable and engage more viewers.
3. Interlink videos. This involves including links to relevant videos in the description. Doing so will further boost your video SEO and direct more viewers to other videos.

Promotion and Distribution

Don’t rely on SEO and shares to drive engagement for your videos. Once you’ve posted your videos, share them on all relevant platforms. You can post about them on social media, include them in newsletters, and post them elsewhere.

Here are some of the various types of videos you can post on each platform:

YouTube

You have the option of posting almost anything on YouTube. Short and longer videos have their place here. Share everything from short how-to videos to behind-the-scenes videos. Post webinars and event videos. Conduct live streams that engage audiences and allow for interaction. The sky’s the limit with this platform.

Instagram

Short and highly engaging videos do best on Instagram. Using Instagram Stories, you can share brief behind-the-scenes footage, brand stories, and how-tos. Share inspirational quotes and guidance. Post announcements and updates about your brand.

Facebook

On Facebook, you can use a combination of videos and live videos that connect with viewers. How-to guides, live Q&As, and blog post summaries are popular videos on this platform.

Twitter

On Twitter, you can post all types of videos. Presentation videos can introduce your business to followers in a brief format. Also, use videos to answer questions and respond to tweets instead of text. Another way to connect with Twitter audiences is through videos capturing key moments. Tutorials and educational videos also do well on this platform.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn can help you connect with industry professionals. Post videos that discuss industry news and business topics. Share videos about professional milestones you’ve reached. Give some guidance to others and establish yourself as an industry authority.

Pinterest

If you want to share more information about your brand in an engaging way, try video Pins. Videos will stand out even more on this image-based platform.

Measuring Results Through Analytics

You won’t be able to gauge your video SEO performance without in-depth analytics. It’s important to know what tools to use and what to track to measure the results.

Analytical Tools for SEO

Your video hosting platform is the main tool to measure video performance. YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and other channels offer their own analytics tools. These tools can detail metrics like views and view duration to measure engagement.

In addition, there are a couple of key tools you can use to track the performance of video marketing efforts. These include:

• Kissmetrics — This tool is ideal for tracking video performance throughout the customer lifecycle. From initial visitors to loyal customers, Kissmetrics can give you real insights. You can also use it to track ad and website performance.
• Google Analytics — You can also track your video’s performance using Google Analytics. Using Analytics, you can see how videos perform in line with your website. Track clicks, conversions, revenue data, demographics, and other details.

Metrics to Track

The types of metrics you track will depend on the types of videos and your goals. Some examples of metrics to track for video marketing include:

• View counts — This metric tracks the number of views your videos attract.
• Watch time — The total amount of time people have watched a video.
• Clicks and click-through rate — These metrics can count how many times people click through a video’s call-to-action.
• Conversions — With conversions, you can track how many viewers convert into leads or customers.
• Social shares — On video hosting platforms like Facebook, you can track how many social shares your videos get. This helps track engagement.

To get the most from your tracking capabilities, consider video marketing services. Professionals will have the tools necessary to track video performance. They can also help prepare, create, post, and optimize your marketing videos.

Launch a Successful Video SEO Campaign

You can connect with wider audiences through effective video SEO and video marketing. The key is knowing which strategies to use and tools to help track success. With the right resources, you’ll be able to get the most from your video marketing efforts. These, in turn, will boost the rest of your marketing strategies.