The question is often asked, how does video help SEO and what is its role in ranking in search engines. In this piece of writing, we take a look at the importance of using videos for SEO and why they are more likely to rank on page #1 of Google.

It has been long recognised that videos allow brands and businesses to reach their target audience in an engaging and relevant way. Not only does video encourage the consumer to engage with these videos, but this format also plays a role in SEO and organic search engine rankings.

While video is still often referred to as an “up and coming,” however it has always been well intertwined with organic search. It should be noted that snippets with videos were not uncommon as one of the first things listed on search results pages.

Google users would recognise that video thumbnails have been a focal element of the search results for years. This is because consumers are attracted to the visualisation of material, so they are more likely to click on them, and brand visibility is higher. So it is agreed that video is decidedly a way to drive conversions, but what about benefitting SEO? Let’s break down its role and whether it’s the game-changer for SEO that many think it is.

SEO Today: Is Video Good for it?

With a consistent focus on organic visibility rather than rankings, video is only just becoming more relevant for SEO. As Google continues to evolve and move towards optimising the user experience, video content becomes an increasingly valuable asset to your brand and website.

Video is five times more likely for consumers to interact with your web page than regular content is. Those statistics alone are enough to want you to incorporate video into your marketing strategy. The fact is that users are enticed by video content which is why Google continues to reward websites that integrate them.

Interactive content, like video-rich elements, continue to be valued by Google and is prioritised by them. Recent research shows that web pages with videos are 53% more likely to get that coveted display on page 1 of Google. Using video as part of your marketing strategy will enable your brand to engage with more organic visibility opportunities, which is why the answer is, without a doubt, yes, video is good for SEO in 2021 and moving forward.

Video in Search

Googles algorithm has changed over the years and continues to ensure that consumers experience engaging and informative online experiences. Your experience is likely to be such that videos are throughout search pages in search results, thumbnails and carousels, which are interactive rich elements.

Often you will find that a search result in Google will include a video carousel. These are bundles of videos relevant to the search that enable users to click on and view several videos from one search engine results page. So, what does this look like on a page? Generally, ten videos are scrollable. Three of them will be visible, and the remainder can be scrolled to view.

Additionally, you are likely to see videos that present themselves alongside organic listings when relevant as a thumbnail; however, this initial strategy is slowly being moved away from, and carousels appear to be taking the lead.

What is the Role of YouTube in SERPs?

YouTube is the second-largest website and visited platform across the world. It is a significant contributor of video content for search engine results and is the most likely to appear in these results over other platforms.

Google owns YouTube, so when videos are displayed in their search results, the algorithm is geared towards selecting content from their rather than other media options. When looking at snippet features and carousels, YouTube has 99% and 97% of the market share, leaving a mere 2% to 3% for their competitors.

With this in mind, it’s fair to say that YouTube hosted videos perform better in search results and being such a large and well-known platform, consumers are more drawn to and trusting of the results.

How is it That Video Helps SEO?

Let’s begin with Google, and how in 2021, that is making strides with Video and SEO. First, we have determined that Google loves video content. It’s attractive to consumers, and Google is all for giving their users the best possible online experience. This means that when you incorporate video as part of your online strategy, your visibility rates will be higher.

Also, when a website has high-quality content combined with optimised content, you will rank higher in SERPs and benefit from traffic, click-through and conversion rates. It’s important to note that an emphasis is had on high-quality video content. Not all video content will assist with your SEO efforts, meaning that random videos will not improve your ranking. Videos still need to be relevant, purposeful, educational and relevant, so there is an emphasis on high-quality content.

When considering how video’s help SEO, it’s best to consider it as a cycle. Video Content – Improved Rankings – Increased Engagement; however, if the content is inadequate, irrelevant and not engaging, rankings will fall. Video can improve SEO and ranking but not if it doesn’t satisfy the consumers intent, then the SEO efforts diminish.

Going Forward and Wrapping Up

Video is an essential element of organic search, and if we look at SEO holistically and consider visibility rather than “increased rankings,”

video and video SEO are valuable for websites.

As we have mentioned throughout, moving forward for successful video SEO is by ensuring the content is engaging and relevant to the overall branding. If your website creates this top quality content, your brand familiarity will grow, as will your click-through rates and on-page engagements, which will ultimately turn into conversions.

For more information on how video content and SEO can work for your brand, get in touch with our SEO team to move forward.