Using Video as an SEO Tool
Research suggests that the use of video marketing can greatly increase conversion rates. One reason video marketing is so successful is that videos act as powerful SEO (search engine optimisation) tools. It’s no surprise that ranking highly on search engines such as Google can be pivotal to accessing a wider audience of potential customers due to people simply knowing about your business and the services you offer. Video usage is an increasingly poignant ingredient in this recipe of success, with pages that utilize video being 53x more likely to be displayed on Google’s first page. So how exactly does video influence SEO?
Quality Content
Google rates quality content highly when processing it’s search engine rankings. Therefore if your page answers the queries of its users, your rankings will increase much more, regardless of whether or not you’ve taken time to optimize each individual page’s keyword links. As a result, videos are incredibly valuable, due to engaging users and having the ability to transfer vast quantities of information concisely.
Higher CTR
Videos make people click on your content when using search engines and can increase your click through rate by 41% when compared to those opting for plain text. This means that there will be an increase in traffic towards your website, consequently increasing conversion. Within search results, video thumbnails stand out visually. By embedding these rich video snippets (engaging previews) to your website, customers can be transported directly to your landing page with one click.
Lower Bounce Rate
With more potential customers being attracted to your website, the next step is to keep them there. Fortunately videos can help. With the introduction of ‘dwell time’, Google can monitor just how long users spend on your website after clicking through from their search engine. With increased dwell time, comes increased content relevance, which Google rewards with ‘Page Authority’. Therefore, when every second counts, embedding a video can greatly increase your Page Authority. Research also suggests that users who stayed two minutes or longer, were 64% more likely to purchase than other site visitors.
However, if the content of your landing page isn’t short and snappy, there will still be a high bounce rate due to interest being lost. What better medium to combat this than a video? This gives users enough information in a short span of time in order to not only entice potential customers, but reduce bounce rates and keep them returning.
Quality back link
With the introduction of social media, thousands of videos have been shared to millions of people. Your video could be one of those being circulated, each share opening more eyes to your brand and spreading your message worldwide. A high quality video has more potential to be shared than standard text as it’s useful to the user, communicates information quickly and ultimately increases engagement, all the while leading back to your website.