The No. 1 priority of SEO experts and specialists is to ensure that a website lands in Google’s first page listing. Search Engine Optimization or SEO (as it is better known) is all about getting the best search engine rankings. SEO is any activity that boosts the visibility of a website in search engines like Google or Yahoo. The more frequently a website appears on the 1st page of a Google or Yahoo search, the more people will visit that website. This is what companies pay for and need in selling their products online.
SEO often looks into what people search for on the internet – it analyzes the keywords and terms people use in search engines. SEO however is not limited to text. It also includes images and videos. Google is the top search engine in the world. For Google to display a website’s link in search results, the website must be relevant to users. It must have content that people share, use and link in other websites, blogs and social media platforms. It basically boils down to having quality content.
So, how can videos contribute to a website’s content and impact SEO results?First, videos improve SERP. SERP stands for Search Engine Results Page. It lists down all the websites and links related to a keyword query. Since there are so many websites and links to choose from on the internet, how do you get your company noticed by users?
A study done by Forrester in 2009 says that “pages with video are 53 times more likely to rank on the first page of Google search results.” While this study was conducted 6 years ago, it is still applicable today. This means that websites which provide useful and relevant information have a better chance of standing out and gaining more visitors. Video content can do this more effectively than words can. Good explainer videos can answer user questions comprehensively in less time.
Second, videos have higher CTR. CTR is short for click through rate. An aimClear study shows that search results with video have a “41% higher click-through rate than plain text.” This means that people are more likely to click and watch videos that read texts. While this is great for companies who use videos for marketing, placing the videos in the right platform is also important. YouTube may not necessarily be the best choice, although it is the most popular video hosting site and has broadest reach. Instead of putting your video on YouTube, just embed it in your own website. This is more beneficial and has a bigger potential to convert viewers into customers.
Third, videos entice visitors to stay longer. People have short attention spans online. After briefly viewing a webpage, they leave right away if they are not engaged. This is called bounce rate. Having a high bounce rate is not good for a website since it may lower its SERP ranking. It also does not achieve sales. Having videos on the website can prevent this. Compelling videos pull in viewers and make them stay on the site longer. A great video can also convince viewers to buy your products online.
