Report: How to improve SEO for video content

Optimizing content for search engines is not a new concept; however, optimizing video content is something that many marketers are still not doing well. Why? Most likely because video is still a relatively new area. But, with more consumers logging on to look for video clips, marketers need to better harness video and optimizing for search engines is one way to do it.

by Kristina Knight

Here are a few tips.

First, don't count out the basics. Production teams may be familiar with SEO concepts but they may not be so take them through a refresher course to ensure that everyone on the team knows what SEO is, how it is implemented and why. Once the refresher course is complete, you're ready to move on by creating a keyword list for the clips you plan to use.

Next, make sure that each video uploaded to your site has it's own web page; don't simply add a video to a product information or content page. Give the clip it's own page and link from a landing page. The URL used, should be as simple as possible. Long strings of letters are sometimes broken; so give the clip a URL such as "www.yoursite.com/election-results.mov".

Next, don't forget about SEO in the titles; make the titles for the clips compelling and descriptive. Include a keyword or two, which should have been developed before the clip was uploaded, in a short descriptive paragraph about the clip. This will increase consumer's interest and garner more clicks.

Finally, tag the videos and allow users comments. Why? Tagging the clips ads more keywords to your page, as does the appearance of comments. Plus, allowing comments keeps the content on the page fresh; when a new comment is uploaded, search engines pick up on it.

Video is a good addition to many content websites, and by following these rules, marketers and publishers will give their clips an edge over the competition.