Expanding your SEO strategy to include video content is an effective and dynamic way to enhance your online presence and drive more organic traffic to your website. Titles, descriptions, tags... all these elements are important.
Among the SEO elements taken into account by search engine algorithms, video optimization is an important factor. As such, video is a strategic element in your SEO strategy. Whether you're a communicator, entrepreneur or content creator, understanding how to leverage video to improve your SEO is essential. Here's the lowdown.
SEO: the importance of choosing the right keywords in your video titles
Titles play a crucial role in SEO, as they determine the topic and relevance of the video for search engines. Optimized titles make it easier for search engines to understand and categorize your video content.
To optimize your SEO, start by defining your lexical field. How do you do this? By using keyword research tools to identify those most relevant to your content. Taking into account the language used by your target audience is also highly recommended. Focus on using specific keywords that accurately describe the content of your video. Avoid generic or overly broad terms that may have high competition or low relevance.
Example
- Generic keyword: "voiture"
- Specific keywords: "voiture écologique" (ecological car)
Also optimize your long tail by integrating longer (between 3 and 7 words) and more specificexpressions. Unlikehighly competitive short keywords, long-tail keywords expose you to less competition and have a higher conversion potential.
Example
- Short-tail keyword: "shoes"
- Long-tail keyword: "women's hiking shoes".
Choose the keywords that best match the information or solution provided by your video. To increase your engagement rate, create compelling titles that are both optimized for search engines and attractive to viewers. Finally, regularly monitor your performance using analysis tools. Don't hesitate to experiment with different variations and track the impact on views, click-through rates and engagement.
Writing convincing video descriptions
Writing a compelling video description is equally crucial to optimizing your video content for search engines and increasing engagement rates. In addition to describing to viewers what your video is about, they provide context and additional information about your content to search engines, increasing your chances of ranking higher in search results. Be concise, but informative. Don't be afraid to summarize the main takeaways by describing the value and benefits of your video to engage viewers. Your description should be aligned with your overall SEO strategy. Finally, consider adding links to related content, such as relevant articles or resources (white paper, business case...), to provide additional value and encourage viewers to explore further.
Add tags to your videos
Tags (title, meta-description, tags...) help search engines understand the content of your video. The relevance of your tags will increase your chances of appearing in search results for specific queries. Tags should accurately reflect the subject, theme or main keywords related to your video. Don't hesitate to use tools such as YouTube's auto-suggest feature or keyword research tools to discover additional relevant tags. Finally, regularly analyze and refine your tags based on audience engagement and search trends for optimal results.
To speed up indexing and promote the display of videos directly in the Google SERP, we recommend the use of schema.org's VideoObject markup. This structured data provides explicit information (description, URL, date, duration). These details will help your videos stand out in search results, boosting the number of views and ultimately your ranking. As a reminder, since 2021, Google has taken into account structured data tags on key moments in videos.
Creation of video transcriptions and closed captions (CC)
Transcripts and subtitles are essential elements for optimizing your online videos, both from the point of view of accessibility and SEO. Indeed, transcriptions provide a written version (dialogue, narration) enhancing the user experience (following the content, even in noisy or soundless environments) and making the video accessible to the deaf and hard-of-hearing. Beyond that, transcription and subtitles offer additional opportunities to incorporate keywords in line with your SEO strategy. In addition, remember that Google often displays video extracts with closed captions as featured extracts. Closed captions increase your chances of being highlighted, and ultimately your organic traffic.
Use video platforms like YouTube
Video platforms like YouTube and Vimeo offer many advantages for hosting and sharing your videos. These platforms boast a massive user base, offering greater visibility for your video content. What's more, they offer management features such as analytics, editing tools and automatic video compression. Broadcasting on Google-owned YouTube can also offer SEO benefits in terms of visibility and search rankings. Regularly check the functionality and compatibility of your video to avoid any technical problems.
Monitor video SEO trends and algorithm changes
Optimization standards, user experience expectations... Search engines regularly update their algorithms and guidelines. To optimize your visibility, it's crucial to keep abreast of these changes.
Final tip: think responsive and share! The more your video is viewed, shared and liked, the better its positioning.
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