Non-Textual Content SEO Part 2: Video and Audio

Wistia is a popular option for hosting “on-site” videos. It automatically inserts SEO metadata JSON-LD, helping Google index our videos.

If our primary goal is to raise brand awareness in general rather than increase traffic to our website, third-party “off-site” hosting, particularly on YouTube, is a good option. Be aware that, in this case, most of the traffic to the video will be directed to our channel on these platforms instead of our website.

Branding

If we choose to host the video on YouTube, make sure it highlights our brand. There are multiple ways to do so. We can upload it on our brand’s YouTube channel. Additionally, including the brand name in the video title also works well since it’s visible when our video is shared on different platforms. A good idea is to include the brand name subtly near the end of the video title.

A single video per page

Google tends to index a single video per page. Instead of concentrating multiple videos on a single page, spreading out our video-making efforts across multiple pages is better for SEO. When more of our pages have an impactful, unique video at a prominent location on our page, we can target more keywords for video results. If we want to include multiple videos on a single page, ensure that the best one, or the one we want to rank the page for, appears first.

Keyword-optimized tags

Title tags, meta descriptions, and file names of our videos matter for SEO. Take some time to create them concisely, including keywords naturally where possible. Google uses these tags to build relevance between certain search queries and our video. They also control the video result’s appearance in SERPs and help users decide if it’s worth watching or not. Creating engaging and descriptive titles and descriptions can up our SEO game.

Thumbnail image

If a video was a product, the thumbnail image is its packaging. We can have an awesome video, but if the thumbnail image is boring, people might not want to click it. Create an attractive, clickable thumbnail relevant to the content of the video.

Structured data

We can make our videos eligible for rich results on Google Search and video search results by adding structured data. Google Search Central provides guidelines to add markup to our video content to help Google make more sense of it and apply certain video enhancements on it, such as a LIVE badge, key moments, and video host carousel [25].

Transcript

A transcript is a textual representation of the video content. By creating and uploading a video transcript, we make the video understandable to even those who want to play it without sound. Transcripted videos are also better scrapable by search bots. Since there’s more text to build relevance, transcripts make it possible to rank the page for rank for more search queries. For the same reason, it’s even more important to include a transcript if the video is the main focus of the page. If we’re using Wistia, it also helps us create a video transcript.

Make it the key focus

According to HubSpot, video was the most consumed content type of 2021 [26]. Awesome videos steal the show. Make it the key focus of the page, where search engines and visitors can find it easily. Here are some tips:

• Position the video above the fold so the visitors don’t have to scroll way down to reach it.

• Place a large video embed. 640 x 360 pixels work for most websites.

• Place it where it’s relevant to the surrounding text. Relevant keywords around the video help readers know what to expect even before watching the video.

Video sitemap

Create and submit an XML sitemap to Google Search Console. It makes it easier for Google to find and index our videos. It provides additional information to search engines about our video, including title, description, runtime, and intended audience. Some video platforms, such as Wistia, automatically generate it for us. Others will require us to create it manually.

Audio SEO

Audio is yet another resource we can tap to enhance user experience on our website. While it may not be as popular as text or video, it’s effective in providing engagement and brand awareness.

Other than enhancing user experience on our website, our podcasts can also rank on search engines. Certain search queries, for example gardening podcasts, can trigger podcast carousels in Google search results. Here’s what a podcast carousel looks like:

Best practices for including audio files, such as podcasts, to our site include the following:

Audio quality

Focus on audio quality since listeners will not want to put an effort into understanding our podcast. A microphone may not be enough to create a high-quality podcast. We’ll need to set up professional equipment and editing software to record a podcast.

Tags

Similar to our video content, create descriptive, keyword-optimized filenames, titles, and descriptions for our audio files.

Transcript

Similar to video content, audio will also perform better in search results when it’s transcripted. Search engines find it easier to index transcripts, making the audio more discoverable through search results. Podcast hosting platforms, such as Buzzsprout, allows us to attach a transcript with our podcasts.

Increase accessibility

We can reach a wider audience by listing our podcast across all the major podcast platforms. Most popular ones include Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Another way to extend its reach is to make it easy to share on social networks.

Test your knowledge

Choose the correct answer for each of the following questions.