The VSEO Tactics You Need to Know

Here’s a widely-accepted truth: there’s no point in having absolutely killer content on the internet if no-one can find it. And it’s the reason why expertly-crafted Search Engine Optimization or SEO is imperative these days. 

SEO is the lifeblood of making your content popular, and tactics on doing this have shifted over time. At the birth of SEO, nonsensical and repetitive keyword stuffing was implemented in an attempt to cheat the Google algorithm and get pageviews. It’s known as Black Hat SEO and no legitimate business would touch it with a cattle prod today. It’s far better to craft SEO using a combination of well-written blog posts while using selective keywords in combination with metadata, backlinks and  internal links. That’s all well and good for content that’s copy-based, but what about video content?

As the Internet Continues to Shift to Video, Your SEO Strategy Needs to Change

And not only change, but change quickly. When you look at the incredible amount of video content being consumed today, it’s clear that’s where the future of the web is heading. Google owns YouTube, by far the largest video search engine in the world. And they are now the #1 and #2 ranked search engines period. 

When you look at the popularity of video on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Twitch and Twitter, plus sites like Vimeo, DailyMotion, Utreon, TED, Crackle and so many more, you know that standing out in this sea of content will take a major shift in your SEO strategy. And that’s why Video Search Engine Optimization (VSEO) is key to the success of growing organically.

VSEO is the next evolution of SEO and learning how to use it is imperative. Whether it’s for YouTube (the main draw) or any other site or platform, your video content needs to be primed to rank higher in the search engine results. So, how do you do this? Well let’s break it down. 

1. Start With The Video Titles and Descriptions

Take a tip from Ebay listers. The ones with clever or funny titles don’t work. Instead, an accurate depiction of the listing featuring everything the buyer will be looking for is going to do the job. It’s the same with your video title. For example, if you’ve created a video guide to buying a new laptop under $500, naming it “The Best 2023 Laptops Under $500” will perform way better than “X Marks The Spot For These Laptops.” The same applies to the video description too, although here you have even more room to play with, so use it to your advantage. Research your keywords and be very accurate about the content. Specific is way better than broad.

2. Create a Video Transcript

Search engines don’t have eyes or ears. Not yet anyway. Play to their strengths and provide a transcript of the video that they can scan. Not only does this help them understand the content, it also tailors to the deaf and hard of hearing. And it’s also the reason you’re seeing more auto-caption features on video player platforms, and even on sites like LinkedIn. 

If this is going to be a time-consuming task, consider a site like Rev.com which provides affordable transcription services, and provides SRT files time-coded to the video for turning captions on and off. This is far better than burning them onto the video which is useless for VSEO as it cannot be scanned by a search engine.

3. Add Chapters

As you may be aware, YouTube now automatically generates chapters for your videos and this is a great source of metadata for engines to search. However, it’s not perfect and doesn’t always interpret the content correctly. So, scan the chapter content and make the necessary changes to ensure each one nails the content. It’s yet another string to your VSEO bow. 

4. Don’t Shy Away from a Call To Action

Ask and you shall receive. It’s a centuries-old saying for a reason: it works. Encourage viewers to visit your site, watch content, follow you on your social channels and learn more about what you do. And on the subject of social, share your content on those platforms to vastly increase reach and visibility. 

5. And the BIG one: Create More Content, and Do It Consistently. 

Marketing guru Seth Godin encapsulates the reasoning behind this perfectly: “be missed when you’re gone.” What does he mean by that? Well, in his case he was talking about his popular blog. He creates consistent, useful content that people seek out over time. And it’s why his blog generates so many views and is ranked so highly. 

In the same way, creating consistent, regular video content will behoove you in so many ways. First, you’ll be relied upon by people who find it useful, and they’ll keep on coming back and sharing it with others. And with more content of a similar type, your ranking will continue to get better and better over time. A site with hundreds of videos on golfing techniques, regularly updated, is going to rank way higher than a bunch of random sports videos that are posted with irregularity. 

It’s also important to remember that social media outlets prioritize video, and search engines are evolving to do the same. So again, more video = better visibility and rankings. 

And if you’re thinking “wow, a ton of video content is gonna cost a lot of time and money” well, don't. This isn’t about glossy, high-end productions but rather authentic, compelling and shareable content. User-Generated Content (UGC) is both affordable and ideal for this, and with a tool like Cinebody you can take advantage of the smartphones everyone carries to regularly create and upload quick, budget-friendly content. There’s a reason TikTok has become a raging success and it’s got nothing to do with Hollywood-style lighting and million dollar shoots. 

So, that’s your introduction to VSEO. Implement it as soon as you can, and by following the simple steps above you can ensure your video content is found, shared, and helps your brand grow.