A great video only works if people find it. Google shows videos in search results, YouTube is one of the world’s biggest search engines, and AI-powered search increasingly draws on video content. Video SEO is how you make sure your videos appear when potential customers are looking.
1. Start with what people search for
The biggest SEO decision happens before filming: choosing a topic people actually search for. Look at:
- Questions customers ask you in emails and calls
- Google’s “People also ask” and autocomplete suggestions
- YouTube search suggestions
- Search Console data for your website
Videos that answer specific questions (“How long does a corporate video take?”, “Can drones fly over Sydney beaches?”) are far easier to rank than generic brand videos.
2. Optimise on YouTube
- Title: clear, specific and including the main keyword, ideally near the start. Write for humans first.
- Description: summarise the video in the first couple of lines, then add detail, links and keywords naturally.
- Chapters: add timestamps so viewers and Google can jump to sections. Chapters can appear directly in search results.
- Thumbnail: a custom, high-contrast thumbnail with a clear subject dramatically affects click-through rate.
- Captions: upload accurate captions rather than relying on auto-generated ones.
- Playlists: group related videos to increase watch time.
3. Put videos on your website, properly
Embedding videos on relevant pages helps those pages as well as the video:
- Embed each video on the most relevant page, such as a service video on its service page.
- Give the video a dedicated, prominent position rather than hiding it below the fold.
- Add a written summary or transcript on the page.
- Use a descriptive heading near the video.
- Keep pages fast. Lazy-load embeds and use lightweight players, especially on mobile.
4. Add video structured data
VideoObject schema markup tells Google the video’s title, description, thumbnail, upload date and duration, which helps it show your video in search results with a thumbnail. Most modern SEO plugins and many video players can add this automatically. Check your pages with Google’s Rich Results Test.
5. Engagement signals matter
Watch time and retention help videos rank on YouTube. Strong hooks, tight editing, clear structure and useful content keep people watching. See why small business videos underperform for the common pitfalls.
6. Promote and link
Share videos on social channels, in email newsletters, in your Google Business Profile, and with partners who might link to them. Link between related videos and pages on your website.
7. Measure and improve
Use YouTube Analytics (impressions, click-through rate, watch time and traffic sources) and Google Search Console (video appearances in search) to learn what works. Update titles and thumbnails on underperforming videos. Small changes can make a big difference.
FAQs
Should I host videos on YouTube or on my website?
Often both. YouTube offers discovery and search reach, and embedding or self-hosting on your website keeps visitors on your pages. Self-hosting through a fast CDN can also give you more control over loading speed.
Do transcripts really help SEO?
Yes. They add relevant text for search engines and make your content more accessible (see accessible video).
How long until a video ranks?
It varies. Some videos rank within days for specific questions, and competitive topics take months of consistent publishing.
Zyon Films plans videos around what your customers search for. Talk to us about content that gets found.
