Video has become the undoubted king of marketing. Nowadays, customers and consumers want to see original, interactive and engaging content. Written blog posts and traditional marketing methods just don’t have the same effect. There is a problem, though: Search engine optimisation. SEO is without a doubt the single most important part of an online strategy, yet videos aren’t built to be optimised. After all, it’s impossible to hyperlink a frame. Still, there are ways to merge the two to create content that reaches far and wide. Not only this, but it’s modern and ticks all of the “up to date” boxes.

This is what you need to know.

Quality Over Quantity

The first thing to remember is that you want the video to get as many likes and shares as possible. This is SEO 101 because a viral video escalates out of control and raises awareness of the brand. What’s great about this realisation is the fact that there is no need for standard SEO tactics. To get people to share a video, the quality has to be amazing and nothing else. Maybe you find a funky angle that is bound to catch the eye. Then, perhaps you hire Spark Media Video Production or a professional firm to come up with a unique vid. Finally, you may even use Google Analytics to check the feedback.

Optimising The Description

Because it’s a video, written words are hard to find. That is why the description is essential from a search engine optimisation point of view. As one of the only ways to optimise content, its role can’t be overstated. The key is to write a concise and succinct explanation that is easy to read yet includes all of the relevant materials. Of course, keywords and phrases should be added, so you need to consider which ones will make the cut. As a rule, words and phrases that are Google-friendly are twice as effective.

Creating Metadata

Google wants information that allows it to rank the video based on added value. The quality of the vid and the description are two factors, but so is the metadata. For those that don’t know, this is things such as tags, thumbnails, headings and subheadings. The reason Google loves this data is that it makes their job easier and also helps the viewer. With that in mind, tag everything with legitimate links and always use headings. Clever videographers use headings and subheadings as a savvy way to include extra keywords.

Making It Shareable

Most people think “shareable” means encouraging the audience to post it on their wall or retweet. That is half of the battle, but the other half is trying to facilitate this process. It’s amazing how many videos cannot be shared on certain social media platforms, and that reduces its potency. Always make your vids shareable on as many channels as possible, from Facebook and Twitter to LinkedIn and Pinterest.

Video and SEO are relatively young, which means the rules are constantly changing. For now, these four tips are the best way to merge the two.