SEO and Video: Does it work?

SEO and Video – how many times have you heard that using Video is great for your Search Engine Optimisation?  For a while that was all I heard!  I was asked an interesting question by one of my clients today and I thought I would share my answer – it was a good question.

[quote]We are filming an interview in the next few days, are keywords used in the video going to benefit our SEO? i.e. Should we use our keywords in the interview questions/answers to lift our SEO.[/quote] 

My initial response was going to be “No” – because the video itself is not ‘read’ by the Search Engines however, as I thought on it, I decided that “Yes” is the more appropriate answer.

The technology for the Search Engines to “watch” videos doesn’t exist yet however, under the W3C accessibility guidelines, businesses are encouraged to provide other methods for the delivery of content.  It is the accessibility requirements that made me consider how the dialogue we use in our videos becomes important.

With Video’s and Audio’s, it’s a great idea to provide a transcript – the transcript is (more or less) the written record of what was said verbally.  This was the hearing impaired can read what’s said.  The side benefit, is that if you put the transcript onto your page or post – it can then be indexed by the Search Engines…. Big bonus.  This is why including your keywords in your Videos or Audios is a good idea.

Even placing the transcript in a pdf will still provide some benefit.  Google can index content in most file types:

Google can index the content of most types of pages and files.  From the Google Webmaster Tools website, they can index:

• Adobe Flash (.swf)
• Adobe Portable Document Format (.pdf)
• Adobe PostScript (.ps)
• Autodesk Design Web Format (.dwf)
• Google Earth (.kml, .kmz)
• GPS eXchange Format (.gpx)
• Hancom Hanword (.hwp)
• HTML (.htm, .html, other file extensions)
• Microsoft Excel (.xls, .xlsx)
• Microsoft PowerPoint (.ppt, .pptx)
• Microsoft Word (.doc, .docx)
• OpenOffice presentation (.odp)
• OpenOffice spreadsheet (.ods)
• OpenOffice text (.odt)
• Rich Text Format (.rtf, .wri)
• Scalable Vector Graphics (.svg)
• TeX/LaTeX (.tex)
• Text (.txt, .text, other file extensions), including source code in common programming languages:
  • Basic source code (.bas)
  • C/C++ source code (.c, .cc, .cpp, .cxx, .h, .hpp)
  • C# source code (.cs)
  • Java source code (.java)
  • Perl source code (.pl)
  • Python source code (.py)
  • Wireless Markup Language (.wml, .wap)
• XML (.xml)

So my answer is: Yes, you should be using your keyword when you create videos and audios and use transcripts to boost your SEO AND be more accessible.  Just remember some of my golden rules:

• Keywords should be used no more than 3 times in every 100 words
• Keep focussed – don’t scatter gun your keywords to try and hit them all.  Choose 1 per article and focus, focus, focus
• When ‘reading aloud’ your article / interview should flow and ‘feel’ natural.  If it feels stilted, you’ve probably overdone the keywords!

Finally, if you’re going to use a video sharing site make sure you add the keywords you’re targetting to the Title and description of your video.  Take the time to craft a good description and whereever possible, add a link back to relevant content of your website – don’t be in a hurry to get your video uploaded and shared.

What tips do you have about using Video (and Audio) for Search Engine Optimisation?