Anyone who has used the internet over the past 20 years or so will have seen huge changes and advancements in what it offers and what can be done using it. If you were to survey a cross-section of those people and ask them what was their favourite advancement there will undoubtedly be a range of answers. For some, it will be social media, for others it will be the apps that can be used, and we are sure many will also state that it is the increased use of video.
In the early days, videos were basic, took an age to upload, and if you were watching one online slow internet speeds meant half the time you were watching a rotating circle as the video buffered. Moving forward to today and the technological advances both in video software and broadband speeds mean we can watch live sports, enjoy movies without any buffering, and just about anyone who has a mobile phone can create videos.
Another huge development has been the rise of YouTube to become the second most visited website on the internet after Google. Given that Google owns YouTube it also creates opportunities to use video as a marketing tool. Specifically, using video for SEO purposes gives you another means of generating traffic to your website and increasing your rankings.
However, making random videos on your mobile and uploading them is not going to be the answer. Instead, you need to create your videos with a purpose and a plan in mind. You also need to optimise those videos so that they bolster your SEO. Below we have outlined seven steps you can take to achieve that aim.
Start With Effective Keyword Research: As with most actions relating to SEO, we start with keyword research. Knowing what keywords you want to rank for and how severe the competition is will help you identify those keywords that you should be targeting with your videos.
Analyse Your Competitions’ Videos: Whilst we would never advocate copying your competitors’ videos, there is nothing to stop you from taking what features are already working for them and emulating them within your videos.