5 Tips for Capturing More Organic Traffic Using Video

Video marketing is a powerhouse tool, offering incredible potential to attract visitors, entice clicks, and convert them into loyal customers. Are you ready to tap into this powerful resource?

I’ve done a lot of experimenting with this over the last 10 or so years and I’ve found that treating the videos as “part of the content” is the best approach and has yielded the best rank profile and in turn the best traffic performance.

The typical “experience” with some of my clients with their video is to write a paragraph of text that essentially says “in this video you will watch ice melt”. At least most sites have moved away from that lovely nav link “Videos” (that are only there for the advertisers to watch their preroll).

What I started experimenting with a few years ago is to treat the video as if it were part of the content much in the way that images are used to illustrate various points in a story, the videos are just part of the content. The hardest thing for editors and writers to grasp is to only mention the video if there is a specific reference to point out at some point within the text — which I try to make sure they do.

Here are actionable strategies to propel your website to the next level with video:

1) Show Up At The Top Of Google With “Suggested Clips”

Google’s inclusion of video snippets in search results, often at the top, presents a potent opportunity for websites seeking ranking improvements. Creating a video for a competitive keyword can be highly beneficial, allowing you to rank not only on YouTube but also atop Google search results.

Imagine targeting the keyword “how to get SEO leads.” As the example demonstrates, multiple paid ads appear above the search results, costing roughly $5-$7 per click. However, an organic video created for just $200 ranks just below the ads and even above all other organic results! This video, with over 1,000 views, achieved remarkable visibility at a fraction of the cost of paid advertising.

Here’s how you can replicate this success:

• Content Repurposing: Repurpose existing “how to” content from your website into an engaging video. Google prioritizes “how to” content for suggested clips, making it an ideal format.
• Transcript Integration: Include a transcript of your audio to assist Google in identifying relevant sections for highlighting.
• Blog Post Integration: Embed the YouTube video directly within your original blog post, further enhancing its reach and impact.

When my clients make videos I create companion blog posts for them. Symbiotic, synergistic integration increases Google’s understanding of semantics. Embedded video increases time on page and video views. The two together are better than either one alone. The benefit comes from both the enhanced UX and better semantic cues.

Naturally, a crappy video and a crappy article in tandem won’t outrank great text content. That is to say, teaming the two is not a magic bullet, and perhaps not always worth it.

Google owns YouTube and loves featuring video content in search results. 

Uploading YouTube videos helps you show up on page 1 of Google in multiple ways: 

• Embedding videos in your blog post helps your blog posts hit page 1
• Your YouTube video itself can show up on page 1 
• BONUS: Upload a YouTube short, which can also show up in search results 

The necessary ingredient to getting all of this video exposure in keywords and optimizing your videos well. The ROI on the table is incredible!

2. Get More Real Estate With The Video Carousel

Leveraging the authority of YouTube can significantly boost your own search ranking. This strategy allows you to “piggyback” off YouTube’s established reputation, increasing your visibility in search results.

Consider this example: by creating a video and embedding it in a blog post relevant to a specific keyword, you can potentially appear in three different sections of the search results page:

1. Suggested Clip: This prominent placement instantly grabs users’ attention and drives traffic directly to your video.
2. Blog Post Ranking: Your optimized blog post featuring the embedded video further strengthens your ranking for the target keyword.
3. Video Slider: This dedicated section showcases multiple videos related to the search query, further enhancing your visibility and increasing the chances of user engagement.

3) Get More Mobile Traffic By Embedding Videos

Did you know? 60% of all searches happen on mobile devices!

And Google takes notice! When you embed a video in your blog post, a rich snippet appears on mobile searches, making your content stand out.

• See the difference?
• Desktop:  (Image of birds)
• Mobile:  (Video thumbnail)
• Which one grabs your attention more?

Embedding videos in your blog posts is an easy way to:

• Attract more eyeballs: Video thumbnails are more enticing than static images, leading to higher click-through rates.
• Improve SEO: Google loves rich snippets, potentially boosting your search ranking.
• Boost engagement: Videos tend to be more engaging than text, keeping readers on your site for longer.

4) Rank Your Videos In YouTube

While ranking directly on YouTube isn’t possible, it offers immense SEO potential through video content. Leverage its vast user base and search engine capabilities to boost your website’s visibility and organic traffic.

Unlock the power of YouTube:

• Create engaging videos targeting relevant keywords.
• Optimize titles, descriptions, and tags for optimal search.
• Promote your videos across social media and other channels.
• Engage with viewers and build a loyal community.

5) Syndicate Your Video To Dominate The “Videos” Tab

Tired of battling for a single spot on the crowded Google Videos tab? We have a cool trick that can help you dominate the search results!

Here’s the secret: Syndication.

By strategically embedding your video within a syndicated blog post, you can create multiple “clones” of your content, effectively increasing your visibility on the Videos tab.

Here’s how it works:

1. Create a compelling blog post around your video.
2. Embed your video seamlessly within the blog post.
3. Utilize syndication services like HOTH Syndication. These services will distribute your blog post, complete with your embedded video, across various high-traffic websites.

The benefits?

• Increased video visibility: By appearing on multiple websites, your video reaches a wider audience and climbs higher on the Videos tab.
• Enhanced website traffic: Backlinks from syndicated posts drive more visitors to your website, boosting traffic and engagement.
• Improved SEO: Syndication expands your online presence and domain authority, positively impacting your search engine rankings.

Conclusion

SEO is based on four main components including off-page, on-page, technical, and content. Video content is the most consumed type of content today.

So, knowing your viewer is always the first step, which most likely as a creator, you would know by now. If you are a new creator, however, a character sketch of him or her directly informs you of which platforms they use, the length of viewing sessions, who your competing content creators are, and what your viewers want to see.

Creating this sketch can come from active listening across many platforms before deciding which one fits your type of content best.