Video SEO: Is this the nudge small business needs?
Posted by Prevyn Jeftha on 15 May 2008 at 03:43 pm | Tagged as: SEO Strategy, Social Media
There’s no hiding from the fact that search is evolving. It happens every day right in front of our eyes, yet we seem so slow to acknowledge this process. Search engines need to evolve accordingly so that they can stay profitable and relevant. Since 2007, when Google launched its Universal Search, they have been including image and video results in their SERPs. So, is this the nudge that small businesses need to compete with industry big-wigs?
The online video market is growing on a daily basis. Due to the availability and relative affordability of broadband, more people are able to fully enjoy online video. And with the cost of broadband likely to decrease in the not-too-distant future, this only fuels the already burgeoning online market. Keeping this trend in mind, it seems likely that internet and television will soon unite into one super strong marketing tool that reaches a wide audience. Online video channels could be the way of the future.
Online advertisers have been advising small businesses to use online video to make themselves unique within search results and to compete more brazenly with larger corporations. Online videos, once they achieve decent SERPs placement, will be one of the most effective ways to market anything.
Online videos have been getting some good publicity from search engines because producing videos is more complex, time-consuming and costly than text ads. In terms of marketing tools, they seem more effective because:
• it is easier to watch a video than it is to read text; and
• video is more convincing because of the complexity in terms of actors and actresses (real people), scripts, moving images, sounds and/or editing.
Some advantages of posting online video include:
• it might go viral, if it is good enough;
• more impressions and traffic back to your website; and
• saving bandwidth as there is no need for visitors to download directly from your site.
These are all in high demand by small business as it is hoped that they will increase their market share and their exposure. Online videos, needless to say, should be relevant, interesting and of decent quality in order to make any kind of impression.
Even though online video is still in its infancy, it has amazing potential especially when you consider its accessibility and also what actions could result when someone sees the video. This method of online advertising holds amazing promise for search engine marketers and small businesses alike.
Most businesses should try this mode of advertising but the danger could be just how many people would really use it? Considering our slow internet connections would I really want to wait for a video to upload? Good old fashioned T.V adverts will always remain tops.