How to Rank Your Videos on Google Search

According to data collected by Statista, there were over 3 billion internet users watching streaming or downloaded video at least once a month in 2022. That number is only expected to increase throughout 2023.

Cisco also reported that videos made up more than 82 percent of all consumer internet traffic, in 2022. On average, users watch 16 hours of online video each week.

Clearly, video is the ideal content type to reach an audience – and businesses are noticing. Video has become a prime marketing tool, but it’s not as simple to produce a compelling video as an article.

Videos also need SEO, just like other types of content. While video results are 50x more likely to be organically ranked in Google, they may not be found on their own, so you need to put effort into getting them in front of your audience.

How to Get Videos Ranked on Google

In many ways, getting a video ranked on Google is similar to written content.

Produce High-Quality Content

There are numerous factors that influence a video’s ranking, but quality is considered above all else. While this isn’t a direct ranking factor, the quality of your video has a huge impact on how much it engages users – which is a direct ranking factor.

The more people see, watch, like, comment, and share a video, the better it’s ranking will be. That comes from providing value, not focusing on yourself and what you have to offer.

What does value mean? Make it about the audience by:

• Answering frequently asked questions
• Teaching viewers how to use a product or get the most out of a service
• Providing in-depth insights or analyses for your industry

Value is part of it, but your video has to be entertaining as well. The most useful information is irrelevant if your audience is bored. Consider presenting the information in an exciting storytelling format that captures attention.

Use the Best Video Length

The ideal video length varies across different channels. YouTube is the best platform for long-form video content or a series of videos on the same topic, while YouTube Shorts, Instagram, and TikTok have audiences that are short and impactful.

The ranking factors used to be tied to the number of comments and likes, the length viewed, and the number of views. Tools to take shortcuts, such as click farms, became available to artificially inflate these factors, so the numbers were no longer reliable.

With so much video saturation, the factors go beyond simple numbers. Content-rich videos that create top user engagement rank better. Google is focused on the authentic views, not the users who are clicking on a video and only watching a few seconds.

There’s no set rule for how long the ideal video is, since it depends on the industry and content. A good guideline to follow is that your video should be long enough to cover the topic but short enough to hold the viewer’s attention.

Choose the Right Video Name

Your video’s name has a significant impact on the ranking. Obscure names don’t tell Google what your video is about, making it more difficult to index and categorize.

Choose a video title that’s optimized for search, then back that up with optimized data. Include keyword tags and synonym keywords for your video, then add a caption or description to tell viewers – and Google – what the video covers.

Leverage Keywords

Along with the title and tags, use the keywords in your description (naturally) to help with indexing. You shouldn’t stuff the description with keywords for the sake of it, but include them where you can.

Your description should also have a link to your website or related content. Avoid reusing the same description across multiple videos. Each description should be unique and targeted to your topic.

Create a Custom Thumbnail

When you upload a video, you can select a shot to use as the still – the thumbnail. If that image is an unflattering image, a blurred image, or blank space, it doesn’t inspire the viewer to watch it.

All videos should have a custom thumbnail that makes a good first impression. Try to create a thumbnail that shows the viewer what the video is about, such as a title card with a summary or snappy caption. Pair that with bright colors and high contrast that will capture attention on the search results page.

Optimize Your YouTube Channel

Each video you upload to YouTube can help your channel page rank, and your channel page helps your videos get more visibility. Make sure your channel page is optimized to gain visibility.

Here’s how:

• Include profile pictures and backgrounds that reveal what your channel is about
• Add links to social media pages to drive traffic
• Include detailed descriptions for your channel with targeted keywords

Share Your Video on Social Media

SEO relies on on-page and off-page SEO, such as site speed and links. With videos, there’s a third consideration: relevance.

Google is interested in providing the best possible experience to the user, not promoting brands or filmmakers. The intent behind ranking websites, pages, and content is to give the users what they’re looking for.

Social signals are part of relevance. If users are engaging with your video on social media, it shows that it’s relevant. Don’t be shy about sharing on all your social media accounts. Post to your personal accounts or groups on Facebook and LinkedIn.

You can also set your videos to sync with your preferred channels. With this feature, any video you post will automatically post to your selected social media accounts.

Work on Building Links

Ranking for competitive keywords can be challenging, but if you can attract high-quality links, you can significantly improve your visibility. Conversely, getting low-quality links will hurt your ranking, getting your video flagged as spam.

Link building takes time and patience. Don’t rush it! You can build links on your own, or rely on the experts for digital PR services.

Get Visibility for Your Videos

Video marketing is only getting more popular. While making a sharp video is a challenge, it’s important to put just as much work into the process of getting your video ranked once you post it.