The value of video content has skyrocketed in recent years. Video is a particularly engaging form of content that web users really love. Video is also a very use traffic generation tool for mobile audiences as well. It’s not important to just put a video out there. As with any type of content, videos must be optimized as well. It can be a bit confusing at first. How exactly can a video file be optimized for search engines? There are several methods to do this. Read below for some tips:

Use Keywords

Yes, one of the easiest ways to optimize video content is to use keywords. The keywords can appear in the title or the short description that follows the video on sites like YouTube. It’s important to include the word “video” somewhere there for search engines to recognize the content as video, according to many digital marketing companies. Do not stuff the video descriptions with keywords however. Use only one or two of the most relevant keywords. Do not list keywords. The text that accompanies the video must flow naturally and not sound like you have plugged in keywords here and there.

Add a Good Thumbnail

Thumbnail is the short picture of a still shot of a video that appears on search engine results. It’s important to use a good, eye-catching thumbnail from a scene in the video. It’s mainly for the benefit of users. An intriguing thumbnail will interest potential viewers and help drive traffic to the video. If the thumbnail is boring or confusing in some manner, it could discourage visitors from viewing the video. So make sure you choose a nice thumbnail.

Include a Transcript

Search engine algorithms cannot “read” what in your videos (yet). However, if you include a transcript for the video, then search engines algorithms will be able to quickly identify key phrases and show your video among relevant search results. You can include keywords in the video transcript too. This helps both search engines and viewers. Some viewers may prefer an overview that only a transcript can provide.

Design a Video Sitemap

A sitemap is a collection of data about what’s in your video that a search engine like Google can use to better understand your content. A video sitemap will include information such as the title of the video, description, duration, topics, platform limitation, and even information like country restrictions. All this information allows search engines to index your video better. A video sitemap is can be attached as an extension of your website’s overall sitemap. It can definitely help your video’s ranking and perhaps your site’s as well.

Provide an Embed Code

If someone wants to embed your video on their blog or website, let them. This will only boost views for your video and possibly redirect traffic to your site, thus earning your site inbound links. You should provide the embed code with the video. In addition to getting the video shared around the web, embed codes are read by search engine algorithms, which will boost rankings.

Don’t forget to share your video on social media networks as well. More shares and likes your video gets, its profile will be improved, which make sit appealing to search engines. So, use the above given tech tips to optimize your video content for search engines and web users.