WHY VIDEO TRUMPS THE WRITTEN WORD
We all know the power of video should not be undermined. When done correctly, it can engage your audience far more successfully than a body of text accompanied by a few visuals. It can captivate the user by creating an emotional connection that often cannot be created through plain text. Studies have found that video has a 41 percent higher click rate; thus, without too much hard analysis, it is reasonable to conclude that utilising video will help increase the success of your content.
The search engine machine
Knowing that video has a high engagement rate, we can see how video would be an effective tool in boosting the Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) of your content. One of the ways SEO works is by the search engine (i.e. google) assessing the time spent by users viewing your content to determine the rank it will receive within the search engine’s results. Therefore, it is necessary to prolong the users’ attention for as long as possible to take full advantage of this algorithm and attain maximum traffic on your website. Studies have shown users are able to recall 95 percent of the information displayed in video format, while only 10 percent achieve the same when reading plain text. These statistics show that video is a more engaging medium, being able to maintain a user’s attention for longer, making it an essential tool in your arsenal to boost your SEO.
Search engines are also able to recognise inbound links that are created when your content is shared or linked by another website, and use this as another factor to determine your search engine ranking. Check out these statistics on who and how people are using the internet. Research has shown sharing videos on social media is 12 times more common than for both text and images, which gives your content a greater chance chance of generating inbound.
Maximising your reach
Many businesses continue to undermine the potential of a shareable feature, limiting the audience reached. Additionally, content shared by a person the user already knows is likely to be considered ‘more trustworthy’, often resulting in a higher conversion rate.
Simply providing an option to share your video on social media creates a substantial opportunity. A survey conducted with 1,000 internet users found they were 39 percent more likely to share a video than a textual piece. This not only highlights the impact video has on users over plain text, but exposes a marketing opportunity that will allow you to reach potential consumers via their friends on social media, an audience that perhaps did not initially intend to come across your content.
Other tricks of the trade
Along with uploading video, there are additional strategies that can be undertaken to help search engines index your work. A video transcript is a prime example, making it easier for the search engine algorithm to pick out keywords and increase your search engine ranking. This also increases the accessibility of your content to those with disabilities or hearing impairments, reaching a wider audience. Or those people who want to watch quietly on their phone during their morning commute.
As discovered above, video can provide multiple opportunities for strengthening your SEO. Not only are they regarded by many as the preferred medium, but videos are also highly favoured by search engine algorithms. The success of your content of course relies on many factors, but simply taking advantage of these algorithms and working with them will put you at good stead for achieving maximum exposure.
CTA.
Sources
https://www.wyzowl.com/video-marketing-statistics-2016/
https://cognitiveseo.com/blog/6511/will-google-read-rank-images-near-future/
https://searchenginewatch.com/2018/02/19/how-videos-generate-quick-seo-results/
https://www.mycustomer.com/marketing/technology/online-videos-more-engaging-than-text-study-finds
https://moz.com/beginners-guide-to-seo/growing-popularity-and-links
https://www.ukwebhostreview.com/internet-statistics
