How to Utilize Video Marketing to Increase Traffic and Generate Leads
Video marketing in the digital age has a lot of benefits, like helping businesses grow.
Optimizing video content to feed search engines isn’t just an option, it’s an obligation. HubSpot reports that 87% of marketers revealed the ROI of video marketing is overwhelmingly satisfying.[1] Not to mention that the second largest search engine is YouTube, Google’s video content subsidiary.[2]
Modern-day marketers are programmed for SEO-friendly written content but how can you optimize a visual element? And how should it be deployed to generate more leads? It’s very similar to how you optimize any other form of content but must be deployed more strategically.
Google has been known to advance websites with video content over similar sites with none. It’s a cyclical content feeding process. Video boosts your rankings which can redirect traffic to your website which also boosts your rankings on SERPs.
They work best in harmony but having all forms of content optimized for search engines is the best way to ensure comprehensive results for traffic and lead generation. Here’s how to make it work for your website and your sales goals!
Video SEO Optimization
Here are the top SEO strategies to ensure your video content is searchable and found.
Create Video Content to Match Search Intent
People search for solutions. The goal of SEO optimizing your video marketing content is to ensure yours is the solution they find.
Clearly define who your ideal customer is and what they would be searching for. Create a list of short and long-tail keywords and phrases as well as semantic keywords. Use this to inform your content strategy.
When uploading, remain consistent with the theme of keywords and weave them naturally throughout video transcripts and captions.
Upload Video Transcripts On Web Pages
Use a transcription service to convert your audio into written format. This is an effective way to validify web content and keywords for SERP rankings.
If the budget is tight, you can also upload to YouTube and copy the automatic transcription they provide. Whichever route you take, always ensure you edit for accuracy and optimize keyword usage to present Google with the most accurate content possible.
Upload the transcription data into a collapsible text box or create an article section and redirect reader attention to that. Example redirection text:
To read this content instead, scroll down!
Click here to read the article instead!
No sound? Read this content here!
Enhance Titles, Descriptions, and Meta-Data
Recall your keyword research and ensure it makes an appearance in relevant video titles, descriptions, and meta-data. This content should be compelling and inspire the viewer to click through.
Titles should always be uniquely relevant to what the video contains. If you have found a successful repeatable format, use this to inform future video data.
For features, titles should be 55 characters or less and meta descriptions should be 155 characters or less. That’s not a lot of digital real estate to work with but it’s plenty if you use it strategically.
Create SEO Thumbnails
It’s Google’s job to serve the searcher the best results possible, based on their search. Use the visual space of thumbnail graphics to inject key topics and phrases. Remember to title the images you upload with relevant tags.
Develop a Video Sitemap
Different from a standard site map or blog sitemap, this is specific to video content. Map out all video content available on your website and be sure to update with every new video or video modification.
This is a time-consuming task if you’re working backward over multiple pages and videos but will be well worth the effort. Once you’re caught up, updating the video sitemap should be fairly painless.
Install A Video Schema
A schema markup is an HTML-coded element on the page where the video is embedded on your website. This data explains your website content to the AI search engine bots in their language and in greater detail. A video schema will improve your chances of having videos appear as a snippet on SERPs.
Request Google Recrawl
From your Google search console account, request a “recrawl” of your site after making sitemap updates. Google’s bots will explore your new and updated content data and serve fresh results on SERPs.
Your site will be indexed faster if it’s easy to navigate, shows a strong link/backlink presence, and when your content is regularly updated.
Remember that these tweaks aren’t a stand-alone strategy. The algorithm is increasingly intelligent and its job is to serve the searcher.
Your priority should always be to create valuable and high-quality content. When you do, these SEO video marketing tweaks will help!
Video Lead Generation Strategies
Now that you’re showing up in search results, here’s how to flip your traffic into leads you can sell to with these data capture strategies.
Create Gated Video Content
Gated content is a long-form resource that requires contact information in order to gain access. This is a value-driven strategy and typically involves a practical free resource that gets viewers a quick win.
Offer Subscriptions
This works great on platforms such as YouTube or Twitch. When a user subscribes to your channel, they can be notified when you upload new content. This is an easy way to get into inboxes or directly on devices with push notifications.
For private, non-platform-based subscriptions, this could be a weekly or monthly video newsletter or footage of your podcast recording. What you’re offering has to be appealing to your viewers so ensure you’re taking the time to develop long-term delivery.
Use Cards
Cards are interactive icons that appear in or after video content to redirect traffic to wherever needed. Install at the end of YouTube videos, as links in Instagram Stories, or social media video ads to entice viewers to click through and learn more.
Landing Page videos
After someone clicks on your ad, they’re redirected to a landing page that goes into greater detail. Whether that’s your website or a funnel, it should include some form of video content designed to encourage the viewer to leave the desired contact details.
This video should simplify the other information provided while also strongly promoting the initial offer. It should be engaging and entertaining but must still make sense on the page. Put a face to your brand by filming a personal video or you can increase authority with a well-structured video sales letter or slide show.
Use Video In Retargeting Ads
Create video ads that follow up to original ad sets. Directly address any potential obstacles that may have prevented them from signing up before.
Videos in Email
Whether you're linking to social media video content or sending a personal Loom video, this works. Use your subject line and preview text to highlight that this email contains video content. Stat
Video Testimonials
Previous customer testimonials offer ironclad proof that you can deliver and that you're not terrible to work with.
Video Case Studies
What are your stats? Customers love to see hard data and real-world facts. Give them a peek at their proverbial future with video case studies.
Call To Action
If you've done all the work to earn their trust and establish your expertise with the methods above, it's time to ask for the info! Make it compelling and clear.
Utilize Video Marketing to Increase Traffic and Generate Leads
Armed with these strategies, your video content has the potential to boost your website rankings and help you grow your business.
Sources:
[1]https://www.wyzowl.com/amazing-video-marketing-statistics/#
[2]https://www.mushroomnetworks.com/infographics/youtube---the-2nd-largest-search-engine-infographic
Torrey Tayenaka is the co-founder and CEO at Sparkhouse, a training video production agency. He is often asked to contribute expertise in publications like Entrepreneur, Single Grain and Forbes. Sparkhouse is known for transforming video marketing and advertising into real conversations. Rather than hitting the consumer over the head with blatant ads, Sparkhouse creates interesting, entertaining and useful videos that enrich the lives of his clients’ customers. In addition to Sparkhouse, Torrey has also founded the companies Eva Smart Shower, Litehouse & Forge54.