Currently, search engines index video files using clues on the page where the file is embedded, and in the file's own metadata, to index the file and include the video in the appropriate results. So, what should producers do to ensure the search engines pick up their videos and index them appropriately?

Here are a few of the key steps I have found:

1. Sitemaps. Google is somewhat limited in what video content they include in SERPs, and video sitemaps are a recommended way to give Google information about the video content of your site. The specification can be found here: Official Google Webmaster Central Blog: Introducing Video Sitemaps

2. RSS Feeds. Google loves to crawl RSS feeds of various types, and this includes RSS feeds that focus on video content. Because RSS files are smaller than standard web pages, and easier for the search engines to parse, an RSS index of new video content can give your site a leg up in getting video content crawled and indexed. More info on MRSS can be found here: http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/

3. Metadata. Because search engines do not generally analyze the content of video files (yet, at least as far as they will admit), metadata is the best source for search engines to determine what your video is about. Keep the title short, descriptive and on-target. Make sure your description likewise matches the content of the video, and keep the keywords light, focused on the most imporatant themes of the video. Avoid duplicating keywords.

4. Provide a transcript. Not only is it required by many accessibility regulations, embedding a transcript in the video viewing page will provide the search engines with a wealth of content to index, and to relate to the video file.

5. Optimize the video page. Don't just provide a generic template page for viewing videos. Optimize the page where the video is embedded focusing on the key topics of the video. Context seems to be an important factor used by search engines in determining how to index video files.

6. Use friendly URLs. Put important keywords in the URL and the link text pointing to the embedded video. This will provide the search engines with additional clues as to the relevant topics of the video.

7. Be consistent when distributing your video. Use similar keywords, descriptions and tags when distributing your content through various channels. In search engines that cover multiple video sites, this will give you more opportunities to show up for your target term. For single-site searches, this can help with related views, as viewers follow the trail from one video to another, bringing them to your video.

8. Prepare for the future of video search. As search engines are experimenting with techniques that will allow them to view and analyze the audio and video components of your productions, make sure your video will be as easy to parse as possible. Ensure that the audio is crisp and easy to understand. Make sure your watermark is clearly displayed, especially at the beginning, end, and at each 1/4 of the video (these are the points at which various services generate thumbnails). Highlight important concepts with text overlays if possible to help future OCR components find these elements of the video. By taking these steps now, your videos can remain relevant as search engines improve their scanning and indexing capabilities.

These are just a few of the more common optimization techniques, and represent the bare minimum steps that should be taken when publishing video content. What additional steps or techniques should be implemented when publishing video for SEO and marketing?

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Thanks buddy for sharing this nice information. now i understand how to optimize my Video and attract targeted web traffic to my website.

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Many, many thanks Wige, a stickie it will be!

From a totally simplistic point, the technology has been around for a while. You only have to think of data storage telephone systems where you phone for your bank account details etc, you can be talking to a computer and it will recognise words and ask you to repeat them if it does not quite understand your words.

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I love when i can just send clients a URL.. kinda like see It's not just me recommending this stuff! lol

The links for the video sitemaps are excellent too! something I haven't quite gotten to.

Kudos wige

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Hi,
Thanks for this important post. We think Video SEO is the most important skill to learn in 2009.
Aside from concentrating on the 'metadata' there are things you need to do to the film itself. Examples are:
1. Name the movie after your main keywords
2. Embed your URL throughout the movie - Many video serving hubs remove or truncate your metadata when copying it.
3. For You Tube - Ensure that the frame at the midway point of the video contains your selling message or some thing of interest, this is where Youtube takes the default picture from.
4. Sign up to a video syndication and distribution service.

for more tips and info on making videos visible and viral visit the-system.org where we concentrate on video marketing

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Interesting tips there.

Your optimized video will always get more visitors since Google/Yahoo displays them in a separate format.

Your video listing on search engines consist of small image which can easily catch attention of anyone.

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Would you use youtube or Google Video's? Or both?

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For viewing, personally I use YouTube - its easier to browse from one video to another, IMO. For uploading, both, plus any other video sharing site I can find. Most of the pages I came across in researching for the OP indicated that in analyzing the statistics for most (non-viral) videos, optimizers and producers found that the biggest source of views was from "related videos" links, rather than from search, direct traffic, or any other source.

Building on that, the more services you distribute the video on, the larger the audience you can attract to the video through "releated" viewing. In addition, as search engines index videos from ever widening lists of video sharing networks, your video gets more opportunities to be displayed for more searches.

These factors may also increase the importance of posting the video to sharing sites, as opposed to submitting links to your video page to video search engines. It may also be a factor to keep in mind when creating your tags for the video, so that it can be properly associated with other popular videos of similar subject.

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I was wondering more from an optimization viewpoint, it's a bit like the old use Google Blogs or Weblogs, but I take your point. I think with you in this thread it can only go from strength to strength, I tied to add to your rep points, but it said I have to spread more around before giving you another well deserved one! My sincere thanks. David

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Nice post wige... Just a couple of points I'd like to add...

Video Hosting... Whether or not to host videos on your own site or externally (ie youtube) depends upon what you wish to accomplish. If your goal is to drive the maximum amount of visitors directly to your site, consider hosting the videos on your own site. If your goal is to maximize the exposure your video receives, consider an external host like youtube.

Transcriptions... Especially if you are using a transcription program, be sure and have a good editor go over your transcription in detail.

Dave

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Include keywords in the file name of the video.

HTH

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Thank you for this information. I really need this one. I have concern on this, In optimizing the video , is there also an alt text like on images. Aside from using my site url to redirect the video, is there a possibility that i can put some of my keywords on that video?

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The video file should have metatags embedded. These can be edited with most video editing programs. Depending on how the video is embedded in the flash player, the metadata may also need to be added to the flash.

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OK, this link is from a fellow Brits site, and from what I have seen, read and heard is this the type of service that the Search Engines are likely to want to see, or, would a combination of identical video recordings albeit with different URL titles and different text be considered, well, almost in the identical content realms.
Photo Video Company

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Many thanks David, I appreciate you doing that for me, very kind of you indeed!

Kindest regards.

Mark

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never tried optimizing a video.. thanks for this valuable information

Very Fantastic Information reg this Video Search Engine Optimization.. I likes to add 1 more tip for this.. While doing Video submission the title keywords and description plays the major role for getting good traffic for videos.. So try to keep keywords in your title..
Can u give me some sites where we can upload the videos..

Nice tips on video optimization. My daughter's video site seems to be able to attract a fair bit of viewers. Her video site allows different embed videos for various video sites like Youtube, yahoo, google, 6rooms, etc. It comes with keywords optimization for title and long tails url. After doing much video optimization, she is wondering what sort of ads will help her to generate income and how she can further optimize the site to increase viewers. Currently her site can draw about 40 -100 viewers per 5 mins and above. So, if she wants to increase further, what will be the steps needed?

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You need to do both.

the whole point of video marketing is to get it spread about onto as many video hosting platforms as possible, thereby creating tens, hundreds, or thousands of viral links back to your money site while at the same time spreading your message.

Once you've acheived this you then link, bookmark, rss embed all these video urls all around social media sites that you've joined created etc etc. You should also put lots of embedded videos on each landing page your own site to make it more sticky and reduce bounce rate and increase time on site. no need to host them yourself, and by doing so you are voting for your own video.

Great post!! although I find it incredible that there are so few comments - considering the importance of this topic - video allows me to dominate long tail and gradually one of the ultimate holy grail keywords of my chosen niche on Google - and NOBODY else is doing it!! Keep this post quiet!!

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Thanks for posting. Hope this will help the SEO to promote video. Thanks for sharing