Free Website Content
Video Optimization Part II
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By Sharon Housley
Optimizing your video for search engines
will increase the exposure that the video receives,
and optimization will also help spread the video's message.
Follow these steps to enhance your videos and improve
their rankings...
1. Shorter Videos Rank Better
No big surprise here -- the file size
of short videos is much smaller than that of longer
videos. On the video networks like YouTube, short videos
are viewed far more often than longer ones. A length
of less than 3 minutes per video seems to be ideal,
and absolutely make every effort to keep your video
under 10 minutes! If you have a long video segment,
consider breaking it into multiple videos. The more
popular videos on the video networks are given more
exposure, which will also help increase the number of
views received.
2. Titles Capture Interest
Just like newspaper headlines, it is important
that the title of the video be one that will attract
attention. If possible, include important keywords in
the video title. This will help the video perform well
in video searches for that keyword or phrase. Word order
may also make a difference in the video ranking, so
try to use the more important keywords at or near the
beginning of the video title.
3. Tag The Video
Tag the video with important keywords
and phrases that are relevant to the video's contents.
This is particularly important on YouTube. For anyone
searching for topical videos, this will help them find
yours.
4. Encourage Commenting
Encourage customers or other viewers
to comment on your videos. Most video networks increase
a video's exposure if it receives a lot of comments
or views. Once a large collection of comments has been
posted, you can turn commenting off. To further increase
exposure, link to the video from social sites and social
media profiles such as facebook, myspace, twitter, linkedin,
etc.
5. User Name
Use your company name as the username for your account
on video networks like YouTube. The company name will
further reinforce your brand.
6. Embed YouTube Video
Embed the YouTube video in your website. YouTube is
the largest video network with the biggest following
-- by embedding the YouTube video on your website, you
will further increase the number of views the video
receives.
7. Video Anchor Text
When you link to the video, use keyword-rich anchor
text in the link to the video file.
8. Add iTunes Tags
Increase the exposure of your video by adding the iTunes
tags and submitting the video podcast to iTunes.
9. Video SiteMap
On your website, use a sitemap that shows where the
videos are located on your website. This will help both
visitors and search engines in locating the videos.
10. Transcripts
Create a text transcript of the video.
The text can then be spidered by search engines, giving
the content an additional channel.
11. Allow Video Syndication
Allow others to syndicate your videos.
This will increase the exposure and the number of views
that your video receives.
12. Ratings
Ratings are a plus. Make sure that you
allow other viewers the ability to rate your video on
the video networks.
13. Compress File
File compression will reduce the file
size of the video, and make it faster to download and
view. The downside is that more compression results
in lower quality. Compress the video file to the smallest
possible size, but without compromising the video or
sound quality.
14. Include Watermarking
Watermark your video file so that there
is no doubt to its origin. Also, add a splash screen
at the beginning, and embed your website URL in the
video using video editing software. These things will
increase your website's exposure if the video file is
syndicated.
The growth of video on the web has exploded
in recent years. Competitors will leave you in the dust
if you fail to adapt and provide the medium your customers
are exploring. Keep in mind that simply having a video
is not enough! To make the most of your video content,
you should take steps to optimize the video and increase
your exposure.
About the Author:
Sharon Housley manages marketing for FeedForAll http://www.feedforall.com
software for creating, editing, publishing RSS feeds
and podcasts. In addition Sharon manages marketing for
RecordForAll http://www.recordforall.com
audio recording and editing software.
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This article may be used freely in opt-in
publications and websites, provided that the resource
box is included and the links are active. A courtesy
copy of the issue or a link to any online posting would
be greatly appreciated send an email to sharon@notepage.net
.
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at http://www.small-business-software.net/free-website-content.htm
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