David Reilly of Barracuda Digital shares some tips on using video content to boost search rankings.

Compelling video content is a highly effective marketing tool providing an informative, persuasive and entertaining medium provided it is professionally produced and well presented. With the explosive popularity of video content on the web, savvy search marketers can easily harness a prime growing trend in 2007 by optimising video content to out-perform competitors in search engines.

The top 10 video sharing sites, by market share (Hitwise - September 06)

1. YouTube 59.89 per cent 17:32 minutes
2. Google Video 16.63 per cent 7:14 minutes
3. Google Video UK 6.78 per cent 12:45 minutes
4. MySpace Videos 5.49 per cent 6:25 minutes
5. MetaCafe 2.90 per cent 10:05 minutes
6. Yahoo Video 1.92 per cent 12:26 minutes
7. Daily Motion 1.76 per cent 8:53 minutes
8. MSN UK Video 1.71 per cent 0:58 minutes
9. AddictingClips 1.58 per cent 6:13 minutes
10. AOL Media 1.33 per cent 4:46 minutes

How do Video Sharing sites work?

Register your details with a video search engine, understand the video submission process and what information is required and test it.

Example 1; Submission Instructions; http://video.google.co.uk/ - Google (YouTube) accepts video submissions in the form of uploaded files.

Example 2; Submission instructions; Blinkx - submissions are made in the form of an RSS feed from your own site.

How to optimise Video content for SEO:

• Add a keyword-rich video title tag and descriptions optimising not only for content related keywords, but also for generic keywords related to video; News video, ipod video,location-specific video. Even popular terms like "travel video" are still relatively easy to rank for. Now is the time to create a name, a niche, and some rank equity while the field is still fairly open.
• Creating a separate video site map. The site maps can be submitted to both video and content engines showing off your wealth of video material, and encourage the spiders to come back looking for more content.
• Use anchor text opportunities and include RSS feeds.
• Bundle your video with a keyword rich synopsis - and transcripts if you have them, you'll capture more spider attention and endear your brand to V-searchers.
• Popular web 2.0 sites simply gain more links, and naturally rise to the top of many search results. Now that Google has acquired YouTube that trend will only increase.
• Maximise the viral push by adding a prompt - a "send to a friend," "visit this site," or other straightforward call to action.
• Use popular content or news items by looking at Google Trends; http://www.google.com/trends

How does it benefit SEO performance?

Video search engines are the fastest growing areas of SEO and still relatively uncompetitive. That means you can achieve a significant advantage over competitors by acting quickly.

Video is a great content driver. It is viral by nature, and good video can be one of the most effective tools to spread message, brand, product, or campaign far and wide in an instant. Marketers can use video to drive brand recognition, traffic and revenues.

Video also provides excellent link bait for third-party sites to link through to your site and thus improve your number of inbound links.

This is an extract from the white paper, Smart Strategies to boost your Social Media Optimisation, which can be downloaded in full from the Barracuda Digital site.

About the Author

David Reilly is Managing Director of specialist Search Marketing Agency, Barracuda Digital. Barracuda Digital provides dynamic search engine optimisation and paid search marketing solutions for both clients and agencies delivering exceptional return on investment. In plain English, this means we are good at getting websites top results in search engines, leading to more customer visits and sales.