There are all sorts of ways out there to increase your Search Engine Optimization, or SEO. From using keywords to linking your profiles together from all around the internet, there seems to be no shortage of ways to increase awareness of your site. But what can you do that’s even above and beyond the usual tricks of the trade?

If you said watch videos of cats doing cute or sinister things then you’re close! YouTube can have an answer for you, even if it’s significantly less cat-related.

YouTube for Business

Several businesses are turning to YouTube as a way to make videos that advertise their products and inform potential customers of their services. Providing a how-to video on how you do what it is that you do so well and posting it to your business account can help get you clicks, which in turn help optimize your search results on Google.

Additionally these how-tos can give your customers an idea as to what sort of work goes into your product or service. Sometimes seeing videos like this can encourage people to pay for your service because they understand that you’re an expert and they need an expert’s help in accomplishing what needs to be done. Of course you can always also teach customers how to discern good products or services in your line of business in order to encourage them to think about what they expect from it. These sorts of videos help provide viewers with the confidence to trust your judgment and maybe even offer you their patronage.

Video Ideas

Would you like some inspiring ideas to get your video marketing and SEO campaign underway? Give one (or more) of these a try:

Host a video contest

Make a parody or remix

Share client testimonials

Do a product demo

Answer common questions

Use stop motion or animation

Go behind-the-scenes

Poll the public

Don’t Let Fear of Quality Hold you Back

Surprisingly enough, you don’t need a big-budget studio to develop these videos yourself. A simple camera or even a handheld device like a phone often has the capability to record a video which can then be automatically uploaded to your YouTube account.

If your footage seems a little low-res then be sure to look out for cheap, or even free, video editing software to improve its quality. Of course there’s no reason to get too caught up in video editing since you’ve got plenty else on your plate. Instead you should be focusing on how to use YouTube to increase your SEO. The following are a few simple tips for getting noticed.

1. Geotag your location in Google Maps.

Tagging your place of business in Google Maps means that Google itself has the location of your place of business to make available for clients. This is important as it can be easily found by potential clients. Additionally your place of business might end up getting grouped with other businesses in the area which increases your exposure to that of their clients as well.

2. Link to your business in the ‘description’ tab of your video.

The more links to your business the better, and by including a link right in the description, your viewers can go straight to the source, in this case your business website, with any questions or curiosities.

3. Include the name, address, and phone number of your business in your video.

Before you end your video, be sure to add your business information at the end of it in a few frames. This gives your viewer an idea of who you are and how to contact you if they’re interested in your product or service. Convenience is key when reaching out to a viewer on YouTube.

4. Tag your video.

Be sure to include your business category name and your location names in the tags for your video. Again, the more places which contain your business information, the more likely a viewer will see it and contact you.

5. Embed your video in your business site.

This one is pretty self-explanatory. Include your embedded video in your website for maximum viewer potential.

6. Promote your video.

The easiest way to promote your video is to link to it in any media you can. Your Google listings places and your Google Plus account each have the capability to connect to your video, and connecting keeps your audience informed. Don’t forget that you also have Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and a myriad of other social media sites to cover. The age of online marketing is here, and it wants to know all about your business.

By uploading videos to YouTube, you can increase your customer base in new ways. There’s a reason YouTube exploded almost immediately in popularity; people like to watch videos. In order to make the most of your business, you should hop on board and start making some videos of your own to spread the word about your products or services. In the end you’ll be able to see the difference a little SEO makes.

Featured images:

•  License: Creative Commons image source

Julie Eben works for Custom Corntoss, a company that sells cornhole bags and boards. The company recently embarked on their first video marketing-SEO combo campaign. They made a video about the humor behind their cornhole products.

Related Posts