What is the role of video content in SEO?

Why Are Users Drawn to Videos?

There are a number of reasons why users are drawn to videos, including:

• Information – videos are able to share a lot of information in a clear and concise way, while remaining engaging. Short form videos are preferred, rather than reading pages of content. 
• Tells a story – who doesn't love a good story? Videos provide users with a story, tapping into the emotions of your target audience, increasing retention rates.
• User control – in addition to providing visual aspects of a product or service, videos provide the user with control. They can be skipped, paused, replayed, and slowed down. 

Video Content in SEO

There are a number of ways in which video content is essential to your SEO success:

Increases Session Times

While videos are able to provide efficient information in a concise way, this doesn't mean users exit the page straight away. In fact, surveys have found that websites with videos tend to increase user session times, which is a major factor to ranking well in search engine results pages (SERPs).

When users spend a long period of time on your website, it tells Google that your content is relevant and that the information provided was valuable.

Encourage Backlinks

Google often looks at a websites backlink profile when ranking your website pages. Pages with embedded video can generate up to three hundred percent more backlinks that those that use static media only. 

Videos are more likely to be shared on social media, boosting exposure. This shows google that your content is valuable enough to share, showing your credibility and trust, increasing your chances of improving your ranking in SERPs.

Boost Organic Traffic

Video content is engaging and a great way to get your message across to your audience. Videos are effective in boosting organic traffic to your website, increasing your click-through rate (CTR). CTR is just as important to Google as a ranking factor as backlinks are. 

Increased Opportunity to Appear in Google Rich Snippets

Google has not stated that they have a media preference when it comes to selecting what sites should appear in rich snippets. Though it has been noted that web pages with video content are more likely to appear in rich snippets at the top of SERPs. This in turn, helps you reach a wider audience, drives organic traffic to your website, offering you the opportunity to boost conversions.

Conclusion

Video content is a powerful element that can be incorporated into your SEO strategy. It should not overshadow the important of quality written content. Video is complimentary to the content you produce. Ideally you should first focus on creating high quality, unique, and relevant content and then boost that with a well-produced video.