What is a Video SERP feature on Google?
Google's Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) often include various video-related features that can significantly enhance organic visibility for websites.
Let's explore two key video SERP features: Video Boxes and Video Carousels.
Video Box
A Video Box is a prominent feature that displays a single video thumbnail along with the title, URL, and description. It stands out more than a standard Video Link. However, Google has reduced the presence of this feature in the SERPs since April 2023. Google only shows video boxes (also called ‘video thumbnails’ when they’re the main content of a webpage. This has reduced their presence over time. Announcement here.
Here is an example of a Video Box SERP feature on Google:
Video Carousel
A Video Carousel is a horizontally scrollable set of video thumbnails, usually showing 3-4 videos at a time. Users can click on the arrows to see more related videos.
Benefits of Video Carousels for Organic Visibility
Videos on Video Carousels will be pulled from Google’s owned YouTube. This won’t improve your site’s organic performance. However, there are still several indirect benefits to your website’s overall engagement and SEO strategy:
Referral traffic: You can include links to your website in the video description, pinned comments, and within the video itself (through cards and end screens). This can drive viewers from YouTube to your website, potentially increasing your site’s traffic and engagement.
Brand awareness and trust: Having your videos in Google’s video carousels enhances brand visibility and credibility. As users become more familiar with your brand on YouTube, they are more likely to visit your website directly in the future, thereby increasing engagement over time.
Content promotion: Use your YouTube videos to promote specific content, products, or services on your website. Encourage viewers to visit your site for more information, special offers, or additional resources.
Cross-promotion and consistency: Consistently promoting your website within your YouTube channel and videos can lead to a steady flow of traffic. Over time, this cross-promotion can build a more engaged audience both on YouTube and on your website.
Increased social proof: High engagement and a strong presence on YouTube can act as social proof, encouraging users to visit your website. They may perceive your brand as more authoritative and trustworthy, leading to increased website traffic and engagement.
Top 5 Page Optimization Actions for Video SERP Features
To improve your chances of appearing in Video Carousels, consider implementing these specific actions:
1. Keyword research and optimisation:
Title: Ensure your video title includes the primary keyword you want to rank for. It should be compelling, descriptive, and accurately reflect the video content.
Description: Write a detailed and keyword-rich description. Include relevant keywords naturally, provide a summary of the video content, and add timestamps for different sections of the video.
Tags: Use relevant tags that include primary and secondary keywords. These tags help YouTube and Google understand the context of your video.
2. High-quality thumbnails:
Create custom thumbnails that are eye-catching, high-resolution, and accurately represent the video content. Thumbnails are crucial for attracting clicks, both on YouTube and in Google’s video carousel.
Include text overlays on thumbnails to highlight key points or add context. Ensure the text is readable even in smaller sizes.
3. Engaging and relevant content:
Focus on creating high-quality, engaging content that provides value to your audience. Videos that maintain viewer interest and have high watch times are more likely to rank well.
Encourage likes, comments, and shares. Engagement signals are important ranking factors for both YouTube and Google.
4. Transcriptions and closed captions:
Upload accurate transcriptions and closed captions. These not only make your content more accessible but also provide additional text for YouTube and Google to index, improving your chances of ranking.
Include relevant keywords in the transcriptions, but ensure they flow naturally and don’t appear forced.
5. Implement schema markup (structured data) and metadata:
If you decide to embed the video on your site, use structured data markup to help Google understand the content of the video.
Add a transcription underneath the video to make it more accessible.
Here is an example of video schema:
<script type="application/ld+json"> { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "VideoObject", "name": "Ultimate Guide to Designer Men's Blazers", "description": "Discover everything you need to know about designer men's blazers in this comprehensive video guide. Learn about styles, fits, fabrics, and how to choose the perfect blazer for any occasion.", "uploadDate": "2024-07-15T08:00:00+00:00", "duration": "PT15M30S", "thumbnailUrl": [ ], "contentUrl": "https://example.com/videos/designer-blazer-guide.mp4", "embedUrl": "https://example.com/embed/designer-blazer-guide", "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "LuxeBritish Fashion", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://example.com/logo.png", "width": 600, "height": 60 } }, "author": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James Stanton", }, "actor": [ { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michael Thompson" } ], "creator": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "LuxeBritish Fashion" }, "productionCompany": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "StyleVision Productions" }, "inLanguage": "en-GB", "isFamilyFriendly": true, "keywords": "designer blazer, men's fashion, tailoring, luxury clothing", "interactionStatistic": { "@type": "InteractionCounter", "interactionType": "https://schema.org/WatchAction", "userInteractionCount": 5647 }, "aggregateRating": { "@type": "AggregateRating", "ratingValue": "4.8", "ratingCount": 1024, "bestRating": "5", "worstRating": "1" }, "regionsAllowed": ["GB", "US", "CA", "AU"], "hasPart": [ { "@type": "Clip", "name": "Types of Designer Blazers", "startOffset": "00:00:30", "endOffset": "00:03:45", }, { "@type": "Clip", "name": "How to Choose the Right Fit", "startOffset": "00:03:46", "endOffset": "00:07:15", } ] } </script> |
By implementing the optimisation recommendations, you can significantly improve your chances of gaining visibility in Google's Video SERP features, enhancing your overall organic search presence.