In a previous blog post we discussed how can inbound marketers develop a local search strategy in order to increase websites footprints beyond text links in search results. In this blog post we will try to shed more light on the Google universal search concept and develop an optimisation plan that enhances search presence in verticals through images and videos.
By implementing this strategy you will give your website the chance to gain more visibility in search engines by introducing different types of content and enhance your site’s search presence.
IMAGE SEARCH
As we discussed by implementing an image optimisation strategy you will be able to increase your search visibility. More specifically if your site falls under the following indicators image optimisation is almost compulsory:
- One factor differentiating your site is its images
- You have a strong interest in reputation management (e.g Hotels, politicos and celebrities)
- Your business sells products that could be presented through fascinating images.
- Tips: Do not try to optimise your site if you are a reseller that uses the same catalogue photos in several other sites. It is better to concentrate on text optimization because your site is not likely to rank well in image search.
IMAGE OPTIMIZATION
It is easy to understand that Search engines can’t understand or read images, so SEO experts must helpSERPS with clues. An image is able to rank on the top when it is displayed on a page that is optimized for the keywords you want to rank for.
Moreover in order for your photo to rank better try to include keywords in these spots:
- Image filename
- Caption beneath or above images
- Title and alt tags
- Text links pointing to the image
Tips: Perform a <Site :> search for your website on images.google.com. Review any image listing and determine whether they can be improved.
VIDEO SEARCH
Google trend charts show that there is a considerable increase in searches which contain the words “watch online”. Furthermore, according to a study by aimClear if a website contains a video it is 53% more likely to be on the first search page. Additionally it has a 41% higher CTR than plain-text results”. So if you think that videos don’t matter in your niche, you probably have to rethink it.
There are two video strategies:
- Sharing your video for web wide distribution: In this strategy you upload a video on video sharing sites like YouTube, where other can find, watch and share it outside your site.(upcoming blogpost)
- Making your video available only on your site: In this strategy you host a video exclusively on your site.
Tips: The strategy that you will select depends on your marketing objectives. But if your video is specifically made to entertain your website visitors and doesn’t exist stand-alone it is better that your viewers see it only on your site.
VIDEO OPTIMIZATION
If you decide to keep your videos strictly on your site it is wise to help search engines recognise and index your video through a video site map which you can create in an xml format and submit it in webmasters tool.
Additionally try to include keywords in the following places:
- On page texts and on links to the video page
- Close transcripts and captions
- Video file metadata
- Google video sitemap
Tips: Bing accepts Google video site maps if they contain the minimum information required by Bing. For that reason you can create an mRSS feed which provides descriptive information about videos in a way that search engines can read, however it is harder to create than a Google video sitemap.
To sum up, images and videos are the most prominent factors in Google’s vertical searches as they are a powerful tool in attracting the user’s attention. Do not hesitate to build a complete SEO strategy containing image and video optimization and watch your CTR along with your Rankings skyrocket!
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