Top Video Optimization Trends for 2024

Video accessibility has increased its impact, reach and availability for market impact

Video accessibility and ease has catapulted marketing into new realms for businesses of all sizes; without a sound check, lighting crew or editing software you can post live videos to your audience on LinkedIn, build a following on TikTok, or communicate to a group on Facebook.  

Looking at the top five websites worldwide, its easy to see how companies are modifying their platform to use video, and how video is so popular. According to SemRush and Oberlo, the top visited websites in 2024 include Google, YouTube, Facebook, Wikipedia and Instagram. From 130 billion visitors per month to 6.7 billion monthly visitors, these five sites show off tech companies rush to cater to a video hungry audience.

Google has changed its algorithm to include a video search result panel; Youtube has adopted a video shorts model to compete with trends, not to mention both Facebook and Instagram who have focused on reels, and stories, which prioritize a video first algorithm. 

Video is the most popular format to consume content on the internet in 2024. It’s not a matter if you should invest in video for your marketing strategy, but determine how much and where to post. 

 

Meet my friend Bobby Macey

As a business owner I spend a good part of my week out in the community networking and communicating with business leaders. One day I scheduled a  one to one meeting with Bobby Macey, with Macey Media, professional videography and SEO agency. Before our call, he took the time to review my LinkedIn Profile and sent me a 2 minute hello-video, before our meeting. That small act, his fun personality and thoughtful use of video technology made a huge impact. Usually meeting hundreds of business owners a year, because of his video message, he stood out to me. I ended up referring him to one of our clients and won the job. He created website videos that enhanced our website design and development. This particular client had a project that Bobby worked on, in conjunction with drone footage recorded by the builder, when they shut shut down State Street in downtown Salt Lake City and recorded video of a helicopter heisting an HVAC system on top of a high rise building! You can check out that project here. After this first project was complete, he referred business to us, and its gone back and forth since then. ONE video has transpired tens of thousands of dollars worth of business.  

I sat down to talk with my friend Bobby to learn about how video can enhance your marketing impact in 2024. His video production company is my go-to referral for our clients. He’s peeled back the curtain to showcase the top tips for video optimization in 2024. Buckle in and learn how you can leverage video for your business this year! 

1. Leverage YouTube for Video Hosting and SEO

When it comes to hosting video content, YouTube should be your go-to platform. Not only is YouTube owned by Google, but it also serves as the second-largest search engine after Google. Hosting your videos on YouTube allows you to tap into Google’s vast search engine ecosystem, giving your content the best chance to be discovered by a wider audience.

Here’s why YouTube is key:

• SEO Benefits: By hosting your video on YouTube, you're increasing the chances of your video showing up on Google search results. Since Google prioritizes its own platforms, videos on YouTube have an advantage.
• Optimized Descriptions: When uploading your video to YouTube, ensure that the title, description, and tags are all optimized for relevant keywords. Your description should read like a mini blog post, including specific keywords that are strategically repeated in the title and tags.
• Embedding to Boost Traffic: Once your video is live on YouTube, embed it on your website's landing pages. Embedding doesn’t slow down your website while allowing your content to appear in Google’s search engine results pages (SERPs). Additionally, you can add a link to your website in the YouTube video description to drive more traffic.

Using this strategy ensures that your video content is not only engaging but also visible to search engines, increasing its reach across platforms.

2. Optimize Video Quality for Speed

While it’s tempting to always upload the highest-quality video (such as 4K), it’s important to balance video quality with website speed. The loading speed of your website is a critical factor for both user experience and SEO rankings. A slow-loading video can deter visitors, leading to higher bounce rates and lower rankings in search engines.

Here are some tips to optimize video quality without sacrificing speed:

• Choose the Right Resolution: Instead of using 4K, consider uploading videos in 720p or 1080p. This reduces the file size while maintaining high enough quality for most users. Once it uploaded you can check for site performance and quality to determine if you need to increase or decrease your output size. Also, depending on your theme, you may have a tool that will automatically resize video for mobile. Make sure to check your UX for a friendly experience, regardless of the device. 
• Shorten the Video: In the case when you want a video clip on your hero banner homepage, you may opt to embedding videos from your website, aim for short, digestible clips. At max that video should be 7-10 seconds, without sound to ensure a lightweight load time.

Remember, the goal is to provide users with a seamless experience. Optimizing your video quality ensures that visitors won’t click away due to frustratingly slow load times.

3. Add Detailed Video Descriptions and Transcripts

Just like alt text is critical for images, detailed descriptions are key for videos. Google’s algorithms are becoming smarter every day, and while they can now analyze video content for contextual data, providing clear, written descriptions helps search engines understand your video even better.

Here’s how to do it:

• Use Keywords in Descriptions: When embedding a video on your website, always include a detailed description that includes relevant keywords. This makes it easier for search engines to index your content.
• Add Transcripts: Including a transcript of your video is another great way to boost your SEO. Search engines are getting better at “watching” videos, but adding the transcript gives the clarity you want to ensure. By providing a written version of your video, you’re giving Google more content to index, improving the chances that your video and webpage will rank higher.

These strategies make your video more accessible to both search engines and users, boosting its overall effectiveness.

4. Strategic Video Placement on Your Website

Where you place your videos on your website can significantly affect user engagement. Make sure that your video content is positioned in high-visibility areas where it can easily capture the attention of your audience.

Consider the following:

• Above the Fold: Place important videos "above the fold"—this is the portion of the webpage that users see before they start scrolling. Videos placed here tend to get more views, as users are more likely to engage with content that’s immediately visible.
• Incorporate Video Banners: For a more dynamic user experience, consider adding native banner videos. These are short videos that autoplay as soon as a user lands on your site, offering an immersive introduction to your brand or a specific product.

Strategic placement of videos ensures that they grab the attention of visitors, keeping them engaged with your content longer.

 

5. Track Performance and Tweak

Once your videos are live, it’s essential to continuously monitor their performance. Platforms like YouTube and Google Analytics provide valuable insights into how your videos are performing on both search engines and your website.

Metrics to focus on include:

• View Count: This helps you understand how many people are watching your video and if your SEO efforts are paying off.
• Watch Time: A higher watch time indicates that users are engaged with your content. If you notice that viewers drop off early, it might be worth reconsidering the content or length of your videos.
• Click-Through Rate (CTR): If you’ve embedded links to your landing pages in your video descriptions, monitor the CTR to see how many viewers are following through.

Use this data to refine your video optimization strategy. If certain types of videos are performing better, double down on that format. If you notice a drop-off, tweak your content, keywords, or placement to see better results.

 

In conclusion, video production can be professional or on the fly. Good, better, best; you have options to utilize video for your business. Start with where you are, and grow as your revenue does. You can make an impact by sharing your message and your voice. I only share referrals for people I trust. If you need support building a video strategy, check out Bobby’s website here. Tag me in your next social media video post! I’m cheering you on!!