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Streaming Video Is Not Video
Search Engine Optimization
Sean V. Bradley
There seems to be some confusion out there for dealers who
believe that just because they have video content on their
Website or because they upload their videos to YouTube, they are
engaged in video search engine optimization (VSEO). Since there
is so much buzz and hype over video lately, there are a lot of
companies claiming they have or do VSEO—unfortunately that is
really not the case.
You may be told that a particular company is going to create
streaming video content of your inventory and that they are
going to upload it to YouTube or another video search engine.
Please understand, all that means is that they are creating
streaming video content and they are uploading it to a video
search engine. That, in itself, is not video search engine
optimization.
I am sure you are aware that there are some good and some not so
good automotive Website companies out there, but even the ones
that might do a good job designing your Website, might not do a
good (or even adequate) job on your search engine optimization.
I am sure this is not the first time you have read or heard
something of this nature. We are car people…think about it. Why
do some car dealers sell etch, gap, extended warranties, and
life insurance, as well as aftermarket products like window
tint, entertainment systems, rims, accessories, Lo-Jack, alarms,
remote starters, etc.? The answer is, because they can. They
have a captive audience and there is an opportunity for
dealerships to increase the gross of the deal if they up-sell
additional products. Many Web designers sell basic (sometimes
non-working) SEO to dealers because it is an easy
product/service they can bundle into the deal. Unfortunately,
most dealerships don’t understand or are misled about what they
are buying. To help clarify, here is a breakdown of the
definition and components of VSEO.
Video Search Engine Optimization is the management and
distribution of rich media (i.e. videos) across the Internet.
This management includes the creation of the:
* Subject—Each and every video needs to have a unique subject
line, but not just any old subject line—you want to make sure
that the keyword effectiveness index (KEI) score is the highest
possible. To do that you need to use the proper analytic
software. Sometimes you might think you have a great idea for a
header or subject, but after you do the KEI research you might
be surprised at what you find out. So it is very important to
have the proper subject for all of your videos, and you need to
make sure they are unique.
* Descriptions and anchor text—Each video needs to have a unique
description. You should not just cut and paste content from
somewhere else into your video descriptions and you should not
take a description from one video and use it for another video.
You need to have separate, relevant and unique descriptions for
each and every video. You want to make sure you “sprinkle” the
proper keywords that you are trying to emphasize in the body of
the descriptions. It is also important that you have at least
one to two hyperlinks in the body of your description. You can
link to your Website, your inventory, your testimonials, or your
specials.
* Metadata—You want to make sure that you use the proper
meta-tags for your videos. Take the time to think of a proper
strategy. You might want to focus on the geo-target, your
demographics, your competition, or whatever is important to your
dealership, however, you want to make sure that you diversify
your meta-tag strategy. Don’t use the same exact tags in the
same exact order.
* Category tag—Make sure you are using the right category.
Two more very important details about VSEO:
1) You need to upload to multiple video search engines, not just
YouTube. You might be surprised to know that YouTube
traditionally does not index as well as some of the other search
engines. Here is a list of some of the different video search
engines:
* YouTube
* MySpace Video
* Google Video
* Yahoo Video
* AOL Video
* MSN Video
* Carspace (Edmunds.com video)
* Truveo
2) To truly be engaged in VSEO, you need to make sure you have a
strategy of constant “uploads.” What I mean by that is that you
need to make sure that you have supplemental upload campaigns
each and every month. In other words, you can’t just upload 10
or 20 videos and think you are done. With VSEO you have to keep
uploading. If you use craigslist.com then you know what I mean.
You can’t just post something once and expect it to always have
the same positioning. You have to keep posting things. That is
the same concept with VSEO. You need to create the habit and
culture for your dealership to constantly upload.
Another surprising detail when I tell dealers about true VSEO is
that the search engines have advanced technology such as “speech
recognition,” “facial recognition,” and “pixel recognition”
software. What this means to a dealer is that they need to make
sure that each and every video is compelling and relevant, and
most importantly, your video content needs to match your
video’s:
* Subject (header)
* Description/anchor text
* Meta tags
* Category tags
* Keywords
* Links (names)
For a powerful example of VSEO, go to www.google.com and type
“Toyota Camry Washington DC.” You are going to be floored at
what you see. On the first page of Google, natural (organic)
listing. You will see that five out of the TOP 10 listings are
of my Honda dealer! That’s right my Honda dealership shows up
five times on the first page of Google when you search for
“Toyota Camry Washington DC.” That, my friends, is video search
engine optimization!
Always remember that you need to be careful of what you are
buying, and what people are telling you. If you have any
questions about VSEO please feel free to contact me.
Sean V. Bradley is founder/CEO of Dealer Synergy Inc. Dealer Synergy is an award winning training, consulting and technology company. www.dealersynergy.com 888-379-6374 |
