For a dynamic, SEO-friendly website and online marketing presence, video content has become crucial. Having a variety of multimedia on your website will help boost SEO, give your audience a better user experience, and keep your brand on the cutting edge of content marketing. However, producing high-quality videos isn’t always as simple as pressing the record button, so we gathered the top 10 things to keep in mind for producing easy and effective video content.

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1. Length Matters

The ideal length of a video will depend on its purpose and goal, whether it’s a 30-second video ad for a specific channel or a three-minute documentary about your business. Take into account the key goals of your video when deciding on length and content organization—similar to how you would craft a blog post or email.

First, always put the most important information at the beginning. The first few seconds can make or break a video; in order to keep the viewer engaged, start with key elements first to set the tone and give viewers an idea of what to expect. In addition, it’s best to avoid any sort of drawn-out introduction sequence, whether it’s a long intro with graphics or a lot of personal introductions and explanations.

For the total length of your video, brevity is always a good idea. Keep in mind that most online videos have a social media aspect to them—the shorter the better. Leave out any extra fluff content and save that for more in depth blog posts or written content to help boost your SEO in a different way. For videos, it’s best to be as concise as possible while still making your points and conveying the information you need.

2. Don’t Let a Lack of Equipment Hold You Back

You don’t need $5,000 worth of equipment to produce high quality online videos. With a few basic camera features and some photo tips, your average iPhone can capture great footage that works perfectly for web.

Maintain good sound and image quality with these quick tips:

  • Use a tripod to ensure clarity and prevent movement or shakiness
  • Don’t use the iPhone digital zoom; it can affect the picture quality
  • Use supplemental lights when indoors, but keep in mind natural light is always best
  • Use exposure lock to prevent drastic automatic exposure changes during the recording
  • Get your microphone close to your subject for quality sound

Find out more tips and tricks on shooting with an iPhone here.

3. Create Engaging, Relevant Content

Videos are one of the best ways to engage with your potential clients on a new level. The best videos answer questions that your potential clients are already asking. Consider creative and engaging ways to answer these questions, whether it’s simply telling a quick story, giving a tour, or having a guest speaker. Plan for your target audience and the main goal of the video, then put some time into creating a concise message that reflects the quality and value of your product or service.

4. Include a Call-to-Action (CTA) When Relevant

If it seems natural to include a CTA in the video, go for it. This can be as simple as directing your viewers to a specific link on your video channel or to your website, or a text overlay on your video that relates to your content. However, avoid CTA’s that will become irrelevant or outdated, as you want your video to feel fresh and relevant for months and possibly years to come (known as being “evergreen”).  

5
. Save Your Videos in the Correct Format

Sometimes logistics can hold you back when it comes to uploading and posting video content, but all it takes is a bit of research and you’ll be on your way. Look into the video specifications for your website platform or where you plan on posting the video, and make sure you save the video in the correct format.

Most iPhones will save video files as .MPEG4 files, but any of the following are commonly used and supported by most browsers and platforms:

  • .MOV
  • .MPEG4
  • .MP4
  • .AVI
  • .WMV
  • .MPEGPS
  • .FLV
  • 3GPP
  • WebM

6. Name Your Video File Correctly

Similar to how the names of image files on your website contribute toward your SEO value, it’s important to name your video files effectively as well. Be sure to include your brand name and a concise description of what the video is about, as this can’t be changed later. Having a consistent format for your file names that includes your top keywords and brand name will help boost your SEO.

7. Keep Your Title Short and Sweet for Optimization

When it comes to video titles, 100 characters max is the sweet spot. You want to convey the purpose and content of your video in a way that’s concise and easy to understand. Try to include your top keyword early in the title, however make sure it still feels natural. For example, “Sunrise Apartments Tour of 1-Bedroom Layout” is better than “1-Bedroom Tour of our Apartments.”

Often with SEO, it’s common to think that the more keywords you have, the better your search value. However, for optimized video content, short and simple titles are ideal—the video description is where you want to include more keywords and more text. Consider including your company name in the title but your location details should be in the description.

8. Provide a Transcript for Your Video

Most video upload sites, like YouTube, offer some sort of transcript version to help boost SEO and provide more viewing options. Uploading a plain text (.txt) transcript file is usually best—the auto transcript created by YouTube is often filled with errors. For the best results:

  • Use a blank line to force the start of a new caption
  • Use square brackets to designate background noises, for example: [laughter]
  • Add >> to identify speakers or a change of speaker, for example: >>Bill: Welcome to our business

Get
more tips on creating video transcripts here.

9.
 Voice Translations Also Have SEO Value

Creating voice translations in a second language will add even more SEO value to your video, plus it makes your content accessible to a broader audience. YouTube has a feature that allows you to upload an accurate translation of your videos and make them more accessible to non-English speakers.

10. Post Your Videos on Multiple Channels

Once you’ve created your videos, it’s important to spread the word and get them online in as many places as possible for that great SEO value. When someone searches a specific keyword relating to your video or brand, the more times and places your video shows up, the more likely it is to rank higher in search results.

Widening your breadth of video channels will also increase the visibility and engagement metrics of your videos. For example, if a user watches an embedded YouTube video on your website, it will count as a view on YouTube as well. For a solid start, upload your videos to YouTube, Vimeo, embed them on your website, and upload to relevant social media channels.

After learning these production tips and tricks of the trade, creating high-quality videos for your brand will feel like a breeze. Learn more about creating videos and get started today.