If you landed on this page, you want to improve your SEO efforts. One of the easiest and most effective ways to significantly improve your website's SEO footprint in Google is by embedding YouTube videos in your website's pages and blog posts.
It's a relatively easy task to embed your YouTube videos in your website's pages and posts.
When done well and correctly, YouTube video embeds can double or triple the number of keywords on the first page of Google's search results. And increase your site's impressions within Google searches – that means more brand exposure as well.
For this analysis, we compared the metrics of pages that had YouTube video embeds to the top five pages that did not have YouTube video embeds. We pulled data from Google Analytics and Google Search Console.
And while you can embed videos in your pages that are hosted on services other than YouTube, such as Wistia or Vimeo (there are other benefits to use those services aside from SEO), you will see more SEO success through embedding videos that are hosted on YouTube. The reason for this will become more evident down below. But suffice it to say, Big G favors its properties.
So, let's get right into the results of our analysis and SEO benefits.
I have been embedding videos for improved page or post SEO for years on my and client sites. When done correctly, your pages and posts will rank far more keywords in more locations than without video embeds.
List of benefits of embedding YouTube videos in pages or blog posts:
1
Double The Number of Top 10 Ranking Keywords
We compared pages with embedded YouTube videos to those that did not have embedded videos. And found that pages or posts with YouTube video embed had more than double the number of keywords ranking in Google searches on page one.
Number of keywords on Google's first page with YouTube video embed versus no video
Related SEO Case Study
Here's a related SEO case study of a cooking site (very competitive space) that used embedded YouTube videos that generates 1 million impression, 5,600 clicks, and more than 750 keywords ranking on the first page per month.
Number of keywords on Google's first page with YouTube video embed versus no video
2
Increases In Clicks, Impressions, and Average Position
From the charts below, which were pulled from Google Search Console, you can see the increases in important metrics when the video was embedded on this page.
INCREASE IN CLICKS
Growth in page clicks after YouTube video was embedded
Growth in page clicks after YouTube video was embedded
INCREASE IN IMPRESSIONS
Growth in page Impressions after YouTube video embed
Growth in page Impressions after YouTube video embed
INCREASE IN AVERAGE POSITION
Growth in page Average Position in Google After YouTube Video Embedded
Growth in page Average Position in Google After YouTube Video Embedded
3
Increase in Average Time On Site
Pages and posts with embedded videos saw consistent increases in time on site versus pages with no video.
Comparison Table of Time On Site Per Page With YouTube Video Embedded and Without Video Embedded
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Comparison Table of Time On Site Per Page With Video Embedded and Without Video
4
Pages Start Ranking Within the Video Tab In Google Search
Within any Google Search Engine Results Page (SERP), there are five or more additional tabs users can click on and open.
In the screenshot below, we have clicked on the Video tab. And we are ranking our blog post (Facebook Ads for Beauty Salons) with the embedded YouTube video in the number one spot. On the Video tab, Google ranks pages and YouTube videos. But because we embedded the YouTube video in the page, Google shows our web page URL, not the YouTube link to the video.
Why is this important?
Because the click on the post in the Video tab takes a searcher back to your website, NOT YouTube. You want to send the traffic back to your site, not to another Google property where you lose control and Google profits from your content, not you.
This is where companies that have YouTube videos fail in their video SEO strategy. By not embedding the video in a contextually relevant page on your website, Google ranks the YouTube video, and your website never sees that click traffic. And now the site visitor is lost on YouTube, distracted by funny cat videos.
In most scenarios, whenever possible, you want the traffic on your website - a property you own and control.
Page With Embedded YouTube Video Ranking Number One In Google Video Tab
Page With Embedded YouTube Video Ranking Number One In Google Video Tab
5
Higher Rankings On Mobile Devices
Google often shows different results on mobile versus desktop. Below are two mobile screenshots that differ from desktop. Mobile is the majority of search traffic in most industries.
Desktop Search Results
Here's a screenshot of desktop results in Google for the query, Facebook Ads For Restaurants. Google is showing Featured Snippets at the top.
Desktop search results in Google
Desktop search results in Google
Mobile Search Results - 2 Listings
But, here's the exact search in Google on mobile. No Featured Snippets. The top of the page has 4 Google Ads, followed by "Interesting Finds." So, our page ranks number one in "Interesting Finds."
Ranking Pages with Embedded YouTube Video in Google Mobile Search
Ranking Pages with Embedded YouTube Video in Google Mobile Search
And right below the "Interesting Finds" is what many might consider the traditional organic listings where the same page ranks again on mobile. But this time, Google is highlighting that there's a video on the page by showing a small play button. So, this page has two listings in one Google Search Results Page - that's more shelf space on that page than anyone else. And if you were running paid ads too, that would be three spots on one page with your brand dominating the results.
Ranking Pages with Embedded YouTube Video in Google Mobile Search
Ranking Pages with Embedded YouTube Video in Google Mobile Search
6
Engage More Visitors:
Not Everyone Wants to Read
Some of your site visitors do not want to read and would rather watch a video. Google knows who those people are that prefer video. And thus, if your page has a video embedded, guess which page Google is more likely to show to that searcher?
7
Traffic and Clicks Are Directed Back to You, NOT YouTube
If you have YouTube videos and the only place those videos live is within your YouTube channel, any clicks from the Video tab within a Google Search will go back to YouTube, not your website.
The Google search result below shows listings on the Video tab with sites that have embedded YouTube videos (the first listing). But then below that first listing in the second position is a YouTube video listing. Unfortunately, a click on that YouTube video listing goes back to YouTube, where you lose control of the traffic. And as a result, it is much harder to monetize and capture the lead. The site visitor is now forever lost in funny cat videos on YouTube.
YouTube Videos Ranking In Google Search Video Tab
YouTube Videos Ranking In Google Search Video Tab
8
Hosting Videos on YouTube Allows You To Rank in YouTube As Well, Not Just in Google Search
If you have many of your videos hosted elsewhere, such as Wistia, or Vimeo, you need to think carefully about moving those to YouTube. At a minimum, any new videos you create that are not behind a paywall should be hosted on YouTube to leverage its exposure. Don't forget that YouTube is also the second largest search engine behind Google.
And Sometimes You Just Get Lucky - Both Are Indexed and Showing In Search
I wouldn't count on this, but for this video and blog post, Google is showing my page with the embedded video and then down below the same YouTube video. These two listings are the same video but have different thumbnail images.
sometimes you get lucky, and you get YouTube and your website listed
sometimes you get lucky and you get youtube and your website listed
Best Practices for Embedding Videos in Your Page to Ensure Top Search Rankings in Google
And a related post here on ranking in multiple places within a Google search results page.
Talk to us. How can we help you?
Has this changed with the recent Google algo change at all? What about embedded videos slowing down load speed?
I have not seen the results negatively affected by any of the last algo changes. Good question about page load times, but when the video is lazy-loaded, the video embed does not slow page speed and thus doesn’t hurt the core web vitals.
Hi – great article. Our SEO guy, who seems extremely knowledgeable in this space, recommends using Wistia on our site for product videos. We are currently planning on rolling out relevant product-based Videos across millions of products on our site and plan to upload them in YouTube and then embed them in our product pages. We plan on creating separate YouTube channels for each of our Product Categories and then each product-specific video will be added to the specific product category YouTube Channel and embedded in the given product page. The embedded YouTube Videos will have summary descriptions (in YouTube) that are similar to our product pages along with a linkback to the specific product. Once this is rolled out, we plan on experimenting with Wistia or similar and then start comparing results (using Google Optimize or similar) for a subset of products.
Thanks for the comment. I have used Wistia in the past, but the challenge with Wistia is that you have no exposure in YouTube, which is the 2nd largest search engine behind normal Google search. Wistia has nice features and benefits, and for the right situation it’s appropriate, but if your goal is search exposure in YouTube and Google then you should host your embedded videos on YouTube.
Hi, thanks for the heads up!
Is this still good for August 2023 and how about for videos with mature content which only those logged in can see I believe and does mature content i.e sex toy reviews etc rank differently to normal content.
Thanks
Hi Rob, Yes, this is still 100% valid today. Mature content goes through a filter in Google. But as long as it is not behind a paywall, or a login screen of some sort to view it, Google should index it.
How about age restricted YT video’s – do they fall into same category? asking 2nd time
You will be fine with age-restricted content as long as it’s allowed in Google. And per my comment below, if the video is not behind a paywall, or login screen it should be indexed. Hope that helps.