This topic on the impact of video helping organic traffic on social media is a Hot one right now. Stats say that the answer is Yes! Yes, video will increase organic search engine traffic. But is “Yes” a strong enough answer to that question? We need a stronger word. I wish I could find a word that rumbles like...a Dolby Atmos demo soundtrack.
I believe me just typing the answer "YES" for video for your business is going to underwhelm you to a point of no action at all. So to help you, I would like to arrange 25 of of your closest business friends to visit every social media platform you have today. I would ask them to write down how many videos they find. Once they are done with that ask them to answer these questions....
One: Did you learn something by visiting the web page? Yes/No
Two: Did video content answer questions and in return ask for an action/response? Yes/No
Three: Did you respond? Yes/No
I have spent about 200 hours on this topic over the past 3 months. Talking about video with friends, clients and family. Also hours researching blogs, videos and reports. Most of the stats collaborate just how huge a resource video is, and frankly they are hard to believe. I am writing about it now.
What do you do with all this data?
So if you are like me little illustrations help my mind go from gathering data to action. Perhaps a gage is a good illustration. Like the fuel gage in my car. What good is that data? Is gas important for my car? My answer is yes! The fuel gage measure it for me so I know if I need more fuel. Question: Is video important for my business? Yes! So how then do I get them and what kind/type of video? Let's just start with any video that answers a question and invites interaction. Don't t worry, we will blog about videos soon and perhaps show a video or two as well.
If have a video, how do I start tracking the dat? There are many ways to track this kind of data as well as gather it. One of my new resources is: MOZ and they have a great article series called the Beginners Guide to SEO: Measuring and Tracking SEO. But before you leave me let's follow this thought of video a little further.
Look at this data: Since I launched my new business I received these looks: a glazed look, an overwhelmed look, a look of belief followed by "What am I supposed to do about it?" And a few other looks as well. Yet most people agree with me that videos are important. They also agree that they are way under equipped, under educated and under motivated. I get it, who really needs a healthy diet anyway.... why not eat mashed potatoes and gravy every single day? Why not continue to snap photos and share those every day? Pay for SEO? It works, but I also believe the social media landscape is changing and so is how we view and do business today! In fact, things have already changed in 2020. Video will be 8K on smartphones and cameras this year. What? Yep, and there are videos all over social media right now offering up answers.
Here are the facts: Video is souped up fuel for you. You and I know videos work because we have viewed them and responded to them. Swipe up and play, swipe up and another one plays, then another until we stop listening. It's the new NETFLIX binge.... Only now it's Facebook and it's your phone. Did you know that YouTube claims over two billion users and one billion hours of video are viewed every day according to an article in Search Engine Journal. Will YouTube continue to grow? Will it boast next year that one eighth of the world will consume one hour of YouTube video a day?
Do Videos without a purpose help?
Would you agree that videos without a purpose gather traffic but may have no impact on your business or message? Perhaps, but it's hard to measure. At the same time we now are beginning to understand what I learned in this article by theEword video increases organic traffic from search engines by 157%. That means without video we will be 157% behind other businesses using videos. Is that not what the PIXAR Movie Cars taught us about the Route 66 ? Once search traffic is routed around your (town) business then what? That means less opportunity to capture one client/one sale/one important message/one amazing new employee, and I could be missing out on the best products ever invented.
All because I'm not using video!
What Does all this mean?
Video helps people find you when they search. That's all that stats means. Pixar Clip tells a story does it not?
So now that we are starting to understand the importance of video, allow me the opportunity to take you on one more informational journey.
We need to learn what type of videos will work to drive traffic that matters.
Before you leave and miss out read the next three paragraphs!
One final thought: Satisfaction matters, Google is studying it.
Videos help to satisfy the consumer when they serve the info they are searching for or they deliver on their promise. What does this mean exactly? Have you ever visited a web page because you were looking for a product or service that the search engine said was offered? Then you get there and you can't find what you are looking for. What would happen? Oops, your gone. Click back out and start over again until... Yep you got it! Have you arrived at web pages, YouTube channels, etc. and have found more than you could hope for? Sign me up baby... you subscribe, ring the"Bell" and have been known to write thank you... I know, stop the press and hold the phone!
My point? If I find a number of my questions can be answered by a video you've got me! When it explains exactly what I wanted to know, like they saw me coming or I sent them my questions before I got there. Can you hear the heavenly choir singing, "AHHHHHHHHH." Is that possible? Yes! If you know what you have to offer and what most of your customer needs are, then you can address them up front and invite them to respond to a form. Video is a great tool to help you answer some of these basic questions when they visit. It also leaves them with more emotional attachment to you and your company. So go ahead, answer those top questions but use a video.
Google has created a survey that deals with this issue and you can add it to your web page so that you can learn if your web page is helping your customers/visitors find the information they are searching for.
After installing a line of JavaScript on your site, the survey will ask the following questions:
1. Overall, how satisfied are you with this website?
2. What, if anything, do you find frustrating or unappealing about this website?
3. What is your main reason for visiting this website today?
4. Did you successfully complete your main reason for visiting this website today?
If you want to know more of how it works and how Google will award you for using this survey let me tell you. It helps them study customer satisfaction, click on this link: Google Survey for Web pages and How it Works:
What would it be worth to you and your business to learn hands-on what videos work and how to use your smartphone to shoot, edit and release videos without having to hire a production company? Helping mentor and equip people in this area is what we do! Equip you so you can sour!
Where did that 157% organic traffic increase from use of video stat come from?
I enjoyed the quality and the visual look of this post and believe it or not it has a video, imagine that! theEword article.
Next Blog: The “Silent Movie” is coming back and that's the subject of my new blog releasing soon. I hope you will visit us again.