How to Use Video SEO and Get More Customers

Video SEO is no longer just a marketing luxury—it’s a necessity for businesses that want to stand out, drive traffic, and convert leads into customers. With 86% of businesses using video as a marketing tool (Wyzowl, 2023), it’s clear that organizations who embrace video content are seeing real results. One of the most powerful (and often underutilized) benefits of video? Its ability to improve SEO and increase customer acquisition.

Here’s how video boosts your search engine rankings and turns views into revenue—and how you can take full advantage of it.

1. Google Loves Video (Because Users Do)

Google’s algorithm prioritizes content that engages users and keeps them on the page. Video dramatically increases “dwell time“—the amount of time someone spends on your site before clicking away. The longer people stay, the more search engines assume your content is valuable.

Websites with video seo are 53 times more likely to rank on the first page of Google search results (Forrester, 2021).
Adding explainer videos, testimonials, or product walkthroughs to landing pages can decrease bounce rates and encourage users to explore more of your content.

2. Video Increases Click-Through Rates in SERPs

When a video thumbnail appears in search results, it stands out more than a block of text. This can dramatically increase your organic click-through rate (CTR).

According to BrightEdge (2022), videos in search listings can improve CTR by up to 41%.
Google often pulls video snippets from YouTube or embedded videos on high-ranking pages. This means hosting videos on YouTube and embedding them on your website can amplify your visibility.

3. Video Enhances On-Page SEO

Search engines can’t watch your video, but they can crawl everything around it. Titles, meta descriptions, transcripts, captions, and schema markup all contribute to how well your video content ranks.

Best practices include:

Using target keywords in video titles and descriptions
Including an SEO-optimized transcript
Adding closed captions for accessibility
Embedding video schema (structured data) to help search engines understand your video content
HubSpot (2023) reports that pages with well-optimized videos see up to 157% more organic traffic than those without.

4. Video Content Earns Backlinks and Shares

Great video content is more likely to be shared and linked to than plain text. This builds your domain authority and helps boost all your SEO efforts.

Moz (2021) found that video content earns three times more backlinks than other forms of content.
Consider creating shareable assets like how-tos, animated explainers, or compelling brand stories—anything that provides value, entertainment, or emotional resonance.

5. YouTube Is a Search Engine (and You Should Be Using It)

YouTube is the world’s second-largest search engine, with over 2.5 billion monthly users (Statista, 2023). Creating consistent video content on YouTube helps you appear not just in Google but within YouTube’s massive discovery ecosystem.

Tips:

Create playlists around topics or services
Include links to your site in descriptions
Use branded intros and CTAs
Focus on high-volume, low-competition keywords
By cross-linking your YouTube videos with your website and blog, you create an SEO loop that feeds itself.

6. Videos Improve Conversion Rates

Ranking is great, but conversion is the goal. Videos help turn browsers into buyers. Whether it’s a product demo, testimonial, or animated explainer, videos build trust and simplify complex ideas.

According to Unbounce (2022), landing pages with video can increase conversion rates by up to 80%.
Visitors are more likely to take action after watching a video because it humanizes your brand and adds emotional context to your message.

7. Video Boosts Local SEO Too

If you’re a local business, using video seo helps content tied to your community, boost your rankings in local search results. Things like customer testimonials, behind-the-scenes clips, or “Meet the Team” videos can enhance your Google Business Profile and improve engagement.

Google Business Profiles with video content get 2x more engagement than those without (Think With Google, 2023).
Local businesses can also benefit from geo-tagged YouTube content and locally focused video blogs.

8. Technical Tips to Maximize SEO Impact

Use fast-loading, mobile-friendly video players
Place videos near the top of your pages to ensure higher visibility
Optimize video filenames and alt tags
Use video sitemaps to help search engines index your video library

Conclusion: Video Is the SEO Power Tool You’re Probably Underusing

If you want to rank higher, convert more, and dominate your niche, video should be at the core of your SEO strategy. It combines storytelling, search performance, and human psychology in one high-impact medium.

By embedding, optimizing, and promoting video across your website, YouTube, and social platforms, you’re not just adding media—you’re building a stronger digital presence that attracts, engages, and retains more customers.

Citations

Wyzowl. (2023). State of Video Marketing Report.
Forrester Research. (2021). The SEO Benefits of Video.
BrightEdge. (2022). Search Engine Results Page Enhancements.
HubSpot. (2023). Video Marketing Statistics.
Moz. (2021). Link Building and Video Content.
Statista. (2023). YouTube Usage Data.
Unbounce. (2022). Video and Conversion Rates.
Think With Google. (2023). Local Video Engagement Trends.