Publishing a video without a video SEO strategy is no longer optional if you want your content to be engaging. Even a beautifully shot film will be ineffective if it doesn’t show up in search results or reach your audience at the right time and place. That’s why a purposeful video SEO and distribution strategy is essential. Below is a step-by-step guide we have put together to help the videos of our clients’ get discovered, viewed, and acted upon.
-
Identify Strategic Keywords for Video SEO
Keyword research is the compass for every optimization decision. Rather than guessing, which wastes a great deal of time, use one of the following tools:
- Google Keyword Planner for broad search volumes and trends
- TubeBuddy or VidIQ for YouTube-specific insights
- Ahrefs, SEMrush and SE Rankings for SEO competition analysis
These tools have proven indispensable to our SEO success at Barking Squirrel Media.
-
Craft a Compelling, Keyword-Rich Title
Your title is the first and most influential metadata signal. Below are our tips for best practices:
- Put your primary keyword at the beginning
- Keep it under 70 characters
- Clarify a benefit or result
- Include emotional triggers or numbers if applicable
Example: “Customer Story: How We Cut Costs 30% with Video SEO Strategy.” The keyword that you chose for a video or a blog article should also appear in both your H2 and H3 subtitles We can’t overemphasize how crucial these practices are in creating, maintaining and expanding your online audience.
-
Write an Optimized Video Description and Video SEO Summary
The video description is crucial for both search algorithms and human viewers. Make sure to include the following:
- Place your Video SEO keyphrase within the first 150 characters of your descriptions
- Write a short, engaging summary of the video content
- Support long-tail keywords and related phrases
- Always include CTAs (call to action) with UTM-tracked URLs
- Provide a transcript or timestamped outline
- Include strategic hashtags (e.g., #VideoSEO, #ContentMarketing)
A rich description not only improves discoverability but also boosts watch time and conversions.
At Barking Squirrel Media, we have found that focusing on intent-rich phrases like “how to create onboarding videos” or “customer testimonial strategy” generate engagement and inspire action. Strategically chosen keywords guide everything from concepting to scripting and tagging in our storytelling process.
Every video that you post on your website, social media or email campaigns gives you the opportunity to write a brief article about the video, the length of which is dependent upon the specific platform. This content will be crafted around your keyword or key phrase. This content makes your videos searchable and more likely to show up when others search for information on your company or organization. Over time, your videos with copy that is written with strategic keywords will bring your messaging to the forefront of Google searches. This will drive engagement and measurable action for your organization.
-
Tag It Right for Video SEO Success
Tags help YouTube, Vimeo and Google understand your video’s topic and context. Use a mix of:
- Primary keywords
- Synonyms and related phrases
- Branded tags
- Competitor and industry terms
Avoid tag stuffing. Stick to 200–300 characters for relevance and clarity.
-
Design a High-Click Thumbnail
Thumbnails affect click-through rate (CTR), and that impacts your organization’s ranking. Below are our suggestions for best practices:
- Use brand colors or consistent visual style
- Show people’s faces expressing emotion
- Include 2–4 words of bold, high-contrast text
- Ensure it’s readable on mobile screens
- Test variations and adjust based on performance
Think of your thumbnail as a mini-poster for your video. You can not only give your thumbnail a title relevant to your video, but you can give it an alt text that includes tags for which your company is known for. If your websites that has many pictures, adding titling and alt-text tags greatly amplifies your online presence which ultimately leads to more business.
-
Include Captions and Subtitles for Better Video SEO
Closed captions improve accessibility, boost watch time, and make your content more searchable. Upload a properly formatted .srt file and consider:
- Accurate transcripts
- Embedding keywords naturally in speech
- Offering multilingual subtitles
- Auto-caption correction
This allows platforms like YouTube and Google to understand your video’s full context. Without captions, your video’s messaging is invisible to search platforms. It also allows your online audience to understand your messaging when the volume is turned off. Have you ever been in a board meeting and you are watching video content on your phone under the table? Obviously you can’t have the volume on but if the video has captions or subtitles, you can read the narrative yourself and understand the messaging.
-
Embed Videos Strategically on Your Website
A video left only on YouTube misses its full SEO potential. Embed it on relevant pages and:
- Surround it with optimized written content
- Add Schema.org structured data
- Use keyword-rich alt text and file names
- Track performance using event tracking and heatmaps
An embedded video with supporting text can drive long-term organic traffic. Consider using All In One SEO on your website to give you guidance in finding the right balance of Keyword Tagging. It analyzes your content and provides clear suggestions for making your video descriptions strategically effective for video SEO success.
-
Launch a Cross-Platform Distribution Plan
You have already invested money in the creation of a great video or videos. Great videos deserve great promotion. Videos with no distribution plan is a waste of time and money. Your video stories need to be distributed across many channels using tailored strategies:
| Platform | Strategy |
| Native upload with professional caption | |
| 15–30 sec teaser in Reels or Stories | |
| Embed a thumbnail with a Call to Action in newsletters | |
| Twitter/X | Thread summarizing takeaways with video link |
| Post video with audience targeting | |
| Paid Ads | Use for retargeting and cold outreach |
Each channel should have unique copy and call to action. Always use UTM codes for tracking. Again, attached as much keyword rich narratives on these various distribution platforms as they will allow. Great video stories with no strategic SEO narratives profoundly reduces your outreach plan.
-
Track Video SEO Metrics and Engagement KPIs
Don’t guess—measure. Consider using these measuring tools:
- YouTube Studio for CTR, impressions, audience retention
- Google Analytics for referral traffic and conversions
- HubSpot or CRM tools for attribution
Also review your key stats:
- Watch time and drop-off points
- Click-through rates on embedded CTAs
- Bounce rates on landing pages with video
Always tweak your titles, thumbnails, and intros based on performance data. It is unlikely you will be able to write the perfect accompanying SEO content the first time. However, if you track and measure what is working and what is not, you can revise your SEO content and social media strategies accordingly. This will ensure the success of your SEO plans.
-
Repurpose Your Video Content Across Formats
Your video is just the beginning. Once a video is complete, find ways to repurpose it’s content. You have put a lot of financial resources into scripting and filming a film. Consider the following ways to reuse the footage:
- Cut 15–60 second highlights for social media
- Use transcripts for blog posts or articles
- Turn core points into a downloadable checklist or infographic
- Extract audio for podcasts or audiograms
- Include clips in webinars or sales decks
- Pull screengrabs from original footage to use a photos across all sharing platforms.
A great video should become 10+ pieces of content across your ecosystem. In so doing, you create quite the video library to be used in multiple ways both now and in the future. You can now cost average the total cost of a single video to 10 or more videos to you boss.
Final Thoughts: Why Video SEO Is a Strategic Imperative
This 10-step guide shows that video SEO isn’t just about tags and thumbnails—it’s about delivering value at every touchpoint of the viewer journey. When done right, your videos become:
- Easier to discover
- More engaging to watch
- Aligned with your business objectives
From brand storytelling to lead generation, a strategic approach to video SEO ensures that your visual content reaches the right eyes, at the right time and at the right place—and drives measurable results.
Ready to optimize your next video? Start with the first step—and let your story be seen. Barking Squirrel Media would love to help you create compelling videos and assist you in making your video content viewable by your targeted audience. Contact us today for a free consultation.
