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In this article:
- What is video SEO?
- Video SEO features on Vimeo
- Video title and description
- Embedded video best practices
- SEO for showcases
What is video SEO?
Video search engine optimization (SEO) helps your video appear in search engine results pages, like Google, for relevant keyword searches.
Vimeo provides a range of features that can enhance the discoverability of your videos. Using these capabilities may help you increase organic traffic to your video page or the website where your video is embedded.
Without effective video SEO, the only way for new viewers to find your videos would be through a direct link. Using video SEO, Google can better index your public videos so that they show up in search results. You can also share or publish your videos to social media, which could signal to search engines that your video is valuable, further enhancing its discoverability on search results pages.
Video SEO features on Vimeo
Video title and description
Videos need relevant titles and descriptions for viewers and search engines like Google to understand their content. It is important to update both your video title and description if you want your public video to appear in relevant web searches.
Here is some guidance to optimize your video details for SEO:
- The video title should accurately reflect the video's content and incorporate relevant keywords that potential viewers may use in their search queries.
- The video description should be a concise one or two-paragraph summary that outlines key topics, people, and places in your video. You may repeat the keywords used in the video’s title.
- You can utilize Vimeo AI tools to write keyword-rich video titles and descriptions.
See also: How do I ensure my Vimeo profile or videos display on third-party search engines?
Chapters
Adding chapters to your videos makes them eligible for Google's Key Moments feature, which displays specific video sections in search results, improving visibility and user engagement.
You can use Vimeo AI to generate video chapters. Learn more at How do I use Vimeo AI to generate chapters for my video?
Transcript
Video transcripts provide additional textual context for search engines. To learn how to upload a transcript, see How to add captions or subtitles to your video.
When recording a video, you may use Vimeo’s AI script generator to craft your video transcript. All paid Vimeo accounts have auto-generated captions for every video that is uploaded.
Thumbnail
Upload a compelling video thumbnail that aligns with your title and represents your video’s content. An attractive video thumbnail can help attract clicks and drive engagement from Google to your video page or web page.
See How do I change the thumbnail image for my video? to learn more.
VideoObject Schema
Vimeo automatically generates and inserts VideoObject Schema to add context for search engines about your video content. VideoObject Schema reiterates simple details about videos like its title, description, thumbnail, and length, which search engines then use to show relevant results.
To learn more about the contents of VideoObject Schema, see this chart from Schema.org.
Embedded video best practices
If you are embedding a Vimeo video on your site, embed the video prominently near the top of the web page above the fold in your browser window. See also: How can I ensure search engines index the video embedded on my site?
Set your embedded video as Unlisted on Vimeo in order for search engines to link to your web page with your embedded video (rather than the video page on vimeo.com).
SEO for showcases
Visit this article to learn how to use SEO for your showcases Vimeo: Search Engine Optimization (SEO) with showcases.