A short video can explain a service faster than a page of text. It can show a product in use, introduce the people behind a business or walk someone through a process. But a video dropped onto a page without much thought often does very little. It can slow the page down, get missed by search engines and leave visitors unsure why it is there.
Good video on a website comes down to a few plain decisions. Where will the file live, which page will it sit on and what is it meant to do? Google publishes its own guidance on how it finds and shows video, and that is a sensible place to start. The points below follow that guidance and add some practical design thinking.
Start with the job the video has to do
Before anyone films anything, decide what the video is for. A product demonstration has a different job from a welcome message or a customer how to clip. The purpose shapes the length, the page it belongs on and the words around it. A clear purpose also makes it easier to judge later whether the video is earning its place.
It also helps to try the idea before spending a lot on production. Simple trials of layout and content often tell you more than opinions in a meeting. Our earlier piece on testing website design ideas covers ways to try changes and see what visitors actually do. Video is no different, so treat the first version as something to learn from.
Decide where the video file will be hosted
There are two common choices. You can upload the file to a video platform and embed its player, or you can host the file yourself and play it with the HTML video element. Platform hosting takes the load off your server and handles playback for you. Hosting it yourself gives you more control over the player and what happens around it.
Google’s guidance covers both routes. It notes that a video can sit on a third party platform such as YouTube. Google may then index the video on your page as well as on the platform’s own page. It still recommends adding structured data to your own page. Large video files can put real strain on a small hosting plan, so check your hosting before choosing to serve video yourself.
Give important videos their own watch page
Google’s video SEO best practices use the term watch page for a page whose main purpose is to show a single video. The guidance suggests creating a watch page for each video where that is useful for your business. A blog post that discusses an embedded video, or a product page with a short product clip, is not treated as a watch page. Those pages can still appear in search, but the video is not the main thing on them.
For a business site, this suggests a simple approach. Keep short supporting clips on the service or product pages where they help. If a video is a central piece of content, such as a full tutorial, give it a page of its own. That page should have its own clear title and description that match the video.
The page itself also has to be indexed for the video to have a chance. Google points out that indexing the page does not guarantee the video will be indexed too. If your pages are not appearing in search at all, the problem sits higher up. Our guide on why a website isn’t ranking looks at where to start.
Make the video easy for Google to find and load
Google can only work with a video it can see in the page. Its guidance lists the video, embed, iframe and object HTML elements as supported ways to place a video. It warns against relying on a click, a swipe or typing before the video loads. Videos loaded only through URL fragments, the part of an address after a hash sign, are generally not supported either.
If JavaScript adds the video to the page, it needs to appear in the rendered HTML. The URL Inspection tool in Search Console shows what Google sees after rendering. Google also asks that the video file is not blocked by robots.txt or a noindex rule if you want features such as previews. Each video file should stay at a stable URL rather than one that keeps changing.
Choose a clear thumbnail
The thumbnail is often the first thing people notice in search results. Google accepts common image formats including JPEG, PNG, WebP and AVIF. The minimum size is 60 by 30 pixels, and Google says larger is preferred. The image must be reachable by Google without a login and should not be blocked by robots.txt.
You can tell Google which thumbnail to use in several places. These include the poster attribute on the video element, a video sitemap and structured data. If you set it in more than one place, use the same image address each time. A still frame that shows the subject clearly usually works better than a blurry title card.
Describe the video with structured data
Structured data is code that describes the video in a format search engines can read. Google uses VideoObject markup for this, with properties such as the name, description and thumbnail address. Its guidance asks that the name, description and thumbnail are different for every video on the site. The details in the markup should also match what is actually on the page.
A video sitemap is another supported way to give Google the same details. It lists the watch page, the player address and the file address for each video. Some website platforms can create one for you, so check what yours offers before building it by hand. Keep it accurate, because outdated entries can point Google at files that no longer exist.
Think about the people watching
Search is only part of the picture. Some visitors will have the sound off, so captions help them follow along. A short written summary or transcript beside the video also helps visitors who would rather read. It gives search engines more text to understand the page as well.
Placement matters too. A video that starts playing loudly on its own can annoy visitors and push them away. Put the play button where people expect it and keep the copy around it short. On an online shop, a product clip placed near the price and buy button can support the sale, which ties in with our tips to increase eCommerce sales.
Video can also work beyond the website. A new tutorial or product clip gives you a good reason to contact your subscribers. Our article on why email marketing is still worth taking seriously explains how a regular newsletter keeps customers coming back. Send people to the watch page on your own site rather than straight to a platform.
Removing or replacing old videos
Videos go out of date when prices, products or staff change. Google’s guidance explains that the watch page for a removed video should return a 404 status or carry a noindex tag. You can also give a video an expiry date in structured data or a video sitemap. Only set an expiry date for videos that really are expiring, as a wrong date can remove a video that is still live.
Checking how your videos perform
Search Console has reports for video. The video indexing report shows how many watch pages have indexed videos and gives reasons for those that are not indexed. The performance report can be filtered by search appearance to show how video results are doing. Checking these every few months will show you which videos are pulling their weight.
Frequently asked questions
Should I host business videos on YouTube or on my own website?
Both can work. A platform takes care of storage and playback, while hosting it yourself gives you more control. Google may index a platform video on your page as well as on the platform’s own page. Pick the option your hosting and budget can support comfortably.
Does every video need its own page?
No, it does not. Short clips that support a product or service can sit on those pages. Give a video its own watch page when the video is the main content. That page needs its own title and description.
Can Google find a video that only loads after a click?
Google advises against relying on a click, swipe or typing to load the video. The video needs to be present in the rendered page. You can check this with the URL Inspection tool in Search Console.
What size should a video thumbnail be?
Google’s minimum is 60 by 30 pixels, though it prefers larger images. Use a supported format such as JPEG, PNG or WebP. Keep the image at a stable address that Google can reach.
A well placed video can do a lot of work for a small business site. Plan its purpose, give it a sensible home and make it easy to load. Then check the reports and keep it up to date.