Updated: Jan 21, 2024
Let's start with the bottom line.
" Shoppers are twice as likely to make a purchase after viewing something like a product video than they are without it." Learn more here.
That's worth repeating -- twice as likely. What would it mean to your digital marketing if you could double the number of shoppers who actually make a purchase? If we've learned anything about SEO or search engine optimization in the last few years-- it's this: You absolutely must keep up with emerging trends based on shifting consumer behavior.
Gone are the days when you could count on reaching your prospects with the same mix in your digital marketing strategy year after year. Things change faster than we expect them to when it comes to the consumption of content. In this article, we've prepared some of the main reasons you might want to take a good hard look at adding video to your mix, even if you turned it down last year.
Every day Google revises its ranking algorithms based on over 200 factors. Two of the main goal drivers are improving user experience and ensuring they can serve up more relevant information for queries.
In plain English, this means Google is constantly moving the goalposts to better reach consumers. To achieve your business goals, you must keep these shifting goalposts in your crosshairs to avoid wasting your marketing dollars.
Based on findings that in 2024, video will add up to over 80% of all web traffic, Google has already boosted the number of video carousels displayed in results pages by over 30%. This result will likely go higher in the coming months. That's how important video content is to Google.
How long will it take you to catch up?
SEO is a brutal game of tweaks and adjustments. It can take forever to gain a little ground on a competitor, only to lose it again when they get the jump on you next time. These hard-fought incremental gains and losses have been compared to WWI trench warfare.
So don't settle for the usual back and forth you get by doing the same thing you tend to do. Familiar tactics may indeed appear less risky and less complicated than video content because you've done them before. Still, video is compelling, and it can provide a breakthrough in the marketing battle.
How much will it cost you to test it? How much might it cost you if you don't?
As you take a second look at your plan for 2024, rest assured that the tried and true will work. The question is, can it work harder when rounded out with video? The pandemic spiked the increase in video demand by users, and there's no sign this trend will slow down. Adding video to your mix will provide a deeper level of engagement as you serve up more of what people want.
Did we mention, "Shoppers are twice as likely to make a purchase after viewing a product video than they are without it?"
Dwell time on your site is closely scrutinized by search engines. If you get a decent number of people to your site, but they don't stay long, you can get dinged for that.
Here's a big surprise – your average person will more likely watch a video than they are to read, even a riveting blog post or a beautifully written paragraph or two describing your product or service. It's just a fact, search engine results that include a video are more attractive. Moreover, when it comes to your site, video significantly improves your bounce rate, which means search engines zoom you higher in their rankings.
Don't be that guy. You know, the guy that is always sharing some long-winded article about something you're too bored to read through to the end? How many times do you pass on an article on your social media?
Now, how many times have you linked to a video? Earning referral traffic makes a difference with Google, even though they won't spell it out for you by publishing their own secret algorithm architecture.
The use of streaming content is rising like a tidal wave. We know this by the increasing number of cord-cutters out there. Along with this growth comes an enormous opportunity to reach your consumer through video advertising. Studies show more and more consumers are accepting video advertising as a way to get their content free.
Here are some undeniable facts.
'nuff said.
The right kind of video can communicate more about your brand than pages and pages on your site. Videos tell stories, stir powerful emotion, change minds and provoke action. On the other end of the spectrum, nothing can simplify and explain a detailed message like a how-to video about your product or service. YouTube is a perfect example of how videos can explain, entertain and engage.
Here are some tips for your videos.
TikTok, whether you like it or not is taking over. Among Gen Z content consumers, the platform ranks #1 for media consumption per minute. Google ranks 5th. TikTokers consume 167,000,000 minutes of content per month. Facebook live comes in a distant second at 44,000,000.
Ask your marketing team what they are doing to grab these eyeballs. Remember, in the world of TikTok, lo-fi beats highly produced corporate content, and authenticity is key if you want to be watched.
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