YouTube Playlist Optimization And Marketing

YouTube playlists.  Whenever I mention these to clients, there usually is some sort of indication of confusion or other state of uncertainty as to what they are as well as how to use them for marketing purposes.

The benefits of understanding YouTube playlists, however, are worth the effort for several reasons.  Here are just some:

  • It is possible to rank # 1 for local keywords in YouTube, sometimes within as little as one hour
  • In the description you can put your phone number and primary company address or store location
  • You can use the description field to boost your primary web properties like your website, LinkedIn page, Facebook page, local business directories, etc.
  • If done right, the actual playlist page (URL) could rank well on its own in the search engines
  • You can share the playlist via social media
  • Just like a single YouTube video, you can embed the playlist’s videos on a website or blog
  • The iFrame embed code permits the ability to add one anchor text before you start embedding the code, just like a single YouTube video
  • You can create a QR code to the playlist
  • If you ever want to add or subtract (or reorder) videos in the playlist you can, but the link (URL) and embed code won’t have to be changed/amended anywhere you originally posted it
  • Many other benefits

 

So Why Use A YouTube Playlist Instead Of Just A Video?

If you only have a small number of YouTube videos uploaded, but you want to rank well in YouTube’s search engines (plus gain possible exposure in the main search engines), you can reuse your same videos over and over in various playlists.  This presumes, of course, that the videos you use are relevant to the keywords for which you want to rank and gain exposure.

The big benefit is that you don’t have to incur the time and production costs of having to make individual videos for each keyword.  You are welcome to do so, and more value-added & relevant videos always are beneficial to your business; but if you can’t produce more video content due to the time and expenses then you can use your current content over and over to your benefit.

In order to make this work, however, you will need to add videos from OTHER YouTube channels which have permitted “embedding”.  Most publicly-available YouTube videos are permitted to be embedded.  Should a particular channel’s owner decide to turn off embedding then that video simply will drop out of your playlist when viewers watch it.

Are There Any Special Tricks To Make This Work?

Actually, you won’t have to resort to “tricks”.  Just make the playlist description and the included videos relevant and value-added.  For example, here is a recent playlist based around commercial modular construction companies (go here).

Over time, the company plans to have more videos of its own; but it also has added videos explaining certain concepts and varying types of modular construction approaches.   Those other videos are from other YouTube channels, but when combined it can help (“adding value”) give the viewer a better understanding of that section of the construction industry.  By NOT being self-serving, and including others, they are able to add a robust, keyword-rich description plus include a link to their website and add their phone number.

 

Local businesses, who want to rank well in YouTube for local keyword phrases, should add at least three kinds of videos:

  • Their own currently-uploaded videos which are relevant to the keyword for which they want to optimize
    • Alternatively, they can use a video on someone else’s channel which features their business favorably
  • Authoritative videos which are relevant to the specific town, county or region
  • Authoritative videos relevant to the subject matter

 

Here is one such playlist which meets all three of those, and over time the company likely will add more videos to the playlist meeting all three video types.   If you want a few more examples of local businesses ranking well with their playlists then you are welcome to look at these:

 

What About E-commerce Sites?

The same principle works for e-commerce sites.  Just make the link in the playlist description link to the specific product (or product category) page.  One company which sells specialty hams by mail has done this by adding videos discussing recipes with leftover ham.  You can watch the embedded playlist here:

 

That’s Great, But Once I Have A Playlist Properly Optimized…. What Do I Do With It?!?

This is a fantastic question.  You have many options depending on your goals.  If it simply is to make your phone ring, be sure to lead the playlist with your desired video; and make sure that video is optimized with your website, address and phone number.  Contact us if you need help with this or anything else mentioned so far.

As mentioned earlier, you can share the playlist on social media in order to boost the view counts.  Just make sure that your social media followers will gain real value from watch all of the videos.  This is why they need to be “value-added” and explain confusing topics, confirm beliefs, refute myths, add humor, generate emotion or otherwise give some sort of value.

Here are some other actions which can be done:

  • You can use YouTube as its primary purpose:  as its own community/social media property
    • You can comment on other videos, leave channel discussions, and other participatory actions within the YouTube community to attract traffic naturally to your channel and playlists
  • E-mail the playlist to your newsletter subscribers
  • Embed the playlist on relevant pages on your website or blog, with an explanation as to why a website/blog visitor should watch the playlist
  • Buy low-cost, but still very targeted traffic, to the playlist URL and/or one of your web pages which has the playlist embedded.  Google Display Network ads are great for this, but you have to be smart as to how you go about targeting and bidding.  Your ad sales copy (text or banner/image) also plays a role here
    • Note that this is NOT the regular Google Search Network
  • Buy ads to your playlist link/URL from relevant videos within YouTube.  You even could pay to get traffic from the videos of your competitors, but be careful here and make sure that you are compliant with all laws and regulations before doing this
  • Get the playlist embedded on third-party blogs for the ranking purposes
  • There are several other things you can do with the playlist so contact us for suggestions and help

 

This is just the beginning of what can be done with playlists and the marketing of them.  Send us your questions and we can help you specifically or make future blog posts about this method of online marketing.

Repost – How To Use Youtube For Local Business Marketing

This is a repost from Greg’s old Search Simplicity website which no longer is active.

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Local B2B SEO And Other Marketing Using YouTube

I want to give thanks to Greg over at Search Simplicity for inviting me to contribute to his blog on search engine optimization (SEO) and other search engine marketing (SEM) topics.  The topic of this article is about using YouTube videos to rank in the organic results for local business-to-business (B2B) keyword phrases.  It also touches on other methods of getting traffic to the YouTube videos which may have a longer-term benefit besides just organic rankings:

 

In the article I reference a Dallas-area client who runs a digital marketing agency.  They use technology, art, video and other media to create unique experiences for their clients.  This is the sub-niche of marketing called “experiential marketing” or “disruptive marketing”.  They wanted some help with both local B2B and national B2B keyword phrases.  Here is the video they gave me which first showed up on Vimeo but now is also on the company’s official YouTube channel:

This is a more advanced version of local B2B, as I was able to include it on an optimized press release here.  This video is now ranking for one the company’s desired “Dallas” phrases.

For more traditional local B2B keywords, such as the “Fort Worth parking lot repair” example mentioned in the Search Simplicity article, the video currently ranks well in the search engines for the phrase.  It is not a terrific quality video, but it shows a typical walk-through of what a repair job might look like in Tarrant County.  Here is the URL:

 

If you are interested in more about using online video (YouTube, Vimeo or other) for local B2B marketing then you are welcome to contact me with your questions.  Thank you for your interest and you are welcome to share this article with those whom you think may find it to be relevant and of interest.

What To Do After Your Online Video Has Been Produced

One of the questions I have received recently in the post-Google update environment (called the “Penguin” and “Panda” updates) is how to get more traffic to a client’s online videos after they have been produced.  Many business owners mistakenly think that their video can go “viral” much like the entertainment videos they see on YouTube like those of animals, babies, sports, and other non-business-related videos which get shared in high volume.

The first thing to consider is that you will need to have realistic expectations.  A simple slide show video, or even a well-produced corporate video from a Dallas video production company, is likely to never reach tens of thousands of legitimate views on a site like YouTube.  What you will want to achieve is the realistic goal of reaching 50-100 qualified prospects (either local or national) per month once the marketing process starts.

Should you use a video-sharing site like YouTube, instead of hosting the video on your website with a service like Amazon S3 or a similar one, then there are several ways to get your video in front of potential customers/clients.  Here are just some of the ways:

  • Optimize the video (and your YouTube) channel for the keywords you research which are likely to be entered (aka “queried”) by your first-time prospective customers
    • This will help you to rank within YouTube for the desired phrases
    • This will help you to begin to rank in Google for the same keyword phrases simultaneously
  • The link to your video can be sent to your current e-mail lists with the request for your audience to share the video or endorse it on social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.
    • This is because your e-mail and social media list members likely have peers, friends, family and others they know who could be potential customers as well
  • Use paid advertising WITHIN YouTube to have your video appear on relevant searches AND competitors’ videos
    • This is a little-known tactic which can help you get a quality video in front of people who otherwise would not know that you exist
  • If you are introducing a new product, service or concept to the marketplace then consider embedding your video inside a paid press release distribution service
    • You can target specific industries and/or geographic regions as part of this paid distribution service
    • Your video will get exposure online to people who may be looking for one thing, but if they see your announcement + video then they may be convinced to contact you for the better alternative
  • You can embed your YouTube videos inside LinkedIn company product pages
    • This is terrific for B2B and other searches done within LinkedIn
    • It also helps with the search engine optimization for your videos
  • RSS syndication of the videos on your YouTube channel so that they get embedded on relevant websites which you do not even know exist
  • Many other methods of video marketing distribution to reach first-time prospects who have never heard of you personally, your business or your brands

Obviously all of this deals with the method of video exposure and distribution.  It also assumes that you have quality content to share which is NOT merely a sales pitch.   By “quality” I mean any of the following (this is NOT an inclusive list) which add “value” to the experience of the visitor:

  • Educating people on how to do something
  • Entertaining them and/or intriguing the viewers to the point where they simply must click through to your website or call you
  • Proving that you are an authority on a subject (e.g. a recording of you presenting at a seminar or conference)
  • Testimonial videos
  • Using animation or other videos to give reassurance and possible solutions to  high-emotion topics (e.g. financial problems, family matters and the like)
  • Proving or disproving an urban myth pervasive in your industry
  • Slide show video showing a step-by-step process of what a customer may experience at his/her home or office (e.g. a driveway repair project)
  • Etc.

Knowing how to distribute your video intelligently can give you a competitive edge, especially in a region like the Dallas Fort Worth area.  For example, let’s say that you have a terrific new service which can be fulfilled in all 200+ towns which comprise the DFW region (all counties).  The problem is that your business is based in a city other than Dallas or Fort Worth, so you may believe that you are at a disadvantage due to the competition (in the physical world) coming out of those two cities.  You could be based in Denton, Plano, Frisco, McKinney, Arlington or any of the other larger DFW cities which also may have steep competition for what you are selling.

By using a combination of intelligent video marketing, you can grow your business in the larger cities and towns without having to be located specifically in that area.

Feel free to contact us with your questions about your specific situation and how we nay be able to help you.

 

Get More Out Of Your Upcoming Print Advertising Efforts

If you are a local or regional business and plan to use some form of print advertising this year, this video will give you some ideas on how you might be able increase the number of new customers or clients you get as a result of your print advertisement ad spending budget:

This is a follow-up video based on requests from clients and those who contacted me on the YouTube channel after I posted the original video which discussed six ways to get more for your money when doing print advertising in any physical manner, including:

  • Newspaper
  • Magazine
  • Community flyer
  • Chamber of Commerce-endorsed publications
  • Flyers you post around town

Please note that are some advanced things which can be done regarding any local business’ print ad efforts, depending on their level of sophistication with search engine optimization, call tracking, etc.  If you have any questions or need some help then you are welcome to contact me through the contact form on this website.

Thank you,

Matt

Local Small Business Online Marketing Typical Conversation

Here is a short animated video describing a typical conversation between a local small business owner who is confused and frustrated with not getting enough new customers, but he is also confused about the basics of internet and online marketing.  An internet marketing consultant answers his typical questions on a “birds eye view” level and addresses some of his biggest challenges about increasing the size of his business.

The video touches on search engine optimization, search engine marketing, video marketing, online paid advertising, online event marketing, and much more.  If you have any questions then feel free to contact MoreThanSEO.com through the Contact form; and you are welcome to share this post (or the actual YouTube video) through e-mail, your social network friends lists, LinkedIn, or by any other means which you communicate with friends who are owners of local businesses.

Using Google For Online and Internet Marketing In McKinney TX

If you are a small business owner and wish to have some basic ways in which to better understand how to gain new customers and clients online then this video may help you.  It shows you how to use the free internet tools in Google (without even having to sign up for a Google account) to give you better insight into what your prospects are seeing and what web properties they likely trust.

The video uses the rather basic example of internet marketing for the term “McKinney TX pizza”; and the techniques shown are applicable to any small business around the country.

If you like the content of the video then all I ask is that you share this video with your friends, colleagues, social networks, or anywhere you believe that people you like may benefit from the content.

Thank you, and please feel free to use the Contact Form if you need any help; and please send me your questions as I will use them as topics for future videos and podcasts.

Online Price Incentive And Coupon Marketing Strategy Video

Here is a quick video designed to give any local business owner or executive a “bird’s eye” view of what strategies are available to help you take coupons and price incentives or discounts in the real world and transfer them into the online world.  Assuming that your business uses coupons, discounts, free consultations or price incentives to get more customers or clients, then you now have a resource to give you a possible competitive edge.

You are welcome to leave comments on this post, forward or share it with those whom you believe would like the information, and you can contact me through the contact form.

Improve Your YouTube Video Rankings

If you have an entertaining, informative, or otherwise helpful (“non-spammy”) video which you want to share on YouTube then chances are that you would love to see it at the top of the rankings.  Remember that a good YouTube ranking can offer you AT LEAST the following benefits:

  • More customers because you are # 1 for a good keyword(s)
  • Ability for your video to be shared easily on social networks and social bookmark sites
  • Chance to rank well also in Google Videos
  • Occasional opportunity for a thumbnail image of your video to appear in the main Google search engine results
  • Video can be “embedded” on other people’s websites and blogs, thereby reaching more prospects
  • Other video sites often “scrape” videos from YouTube, so your video can appear on other sites as well

The trick to getting these benefits is four-fold once you have a completed video which is worthy of sharing with the online community:

  1. Do your keyword research and competition analysis.  This is imperative!!!  If you have a limited budget then this is where you spend your money in order to determine what people are seeking and (of equal importance) what they are NOT entering into Google regarding your business.  You will be surprised at what you discover people are/are not entering!
  2. Use proper on-page optimization within YouTube
  3. Use YouTube for its intended purpose, as a social network site like Facebook.  Be sure to subscribe to people’s channels, encourage subscribers, get comments on your videos, geo-tag everything when you can, use video responses, and all of the other YouTube features which make it an active “community”
  4. Send links and traffic to your YouTube channel and your video(s)

If you need help with any of these steps then you are welcome to contact me.  Otherwise use these tips, and have fun seeing your videos start their climb to the top of the YouTube and Google Videos engines!