Where videos can rank#
- YouTube search and suggested videos.
- Google’s video pack and Videos tab.
- “Key moments” — direct links to chapters in a video.
- Your own pages, as a video rich result.
YouTube checklist#
- Title with the main keyword and a clear benefit.
- Description with a 2–3 sentence summary, links and timestamps.
- Chapters (timestamps starting at 0:00) — they power key moments in Google.
- Custom thumbnail that’s readable on a phone.
- Accurate captions — upload your own rather than relying on auto-captions.
- Strong first 30 seconds to keep viewers watching.
Videos on your website#
- Embed the video near the top of a page dedicated to that topic.
- Add a transcript or written summary for accessibility and context.
- Add VideoObject schema with name, description, thumbnail and upload date (YouTube embeds often get this automatically).
- Lazy-load embeds with a lightweight facade so they don’t hurt page speed.
Full guide: YouTube SEO.