There is a universe of videos that sit on YouTube, Facebook and Google with one ‘Like’ or one comment and never get ranked or viewed. You don’t want your video to get lost in that universe. How can you get people to come to your site and watch your video?

The power of video is with the viewer.

Step 1- Build a great video. The number one way to higher rankings, when you’re using video, is to engage your viewer. I can’t emphasize this enough. In fact, I’ll say it again: ENGAGE YOUR VIEWER. Remember the saying, “Build it, and they will come”? Build a great video, one that is fun, informative and interesting to watch, and people will not only watch it- they’ll want to share it with their friends. All the SEO in the world won’t keep someone watching or sharing a video if it’s long and rambling and boring!

So, get creative already! Some ideas for you:

• Be quirky. You can still be professional and show your human side.
• Be funny. It’s always good to make your viewer laugh.
• Do something unexpected. Surprise the viewer with why your product is different. (Never thought of that? Didn’t see that coming, did ya?)
• Try using some props- a talking head is boring.
• A shouting head. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. Use it for punctuation.
• Get in, Get out. Tell your viewer that you’re going to be short and to the point, say what you want to say and wrap it up.
• Show a few ‘bloopers’. Don’t be afraid to humiliate yourself a little.
• Be interactive. Point to the screen, provide a graphic(s) that directs them to a clickable link on your site. You can even make the whole video about navigating the highlights on your website.
• A unique close with a call to action. Tell your viewer what you want them to do next. Remember the Nike slogan: Just Do It.
• Use metaphors.- for instance, you’re playing baseball, but you’re actually an accountant. But make your point clear.
• Have the WOW! Factor. -Did the viewer just say WOW!? -You’ve got a winner!

And don’t neglect the technical stuff:

• Never underestimate a good, steady cameraman/woman. Their trained eyes and ears make them a great accomplice for good video. (Tip: steady is the key here. We’ve all seen the jerky home videos! Unless guerrilla is your style, go for the smooth, steady shots.)
• Use editing software and experts. A good editor can be invaluable in correcting color, creating transitions between shots, adding effects and music. (Tip: set this up in advance of shooting, have a consultation. Know what result you want, before you start to record.)
• Always, always, always have good clear audio! If you can’t be heard clearly, what’s the point? If your camera is over 4 feet away, get a microphone. You can find some very affordable lavaliere mics that clip on your collar. (Tip: hide the wire down the back of your shirt.)
• Make sure you have good lighting- not too much, not too little. This means no white-hot spots or glare, no grainy image, no silhouettes. Spend some time working on this, it will pay off and make you look awesome! (Tip: try indirect natural light from a window, avoid overhead flourescents.)

Step 2- Get video hosting. It’s best to pay a service or platform provider to index your video. They can create and submit your Google video sitemap for you. Then, you can easily upload your videos and the host service creates all that great SEO stuff: a searchable title, description, thumbnail, keywords, video storage and high-authority backlinks. Your video page is now more than a hyperlink, it’s a searchable, clickable thumbnail aimed right at your website. Go ahead and use the free web video services, too. But remember, your priority is to use video to drive more business to YOU -all the potential traffic for that video should lead to YOUR site.

Step 3- Get a ranking service. Building your rankings takes a lot of hard work and you have to be creative. You don’t get this kind of focus automatically through any free web video services or sharing site. Can you spend the time building your website ranking? Are you trained to do this? The good news is, it’s made easier by using a ranking service – companies, like Smart Video, have a team of video SEO experts who will take your listing and apply the very best SEO practices to your video page to drive it up through the search results. There are no short cuts. This takes time, effort, and a solid understanding of your community of viewers. You can’t do ‘hit-and-run’ videos and expect to build your ranking overnight.

You need a ranking service that can give you a campaign with:

• a full review of your video page and site.
• an assessment of the competition for the search phrases you are targeting and recommendations to compete effectively.
• submission of your page to highly ranked and related websites to link back to your video page.
• a commitment of time and resources that reports ongoing results to you.

Step 4- Share your videos with Social Media. Get out there! Promote your business by creating a fan page on Facebook, post tweets of your new ideas to Twitter followers, offer your products and services to the Spanish-speaking market, publish a curated video library from related online videos- sharing other peoples’ videos helps your website and costs nothing but time. Don’t forget to display your social media links on your website and have ‘share’ buttons embedded on all your videos. Monitor your social sites regularly: don’t neglect them- keep up with the comments and questions that will be coming in. This is a gold mine of promotional opportunity- engage it!

Your rankings climb will depend on a wide range of factors such as your website’s current position in Google search and the strength of your competition. Your goal should always be getting your site and videos to page 1. You’ll be rewarded for earning trust in a community, building a following, and providing valuable content that people want to see.

Never forget: The power of video is with the viewer.