Video SEO: Getting Found on YouTube and in Google

Video is one of the most powerful formats for reaching people, and it has its own SEO. A well-optimised video can be found through YouTube’s own search, surfaced in Google’s results, and embedded on your site to enrich your pages.

Like written content, video does not rank by accident. It needs clear titles, useful descriptions, the right framing and a reason for people to watch and stay — because engagement is a big part of how video gets ranked.

Two places video can rank

YouTube is the second-biggest search engine in its own right, so people search there directly. Optimising for YouTube means a clear title, a thorough description, relevant tags and a thumbnail that earns the click.

Google also shows video results and video carousels in normal search, often pulling from YouTube. A video that answers a how-to or comparison query can appear right alongside web pages.

What helps a video get found

Write the title around what people actually search, not a clever phrase only you understand. Use the description to explain the video properly and include links and timestamps where useful.

Engagement matters enormously: how many people click, how long they watch, whether they interact. A strong hook in the first few seconds and a video that genuinely delivers on its title keep people watching, which the platform rewards.

Using video to support your site

Embedding a relevant video on a page can keep visitors engaged for longer and add depth that text alone cannot. A short explainer on a service page, for example, can reassure and convert.

Add a transcript or supporting text so the page still works for search and accessibility, since Google reads text more reliably than video. Video and written content together are stronger than either alone.