They say that video killed the radio star in a popular song in the ‘80s. We cannot go as far as saying that video is putting written content out of business, but it definitely is a huge part of a good content marketing strategy. Not everyone has the time or patience to read an article, but they are willing to watch an engaging video. And this is why today we will share the most effective landing page video optimisation tips to help you get more clients and sales.
Landing Page Videos Are More Effective than Static Images
Most sites opt for a statement hero image for the home page. This is a logical choice. A great picture captures attention, says something about the brand values and makes a great background for the company name and tagline. Also, with proper optimisation, it has a small size and helps the page load fast.
These considerations do not work entirely when we are talking about a landing page. Site visitors usually reach a landing page after clicking on a link – a social media post or an ad. You have their curiosity, but not their full attention and goodwill. Thus, a simple static image is not enough to keep them on the page long enough to read your message and follow through with the CTA.
For this reason, the landing page video has become the gold standard both in web design and in online marketing.
Without Proper Optimisation, Your Landing Page Video Can Backfire
There is a reverse side of the coin – video content must be finely tuned to meet various conditions:
- Meet Google ranking standards
- Capture the attention of the audience and keep it until the end
- Allow even people with disabilities or who don’t speak your language understand its content.
The landing page video optimisation tips we will share with you below take into account all these requirements. So, get ready to learn how to optimise your landing page videos!
1. Keep Landing Page Video Short and Catchy
Various studies show that the viewer’s attention decreases with the length of the video. This is not a Hollywood film to keep them engaged with bated breath. This is a promotional video for your products and services.
Thus, you should aim for a length between 30 and 90 seconds. Actually, this landing page video optimisation tip also means less work for you to create your videos, so it is a win-win idea.
2. Start Your Video Production with a Script
It may not be a Hollywood film, but your landing page video needs a script. It will make everything easier for you:
- Shooting the film with your phone
- Selecting images to create a storyline
- Choosing the best background audio
- Finishing up the editing.
Plus, if you don’t have a clear story, you don’t know what kind of message you want to convey. In the end, your leads will become bored and confused and will leave your landing page.
Moreover, creating a script will help with the SEO part of landing page video optimisation. You will be able to identify relevant keywords to add to the video title and description.
3. Create an Engaging Thumbnail
The thumbnail in this context is the static image appearing in the video field before it starts playing. By default, your CMS will pick the first frame to display it as thumbnail – but do not leave it like that.
You can choose any frame you want – so pick an attractive one. The image must be very clear (no blurring) and contain the essence of the subject of the video. For example, a tutorial video must show a clear image of the product used by a person in the thumbnail.
Once again, this landing page video optimisation tip is essential to create and maintain the viewer’s attention. When they reach your page, they are not fully vested into watching/reading what you have to offer.
4. Create a Written Transcript for Your Landing Page Video
While most people want to watch videos rather than read written content, not everyone is the same. Some people want to get a gist of what it contains before they click Play. Others suffer from visual impairment and use special software that read out the written content on web pages.
Apart from being inclusive, this landing page video optimisation tip is also great for SEO. You can use more than one keyword in the script and they will also appear in writing on the landing page.
5. Optimise the Video for Fast Loading
Fast loading is one of the key criteria for ranking in Google search results. For this reason, you should choose the right video format to compress its size without loosing quality.
We recommend MP4 or WebM for this purpose. Most video editing apps will allow you to select the format when you save the file you created using them.
6. Do Not Set Videos on Autoplay
In the matter of autoplay, opinions differ. However, we believe that the best practice for landing page video optimisation is to disable autoplay. A lot of people must be careful with their mobile data usage. Thus, give them the right to decide whether they want to watch your videos.
If you still want to set your landing page video on autoplay, make sure that it is muted. A sudden burst of sound is not only startling, but it is also inconvenient. Some people watch videos during the commute in trains or busses and do not want to annoy the other passengers.
7. Optimise for Mobile
We spoke about mobile data just above. So, it is quite natural to continue with this landing page video optimisation tip. You must test your videos and make sure that they offer a great viewing experience on mobile devices.
This is also one of the basic Google rules for ranking in organic search results. Most people are using mobile phones and tablets for everyday internet browsing. Thus, you must make sure that they get the best browsing experience on your landing page.
8. Don’t Forget about SEO Optimisation
SEO should always be one of the basic checks on any content creation list. You cannot leave any part of your website not optimised, especially a landing page.
We already explained how a transcript helps you use several keywords and display them on the page. If you don’t want to provide the transcript to keep the page shorter or offer it as a separate page in a clickable link, then you must remember to add the main keyword to:
- The file name of the video
- The title that goes above the video
- The short description provided under the video.
9. A/B Test Various Video Types
Landing page video optimisation tips are not set in stone. They generate various results to different brands, depending on many factors. For this reason, you should also do your own research to find out what types of videos your audience likes.
A/B testing is the only system that works. You should create different videos in terms of length, content and CTA and test them alternately on the landing page. By comparing the analytical data, you will be able to find out what works best for your target customers.
Conclusion:
These landing page video optimisation tips will help you convert more site visitors into leads and then customers. You don’t need to hire a videographer or a SEO specialist to handle these tasks. Thus, you will get the best results with a minimum investment. Good luck!