How to optimize for Google’s Video Carousels
<div style=”transition: none 0s ease 0s; display: block;” data-rss-type=”text”> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n n Google SERPs have evolved beyond recognition over the past decade.n n </span> n </p> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n <br/> n </span> n </p> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n n Instead of a minimalistic list of clickable search results, we are now served highly visual, often interactive search results in various formats, including videos and images.n n </span> n </p> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n <br/> n </span> n </p> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n n Many of those search results and search sections provide additional opportunities for brand visibility, and one of these visual search sections is “video carousels”.n n </span> n </p> n <p> n <br/> n </p> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n <span> n n n n </span> n <br/> n </span> n </p> n <h2 style=”line-height: 1;”> n <span style=”display: initial; font-weight: var(–e-global-typography-primary-font-weight);”> n n What are video carousels?n n </span> n </h2> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n <br/> n </span> n </p> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n n A video carousel is a standalone section within Google SERPs containing relevant videos.n n </span> n </p> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n <br/> n </span> n </p> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n n Video carousels are triggered on both mobile and desktop search results, and on both they really stand out. Here’s one on desktop:n n </span> n </p> n</div> n<div> n <img src=”https://irp.cdn-website.com/d4f2c851/dms3rep/multi/video-carousels.webp” alt=”video carousels on Google SERP”/> n</div> n<div style=”transition: opacity 1s ease-in-out 0s;” data-rss-type=”text”> n <p> n <span style=”display: unset; font-style: italic;”> n n Google’s Video Carouselsn n </span> n </p> n <p> n <br/> n </p> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n n And here’s a video carousel on a mobile device:n n </span> n </p> n</div> n<div> n <img src=”https://irp.cdn-website.com/d4f2c851/dms3rep/multi/video-carousels-mobile.webp” alt=”Google video carousel on mobile device”/> n</div> n<div style=”transition: opacity 1s ease-in-out 0s;” data-rss-type=”text”> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n n Google Video Carousel on Mobile Devicen n </span> n </p> n <p> n <br/> n </p> n <p> n <span style=”display: unset;”> n n As you can see, this search section is very hard to miss!n n </span> n </p> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n <br/> n </span> n </p> n <p> n <span style=”display: unset;”> n n Note that “key moments” section: This allows to jump to a particular part of the video driving a highly engaged click into the video:n n </span> n </p> n</div> n<div> n <img src=”https://irp.cdn-website.com/d4f2c851/dms3rep/multi/video-carousels-key-moments.webp” alt=”Key moments on Google Video Carousels”/> n</div> n<div style=”transition: opacity 1s ease-in-out 0s;” data-rss-type=”text”> n <p> n <span style=”font-style: normal; display: unset;”> n n Key moments on Google Video Carouselsn n </span> n </p> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n <br/> n </span> n </p> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n n Some of these “key moments” may be unfolded by default which makes that section stand out even more. There’s a quick tip on optimizing your video for “key moments” below. Read on!n n </span> n </p> n <p> n <br/> n </p> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n <span> n n n n </span> n <br/> n </span> n </p> n <h2 style=”line-height: 1;”> n <span style=”display: initial; font-weight: var(–e-global-typography-primary-font-weight);”> n n How common are video carousels?n n </span> n </h2> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n <br/> n </span> n </p> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n n According to n n </span> n <a href=”https://moz.com/mozcast” target=”_blank” style=”display: initial;”> n n Mozcastn n </a> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n n , video carousels consistently show up for almost one fifth of all SERPs.n n </span> n </p> n</div> n<div> n <img src=”https://irp.cdn-website.com/d4f2c851/dms3rep/multi/how-common-are-video-carousels.webp” alt=”How common are Google video carousels?”/> n</div> n<div style=”transition: opacity 1s ease-in-out 0s;” data-rss-type=”text”> n <p> n <span style=”display: unset;”> n n How common are Google Video Carousels?n n </span> n </p> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n <br/> n </span> n </p> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n n But in reality, we see them for every other search. They tend to appear on page 1 of search results but their actual location depends on the search intent.n n </span> n </p> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n <br/> n </span> n </p> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n n For some search queries, the carousels will show up right below #1 position (or “People Also Ask” boxes if those exist). For other queries, the section will be included lower.n n </span> n </p> n <p> n <br/> n </p> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n <span> n n n n </span> n <br/> n </span> n </p> n <h2 style=”line-height: 1;”> n <span style=”font-weight: var(–e-global-typography-primary-font-weight); display: initial;”> n n How do I rank my content in Google Video Carousels?n n </span> n </h2> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n <br/> n </span> n </p> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n n The benefit of having your own video rank within this section is quite obvious: Your brand can be visible inside an additional search feature funneling more people from search results into your sales funnel.n n </span> n </p> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n <br/> n </span> n </p> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n n Videos can make an effective part of a sales funnel, especially when there’s a hint on commercial intent.n n </span> n </p> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n <br/> n </span> n </p> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n n For instance, anyone searching for “how to register a domain name” is likely to want to do that right away, so if you answer that question well, that may be your new customer.n n </span> n </p> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n <br/> n </span> n </p> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n n The good news: Ranking in Google’s video carousels is quite doable. In fact, it is one of those organic search opportunities few brands are optimizing for, so it is not yet crowded there.n n </span> n </p> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n <br/> n </span> n </p> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n n Here are all the required steps:n n </span> n </p> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n <br/> n </span> n </p> n <h3 style=”line-height: 1;”> n <span style=”display: initial; font-weight: var(–e-global-typography-primary-font-weight);”> n n Step 1: Find your opportunitiesn n </span> n </h3> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n <br/> n </span> n </p> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n n Not all SERPs trigger video carousels. So your first step is to identify those SERPs that do. Usually these are search queries that Google identified as video-friendly, i.e. Google has found these searchers engage with video content well.n n </span> n </p> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n <br/> n </span> n </p> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n n This is where good old keyword research will come handy: Research the keywords your target customers are using and create your videos around those, just like you would when creating content for your site.n n </span> n </p> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n <br/> n </span> n </p> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n n Using n n </span> n <a href=”https://ahrefs.com/” target=”_blank” style=”display: initial;”> n n Ahrefsn n </a> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n n for keyword research you can filter search queries by a search feature. This allows you to only see keywords that trigger video carousels.n n </span> n </p> n</div> n<div> n <img src=”https://irp.cdn-website.com/d4f2c851/dms3rep/multi/ahrefs-dashboard-videos.webp” alt=”ahrefs Dashboard video filter”/> n</div> n<div style=”transition: opacity 1s ease-in-out 0s;” data-rss-type=”text”> n <p> n <span style=”display: unset;”> n n ahrefs Dashboard Video Filtern n </span> n </p> n <p> n <br/> n </p> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n n Naturally, stick to topics that may have some transactional intent and drive conversions, not just clicks.n n </span> n </p> n <p> n <br/> n </p> n <h3 style=”line-height: 1;”> n <span style=”font-weight: var(–e-global-typography-primary-font-weight); display: initial;”> n n Step 2: Put together your video contentn n </span> n </h3> n <p> n <br/> n </p> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n n Videos are quite easy to create these days. A smartphone camera is enough to create a useful video for your target audience to watch.n n </span> n </p> n <p> n <br/> n </p> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n n For screencasts and online tutorials, I often use n n </span> n <a href=”https://zoom.us/” target=”_blank” style=”display: initial;”> n n Zoomn n </a> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n n (which is free) or n n </span> n <a href=”https://www.apple.com/imovie/” target=”_blank” style=”display: initial;”> n n iMovien n </a> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n n (that is included in my Mac). There are also quite a few online video creators that require no downloads. InVideo is one example, and it’s probably the easiest to use.n n </span> n </p> n <p> n <br/> n </p> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n n Overcomplicating video production usually results in those videos to never happen, so once you know your target keyword, just sit down and create one. You do need a clear voiceover for Google to index, so accompany your video with instructions.n n </span> n </p> n <p> n <br/> n </p> n <h3 style=”line-height: 1;”> n <span style=”font-weight: var(–e-global-typography-primary-font-weight); display: initial;”> n n Step 3: Upload to YouTuben n </span> n </h3> n <p> n <br/> n </p> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n n YouTube is not just the biggest community of video creators, it is the SEO-friendliest platform.n n </span> n </p> n <p> n <br/> n </p> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n n Video carousels are often nothing but Youtube videos, so if you want to rank there, you need to be on Youtube.n n </span> n </p> n <p> n <br/> n </p> n <h3 style=”line-height: 1;”> n <span style=”font-weight: var(–e-global-typography-primary-font-weight); display: initial;”> n n Step 4: Add text context to your YouTube Siten n </span> n </h3> n <p> n <br/> n </p> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n n Google can use the video content itself (i.e. its transcript) to index it and even break it into sections (i.e. “key moments”) but it would be easier if you also create some text around your video. Even Google reps n n </span> n <a href=”https://www.seroundtable.com/google-always-need-textual-content-on-page-28757.html” target=”_blank” style=”display: initial;”> n n admitn n </a> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n n that they still appreciate textual content when possible:n n </span> n </p> n</div> n<div> n <img src=”https://irp.cdn-website.com/d4f2c851/dms3rep/multi/textual-content.webp” alt=”textual content”/> n</div> n<div style=”transition: opacity 1s ease-in-out 0s;” data-rss-type=”text”> n <p> n <span style=”display: unset;”> n n And when it comes to SEO, making Google’s life easier is always a good idea:n n </span> n </p> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n <br/> n </span> n </p> n <ul> n <li> n <span style=”display: unset;”> n n Add the video title that includes your target keywordn n </span> n </li> n <li> n <span style=”display: unset;”> n n Create a detailed video descriptionn n </span> n </li> n </ul> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n <br/> n </span> n </p> n <p> n <span style=”display: unset;”> n n While I am not really a fan of the “best word count” concept, it is always helpful to have a meaningful amount of relevant and helpful content when optimizing anything, including a video page.n n </span> n </p> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n <br/> n </span> n </p> n <h3 style=”line-height: 1;”> n <span style=”display: initial; font-weight: var(–e-global-typography-primary-font-weight);”> n n Step 5: Add a clickable table of contentsn n </span> n </h3> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n <br/> n </span> n </p> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n n Using YouTube timestamps, you can put together a clickable table of contents. It is a helpful feature allowing your viewers to get deep into the video right to the part that is most useful for you.n n </span> n </p> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n <br/> n </span> n </p> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n n Create n n </span> n <a href=”https://howtonow.com/how-to-timestamp-a-youtube-video/” target=”_blank” style=”display: initial;”> n n clickable timestampsn n </a> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n n to drive people into the video to the part which is most interesting to them. Google often uses those timestamps to create those clickable “key moments” that people can click right from search results.n n </span> n </p> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n <br/> n </span> n </p> n <h3 style=”line-height: 1;”> n <span style=”display: initial; font-weight: var(–e-global-typography-primary-font-weight);”> n n Step 6: Link to your video page from your siten n </span> n </h3> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n <br/> n </span> n </p> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n n Links are still key to Google rankings, and ranking in Google carousels is no exception.n n </span> n </p> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n <br/> n </span> n </p> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n n The easiest way is to link to it from your own site.n n </span> n </p> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n <br/> n </span> n </p> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n n Embedding your video on your page is not enough: You need at least one text link to your YouTube page.n n </span> n </p> n <p> n <br/> n </p> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n <span> n n n n </span> n <br/> n </span> n </p> n <h2 style=”line-height: 1;”> n <span style=”display: initial; font-weight: var(–e-global-typography-primary-font-weight);”> n n Conclusionn n </span> n </h2> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n <br/> n </span> n </p> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n n Video carousels provide brands with lots of opportunities to boost their organic search visibility and get found by potential customers.n n </span> n </p> n <p> n <br/> n </p> n <p> n <span style=”display: initial;”> n n All you need is useful video content that targets relevant search queries and some basic SEO work. It is a pretty low-effort initiative and can also help you develop an active YouTube channel which is an additional benefit.n n </span> n </p> n</div>