Internet Marketing Consultant

In this article you will learn the incredible news of Google Indexing of Youtube Embed Videos on your websites, and how you can take advantage of this.

Google and Youtube, partners and co-conspirators of search engine domination, continue to bring havoc on SEOs and webmasters worldwide with their recent move in their verticle video search engine technology.

This is the biggest shake up for 2012 thus far.

You thought Google’s spam team is busy penalizing webmasters with their Google Panda and the new Google Penguin doctrines?

This is nothing compared to the shake up (and opportunity) in video seo and marketing…and many of us have not noticed. And what makes matters worse, is that as soon as I am done writing this blog post, Google most likely will be changing this loophole or pandora again….

Let me get right to the crux of the matter….

Google Indexing of Youtube Embed Video

Video powered by The Traffic Player
Google now allows you to embed a youtube video on your website (using iframe or embed code) and this video will show up in the search engines with a thumbnail pointing to, not Youtube, but to your website.

What is more staggering is that you can take other people’s videos on Youtube, iframe it on your website, and the video will show up in the search engines with a thumbnail pointing to your domain.

And it gets better….

You do not even need a video sitemap for this to work! Nor do you need a markup schema as was previously suggested by Google Video.

And it gets more awesome! Even many self hosted videos are presently getting in the search engines without a video sitemap. Check out this image of one of my websites in the serps. I have highlighted the videos with “YT” that are youtube videos:

Now of course, many of you will test this and say, “my videos are not in the serps.” They will be if your website has authority, relevancy, and is not brand new.

Video SEO History Lesson:

Back in 2008 when I first started online with my business, I did a massive amount of video marketing on Youtube and embedding my videos on my websites. However, the Youtube video in the search engines would never point to my website, but would point to Youtube.

In 2009 I created the Google Video Sitemap for self hosted videos. I extensively tested putting Youtube videos on the sitemap (which you can easily do), but the Youtube videos in the search engines would mostly always point to Youtube, not my domain. I say “mostly” because out of 50 Youtube videos embedded on my website, and on my video sitemap, I did have 1 Youtube video in the serps pointing to my domain. However, I felt this was a random mishap, and I could not replicate it.

Mark Robertson at ReelSEO and myself conversed by email in 2009 on what Google is doing at the time, as he was having similar results. Our conclusion was that self hosted videos is the surefire way to get your videos in the search engines pointing to your domain using a Google Video Sitemap. This still holds true today. What has changed is Google’s recent inclusion of embedded Youtube videos pointing to your own domain, without the need of a video sitemap. Mark Robertson gives evidence of this at ReelSEO as well. When Mark first wrote the article, Google was still making changes and so I sat and waited for the dust to settle.

WARNING

Watch out for scam profiteers! I laughed when I saw Alex Goad and Bryan McConnahea launch a Warrior Special Offer at the Warrior Forum selling a video sitemap wordpress plugin and stating that their video sitemap puts Youtube videos in the search engines. Let me repeat. You do not need a video sitemap for Google to index your embedded Youtube videos on your domains. Google does this without a video sitemap. Anyone who tries to sell you a tool that does this is a scammer.

Google has enhanced their ability to index videos without a video sitemap, both self hosted videos, and Youtube videos. For example, has anyone noticed that the Duration of the videos is automatically inserted in the serps now? See the Video Duration in the serps:

What does all this mean for us as video marketers and webmasters? Should we now all go out and post embed videos on all of our websites, and/or replace our self hosted videos?

This is my humble opinion on what you should do for Google Indexing of Youtube Embed Videos….

1. Google and Youtube are STILL making changes. The results you saw last week for your videos in the serps are not the same today. Youtube alone is going through upgrades at an outrageous speed.
2. Be cautious! Do not go and delete all self hosted videos and set up all Youtube’s on your websites in the hopes that they will forever be indexed in Google. Google has not formally given us announcement on this. Are they testing? Are they fixing? Are they researching? Have the messed up? We do not know.
3. Self Hosted Videos with a Video Sitemap is still the best and surefire method to ensure your videos are in the search engines.
4. Protect your own YT videos by disabling the ability for others to use Youtube embed code function.
5. In my mind, Google needs to link up Google+ verified websites and authors, and have their Youtube channels verified, and then allow embedded Youtube’s to be indexed. This will help for any copyright issues, or swiping/stealing in the search engines. Perhaps this is what is coming shortly. So get prepared now!
6. Currently, if two separate websites embed the same Youtube video, which one will be indexed? Google will surely sandbox one of them so their users will have good search results. The best optimized website wins out. If the YT URL video and channel is better optimized, it also will win out in the serps. Video seo is an extension of regular seo.
7. Build up your Youtube channels. Google and Youtube videos will continue to dominate the search engines. Youtube’s search function alone is the 2nd largest search in the world for traffic.
8. Embed Youtube videos on your websites for indexing, but be prepared for quick changes.

Why is the video on this post above not using Youtube embed but is self hosted using my Google Video Sitemap?

It is because Youtube can unilaterally delete my channel, particularly if they are targeting direct sales types of videos. Self hosted videos gives me more control, and when it comes to online marketing, you don’t want to leave anything to chance and fate, or what if’s…..

So, tell me what you think!

Is the new Youtube embed indexing friend or foe?

Make a comment, I read them all.