Quick answer: To get your videos found on Google and in AI search, do five things: host key videos on YouTube as well as your site, write titles that match real questions, add VideoObject schema to pages with video, write a text summary under every video, and answer one clear question per video. Search engines and AI assistants cannot watch your video, so the text around it does the ranking work.
Why does video SEO matter now?
Two shifts are happening at once. Google shows video results for more and more searches, especially “how to” and comparison questions. And AI assistants like ChatGPT and Perplexity now answer buying questions directly, pulling from content they can read.
Here is the key insight: neither Google nor AI can truly watch your video. They read the text around it: the title, the description, the transcript, the page. Win the text, and your video wins the search.
Step 1: Put your videos on YouTube, not just your site
YouTube is the second biggest search engine, and Google owns it. Videos hosted there show up in Google results, YouTube search, and increasingly in AI answers. Keep polished versions on your website for conversion, and publish the same videos on YouTube for discovery.
Step 2: Write titles that match real questions
People search in questions: “how to make a demo video,” “best onboarding video examples.” Name your videos the way people search, not the way your team talks. “Acme Feature Reel Q3” gets zero searches. “How to Automate Invoices in 2 Minutes” gets found.
Step 3: Add VideoObject schema
Schema is code that tells search engines “there is a video here, and this is what it is about.” Pages with VideoObject schema can get a video thumbnail in Google results, which lifts clicks. If you use WordPress, SEO plugins can add this, or your developer can add it in a few lines.
Step 4: Write text under every video
Never embed a video on an empty page. Under each one, add:
- A 2 to 3 sentence summary of what the video shows.
- The main points as a short list.
- A transcript or the full script if you have it.
This is the text AI assistants quote when someone asks a question your video answers. No text means invisible to AI.
Step 5: One video, one question
A 10-minute video covering eight topics ranks for nothing. A 90-second video answering one question clearly can rank for that exact question. This is the same answer-first idea that works for articles, and it is why we structure our own explainer videos around one core message.
Quick checklist for every video you publish
- Question-style title with your keyword.
- Published on YouTube and embedded on a relevant page of your site.
- VideoObject schema on that page.
- Summary plus transcript under the embed.
- Caption file uploaded (helps viewers and gives YouTube clean text).
- A clear next step at the end, like your free sample or trial.
FAQ
Does video on a page help that page rank?
Video alone does not boost rankings, but it increases time on page and conversions, and it can earn a video thumbnail in results. The surrounding text does the ranking.
Should I host videos on YouTube or my own site?
Both, for different jobs. YouTube for search and discovery. A fast player like Bunny or Wistia on your own site for a clean, ad-free experience where you control the next step.
How do AI assistants find my videos?
Through the text: your transcripts, summaries, page content, and schema. They recommend products based on what they can read, so pages that clearly answer questions get cited. This is the core of AEO, answer engine optimization.
Want videos built to be found and to convert? See our work or talk to us.
