Multimedia search is here. Are you being found?
Blended Search.
Blended search or as Google calls it, Universal Search, extends farther then just offering video clips to search engine users. Make a few different searches right now and you most likely see results that include; video, audio, image, news, articles, shopping results, and more. This is what makes Universal Search so great. With Google’s GAUDI (Google Audio Index), what you “say” will now be indexed and searchable. This is especially valuable information when considering Video Search Engine Optimization (VSEO). The audio included in your content will be indexed, and its relevance calculated, along with keywords and other values.
Audio indexing is a big step in “relevance” targeted web search. If your content is interesting, informative, and engaging, than it will have a great start at becoming a top search engine result. No longer will the business with the loudest mouth, or the deepest pockets, win the customer’s ear. Today’s consumers actively seek out their information, and it’s the relevant message that will be heard.
Image Searches.
Image search is a little more well known then GAUDI, or Google scholar, for example. Google has had an image search engine since 2001 and has since integrated it into their Universal Search. Every image that you upload to the web should be optimized so that the search engines can index the image and present it as a result in the SERPs (Search Engine Results Page). The new search engines will now present images along with the other results in a basic web search. This is great for companies who are already aggressive marketers. Now every event or production can be photographed and optimized. The more events your business puts on, the more content you can put on the web, and the more traffic you will invariably receive.
This ability to put out a mass of consistent content is invaluable in today’s saturated marketplace, and when linked with the power of video and VSEO, businesses have a HUGE potential to corner their respective markets online. Even if a large corporation is already ranking on the first page, smaller businesses can gain rank along with them, by creating and maintaining a mass of consistent and relevant content.
News Searches and Beyond
Other results included in blended search are: news articles, blogs, forums, social networking pages, etc. Articles and blogs have rapidly become important sources of information for internet users searching for answers. Having articles written on a consistent basis and posting them to your blog can help your campaign in a few different ways. The first will be the all encompassing SEO ranking. How does your website rank in the search engines? Articles are one of the most frequently linked to types of media. The reason for this is obvious, blogs contain the bulk of information that is out there. Whether they be in carefully crafted and professionally copy-written articles, or in a forum discussing particular subjects, users will read your content if the information is relevant to their query.
If your information is especially useful, you may earn a “link.” Links are gained when another site links to your information. Perhaps a company thought your article was relevant in gaining them more sales, so they will direct their users to your site for additional information. Search engines see this as being especially relevant. The more content you provide, the better chance at being noticed by not only the search engines, but by the users themselves.
Users play an integral role in the search engine algorithms. The search engines apply values to images, audio transcripts, articles, and social media pages. If your content’s values are aligned with the search engine’s, you are almost guaranteed to have your content rank in searches. From there, your presence will grow exponentially as users find your content and begin linking to it. The marketing multiplier that is social networking will expound the number of users seeing your content. This is how content can potentially go “viral.”
Viral Marketing
Viral marketing is somewhat of an oxymoron and is a subject that is touched upon by many different types of businesses. Content that attracts thousands or even millions of views is considered viral. This type of response depends heavily on timing and the current popular culture. Some companies will try very hard to “sell” you viral marketing services. It is extremely rare and unlikely that any company can guarantee this, even if they have seen significant success in the past. Creating a viral video, or article, etc, has a lot to do with timing and the community involved. Since you can never consistently project an outcome, it can hardly be considered a marketing strategy.
We never suggest that people go after these so-called “viral” marketing plans. With such high expectations of becoming the next internet sensation, it is easy to lose site of your actual goal. Which is to MAKE MONEY. It’s great if ten million people have watched your video, but if they don’t buy from you, what’s the point? Use your content to inspire confidence in your business, and users will react positively to your clear and transparent information. Properly optimized, this information will be available and visible to anyone with access to a search engine.