YouTube might seem like a new media that isn’t always relevant business models but used correctly it can help your business’s SEO and lead to first page search results.

All search engines, whether they be Google, Bing, or Yahoo incorporate a variety of different search results into their pages. For example, when you search “dog” on Google, you are provided with website links, photos, videos, and news results. Google holds over 60% of the search engine market share and the video results on a Google search are taken off of YouTube (which Google owns). YouTube is the largest video sharing community in the world with up to eight years of footage being uploaded daily and over 3 billion videos being viewed daily. Some of those 3 billion views can be yours as long as you tag you videos properly.

Having a YouTube channel can allow you to get hands on with your customers, showcase your expertise, and highlight new products. Videos of products also offer richer information than a stagnant image on a website. In the end your goal is to rise up the SEO rankings and ultimately drive traffic to your home page.

For example, say you have a new product coming out. You could create a video and write a blog post around the video explaining the benefits and features of this new product. You tag both the blog post and the video properly so that Google indexes the page and video appropriately. This works especially well for businesses in niche markets where having videos might seem unnecessary. By creating video you can land yourself on the front page of the search results and really stand out from your competitors for being genius and current enough to create a video.

Take our client Xtech for example. When you search “ATCA front panel” a YouTube video on their channel is incorporated in the first page of the Google search results in addition to their home site. Not all businesses in the same line of work as Xtech might think to create a video for this product, but this is what makes them stand out to those customers who find these front panels important and are looking for more information. For Xtech landing on the front page is a huge accomplishment brought about by SEO and proper tagging.

When creating YouTube videos keep in mind who your audience is. You’re not looking to create the next cute dog viral video sweeping the internet, you are looking to engage both current and potential clients.

When venturing into YouTube there are a few things to keep in mind:

• Choose an appropriate user name that clearly identifies your business. Try to get as close to the actual name of your business as possible to avoid confusion.
• Upload a user picture, preferably your company’s logo.
• Make sure to include your company’s website in your profile information.
• Choose a color scheme that isn’t overwhelming. Generally videos look better against a black or white background as it allows viewers to focus on the footage.

Lastly, make use of the metric tools YouTube provides you about who is watching your videos. In the lower right hand corner next to the number of views a video has there is a graph. Click it, and YouTube will provide you with valuable insights about who your audience is and where traffic is coming from. A good example is the popular Shark Week 2011 promo video. (Click the thumbnail to enlarge the image.)

YouTube videos are just one of the many ways in which you can rise up the SEO rankings and drive traffic to your business’s homepage. Use it wisely and start to distinguish yourself among your competitors. Happy YouTubing!