SEO On-Page: Video Optimization
Guides video optimization for Google Search (main results, video mode, Google Images, Discover), video sitemap, VideoObject schema, and indexing. Note: Google now prioritizes YouTube video results in search; YouTube + Reddit comprise ~78% of social media citations in AI Overviews. For YouTube-specific optimization, see youtube-seo; for GEO distribution via YouTube, see generative-engine-optimization. References: Google Video SEO, Semrush YouTube SEO.
When invoking: On first use, if helpful, open with 1–2 sentences on what this skill covers and why it matters, then provide the main output. On subsequent use or when the user asks to skip, go directly to the main output.
Scope
- Discovery & indexing: HTML embed elements, video sitemap
- Metadata: Title, description, thumbnail; stable URLs
- Structured data: VideoObject schema
- Features: Video preview, key moments (Clip, SeekToAction), LIVE badge
- YouTube prioritization: Google favors YouTube in search; embed or host on YouTube for GEO citation
YouTube in Google Search (2025+)
Google prioritizes YouTube video results across search. YouTube receives 48.6B monthly visits (second to Google.com) and is treated as core search infrastructure for AI-driven discovery. Search Engine Land
| Context |
Implication |
| AI Overviews |
YouTube citations surged 25.21% since Jan 2025; instructional (+35.6%), visual demos (+32.5%); long-form dominates (94%) |
| GEO |
YouTube + Reddit = ~78% of social media citations; Perplexity (38.7%) and Google AI Overviews (36.6%) drive most YouTube citations |
| Strategy |
Embed YouTube on site pages for dual indexing; or host on YouTube for GEO citation. See youtube-seo, generative-engine-optimization |
Initial Assessment
Check for project context first: If .claude/project-context.md or .cursor/project-context.md exists, read it for brand and page context.
Identify:
- Hosting: Self-hosted vs YouTube/Vimeo embed
- Page type: Dedicated watch page vs supplementary (e.g. blog with embedded video)
- Features needed: Preview, key moments, LIVE badge
1. Discovery & Indexing
Use Standard HTML Embed Elements
Google finds videos in <video>, <embed>, <iframe>, or <object>. Do not use fragment identifiers to load video; avoid requiring user interaction (click, swipe) to load.
| Do |
Don't |
<video><source src="...mp4"/></video> |
Fragment-only load; JS-injected without fallback |
<iframe src="https://youtube.com/embed/..."> |
Hide video behind paywall without paywall structured data |
JavaScript injection: If video is injected via JS, ensure it appears in rendered HTML; use URL Inspection in Search Console. If using Media Source API, inject HTML video container even when API fails so Google can find metadata.
Video Sitemap
Submit a video sitemap to help Google discover videos. Use <video:video> extension; <loc> = watch page URL.
Structure (from Google):
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9"
xmlns:video="http://www.google.com/schemas/sitemap-video/1.1">
<url>
<loc>https://example.com/videos/watch-page.html</loc>
<video:video>
<video:thumbnail_loc>https://example.com/thumbs/123.jpg</video:thumbnail_loc>
<video:title>Grilling steaks for summer</video:title>
<video:description>Bob shows you how to grill steaks perfectly.</video:description>
<video:player_loc>https://example.com/player?video=123</video:player_loc>
</video:video>
</url>
</urlset>
See xml-sitemap for sitemap index. Video sitemap is an extension; can be standalone or combined.
Indexing Requirements
- Watch page must be indexed and perform well in search
- Video embedded on watch page; not hidden behind elements
- Thumbnail: Valid, stable URL; ≥60×30 px; ≥80% alpha >250 (no heavy transparency)
- Supported formats: 3GP, 3G2, ASF, AVI, DivX, M2V, M3U, M3U8, M4V, MKV, MOV, MP4, MPEG, OGV, WebM, WMV, etc. Data URLs not supported.
Dedicated Watch Page
For video features (main results, video mode, key moments, LIVE badge), create a dedicated watch page per video—page whose primary purpose is to display that video. Examples: video landing page, episode player page, news video page. Not watch pages: blog with embedded video, product page with 360° video, category page with multiple videos.
2. Stable URLs
- Thumbnail: Stable URL; CDNs with fast-expiring URLs can prevent indexing
- Content URL: Stable for video preview and key moments; use
contentUrl in VideoObject
- Player URL: Stable for
embedUrl / player_loc
3. Thumbnail & Metadata
Thumbnail Sources (in priority order)
| Source |
How |
<video> poster |
poster attribute |
| Video sitemap |
<video:thumbnail_loc> |
| VideoObject |
thumbnailUrl |
| OGP |
og:video:image |
Use same thumbnail URL across all metadata sources.
Thumbnail Specs
| Spec |
Requirement |
| Formats |
BMP, GIF, JPEG, PNG, WebP, SVG, AVIF |
| Size |
Min 60×30 px; larger preferred |
| Transparency |
≥80% of pixels with alpha >250 |
| Access |
Must be crawlable (no robots.txt block, no login) |
Unique Metadata per Video
Provide unique thumbnailUrl, name, and description for each video in structured data and sitemap. Consistency with visible content is required.
4. VideoObject Schema
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "VideoObject",
"name": "Grilling steaks for summer",
"description": "Bob shows you how to grill steaks perfectly every time.",
"thumbnailUrl": "https://example.com/thumbs/123.jpg",
"uploadDate": "2025-01-15T08:00:00Z",
"contentUrl": "https://example.com/video/123.mp4",
"embedUrl": "https://example.com/player?video=123"
}
Required for rich results: thumbnailUrl, name, description. Add contentUrl for video preview and key moments. See schema-markup for full VideoObject; serp-features for Video SERP feature.
5. Video Features
Video Preview
Google selects short clips as dynamic previews. Allow Google to fetch video file; use max-video-preview robots meta to limit duration.
Key Moments (Chapters)
| Method |
Use |
| Clip |
Exact start/end + label per segment; all languages |
| SeekToAction |
Tell Google where timestamps live in URL; auto-detect; supported languages: en, es, pt, it, zh, fr, ja, de, tr, ko, nl, ru |
| YouTube |
Timestamps in description; see youtube-seo |
Disable key moments: nosnippet meta.
LIVE Badge
Use BroadcastEvent schema for live streams to show "LIVE" in results.
6. Allow Google to Fetch Video File
For video preview and key moments, Google must fetch the actual video bytes. Do not block contentUrl with noindex or robots.txt. Use stable URLs; ensure both watch page host and video/CDN host have sufficient capacity for crawling.
7. Third-Party Embeds (YouTube, Vimeo)
Google may index both your page and the platform's page. For your watch page: still add VideoObject and optionally video sitemap. For more features (preview, key moments), confirm the platform allows Google to fetch video files.
8. Removal & Restrictions
- Remove: 404 on watch page, or
noindex; or set expires in schema / <video:expiration_date> in sitemap
- Geo-restrict:
regionsAllowed or ineligibleRegion in VideoObject; <video:restriction> in sitemap
9. SafeSearch & Monitoring
- Mark pages appropriately for SafeSearch if content is adult. See Google SafeSearch.
- Search Console: Video indexing report; Video rich results report; Performance filtered by "Video" search appearance.
Specs by Context
| Context |
Priority |
Notes |
| Website video |
VideoObject, sitemap, thumbnail |
This skill |
| YouTube |
Title, description, chapters, thumbnail |
See youtube-seo |
| GEO / AI citation |
YouTube distribution; long-form |
See generative-engine-optimization |
| Featured Snippet (video) |
Video schema; timestamps |
See featured-snippet |
Related Skills
- youtube-seo: YouTube titles, descriptions, thumbnails, chapters
- schema-markup: VideoObject, BroadcastEvent; rich results
- serp-features: Video SERP feature; rich results
- featured-snippet: Video snippet format
- xml-sitemap: Video sitemap extension
- google-search-console: Video indexing report; Video rich results
1---2name: video-optimization3description: When the user wants to optimize videos for Google Search, video sitemap, VideoObject schema, or video SEO on websites. Also use when the user mentions "video SEO," "video sitemap," "VideoObject," "video thumbnail," "video indexing," "video preview," "key moments," "Clip schema," or "embedded video optimization." For page template, use article-page-generator.4---5
6# SEO On-Page: Video Optimization
7
8Guides video optimization for Google Search (main results, video mode, Google Images, Discover), video sitemap, VideoObject schema, and indexing. **Note**: Google now prioritizes YouTube video results in search; YouTube + Reddit comprise ~78% of social media citations in AI Overviews. For YouTube-specific optimization, see **youtube-seo**; for GEO distribution via YouTube, see **generative-engine-optimization**. References: [Google Video SEO](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/video), [Semrush YouTube SEO](https://www.semrush.com/blog/youtube-seo/).
9
10**When invoking**: On **first use**, if helpful, open with 1–2 sentences on what this skill covers and why it matters, then provide the main output. On **subsequent use** or when the user asks to skip, go directly to the main output.
11
12## Scope
13
14- **Discovery & indexing**: HTML embed elements, video sitemap
15- **Metadata**: Title, description, thumbnail; stable URLs
16- **Structured data**: VideoObject schema
17- **Features**: Video preview, key moments (Clip, SeekToAction), LIVE badge
18- **YouTube prioritization**: Google favors YouTube in search; embed or host on YouTube for GEO citation
19
20## YouTube in Google Search (2025+)
21
22**Google prioritizes YouTube video results** across search. YouTube receives 48.6B monthly visits (second to Google.com) and is treated as core search infrastructure for AI-driven discovery. [Search Engine Land](https://searchengineland.com/youtube-seo-ai-overviews-467253)
23
24| Context | Implication |
25|---------|-------------|
26| **AI Overviews** | YouTube citations surged 25.21% since Jan 2025; instructional (+35.6%), visual demos (+32.5%); long-form dominates (94%) |
27| **GEO** | YouTube + Reddit = ~78% of social media citations; Perplexity (38.7%) and Google AI Overviews (36.6%) drive most YouTube citations |
28| **Strategy** | Embed YouTube on site pages for dual indexing; or host on YouTube for GEO citation. See **youtube-seo**, **generative-engine-optimization** |
29
30## Initial Assessment
31
32**Check for project context first:** If `.claude/project-context.md` or `.cursor/project-context.md` exists, read it for brand and page context.
33
34Identify:
351. **Hosting**: Self-hosted vs YouTube/Vimeo embed
362. **Page type**: Dedicated watch page vs supplementary (e.g. blog with embedded video)
373. **Features needed**: Preview, key moments, LIVE badge
38
39---
40
41## 1. Discovery & Indexing
42
43### Use Standard HTML Embed Elements
44
45Google finds videos in `<video>`, `<embed>`, `<iframe>`, or `<object>`. **Do not** use fragment identifiers to load video; avoid requiring user interaction (click, swipe) to load.
46
47| Do | Don't |
48|----|-------|
49| `<video><source src="...mp4"/></video>` | Fragment-only load; JS-injected without fallback |
50| `<iframe src="https://youtube.com/embed/...">` | Hide video behind paywall without paywall structured data |
51
52**JavaScript injection**: If video is injected via JS, ensure it appears in rendered HTML; use URL Inspection in Search Console. If using Media Source API, inject HTML video container even when API fails so Google can find metadata.
53
54### Video Sitemap
55
56Submit a [video sitemap](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/sitemaps/video-sitemaps) to help Google discover videos. Use `<video:video>` extension; `<loc>` = watch page URL.
57
58**Structure** (from Google):
59
60```xml
61<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
62<urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9"
63 xmlns:video="http://www.google.com/schemas/sitemap-video/1.1">
64 <url>
65 <loc>https://example.com/videos/watch-page.html</loc>
66 <video:video>
67 <video:thumbnail_loc>https://example.com/thumbs/123.jpg</video:thumbnail_loc>
68 <video:title>Grilling steaks for summer</video:title>
69 <video:description>Bob shows you how to grill steaks perfectly.</video:description>
70 <video:player_loc>https://example.com/player?video=123</video:player_loc>
71 </video:video>
72 </url>
73</urlset>
74```
75
76See **xml-sitemap** for sitemap index. Video sitemap is an extension; can be standalone or combined.
77
78### Indexing Requirements
79
80- **Watch page** must be indexed and perform well in search
81- **Video embedded** on watch page; not hidden behind elements
82- **Thumbnail**: Valid, stable URL; ≥60×30 px; ≥80% alpha >250 (no heavy transparency)
83- **Supported formats**: 3GP, 3G2, ASF, AVI, DivX, M2V, M3U, M3U8, M4V, MKV, MOV, MP4, MPEG, OGV, WebM, WMV, etc. **Data URLs not supported.**
84
85### Dedicated Watch Page
86
87For video features (main results, video mode, key moments, LIVE badge), create a **dedicated watch page** per video—page whose primary purpose is to display that video. Examples: video landing page, episode player page, news video page. **Not** watch pages: blog with embedded video, product page with 360° video, category page with multiple videos.
88
89---
90
91## 2. Stable URLs
92
93- **Thumbnail**: Stable URL; CDNs with fast-expiring URLs can prevent indexing
94- **Content URL**: Stable for video preview and key moments; use `contentUrl` in VideoObject
95- **Player URL**: Stable for `embedUrl` / `player_loc`
96
97---
98
99## 3. Thumbnail & Metadata
100
101### Thumbnail Sources (in priority order)
102
103| Source | How |
104|--------|-----|
105| `<video>` poster | `poster` attribute |
106| Video sitemap | `<video:thumbnail_loc>` |
107| VideoObject | `thumbnailUrl` |
108| OGP | `og:video:image` |
109
110Use **same thumbnail URL** across all metadata sources.
111
112### Thumbnail Specs
113
114| Spec | Requirement |
115|------|-------------|
116| Formats | BMP, GIF, JPEG, PNG, WebP, SVG, AVIF |
117| Size | Min 60×30 px; larger preferred |
118| Transparency | ≥80% of pixels with alpha >250 |
119| Access | Must be crawlable (no robots.txt block, no login) |
120
121### Unique Metadata per Video
122
123Provide **unique** `thumbnailUrl`, `name`, and `description` for each video in structured data and sitemap. Consistency with visible content is required.
124
125---
126
127## 4. VideoObject Schema
128
129```json
130{
131 "@context": "https://schema.org",
132 "@type": "VideoObject",
133 "name": "Grilling steaks for summer",
134 "description": "Bob shows you how to grill steaks perfectly every time.",
135 "thumbnailUrl": "https://example.com/thumbs/123.jpg",
136 "uploadDate": "2025-01-15T08:00:00Z",
137 "contentUrl": "https://example.com/video/123.mp4",
138 "embedUrl": "https://example.com/player?video=123"
139}
140```
141
142**Required for rich results**: `thumbnailUrl`, `name`, `description`. Add `contentUrl` for video preview and key moments. See **schema-markup** for full VideoObject; **serp-features** for Video SERP feature.
143
144---
145
146## 5. Video Features
147
148### Video Preview
149
150Google selects short clips as dynamic previews. Allow Google to fetch video file; use `max-video-preview` robots meta to limit duration.
151
152### Key Moments (Chapters)
153
154| Method | Use |
155|--------|-----|
156| **Clip** | Exact start/end + label per segment; all languages |
157| **SeekToAction** | Tell Google where timestamps live in URL; auto-detect; supported languages: en, es, pt, it, zh, fr, ja, de, tr, ko, nl, ru |
158| **YouTube** | Timestamps in description; see **youtube-seo** |
159
160Disable key moments: `nosnippet` meta.
161
162### LIVE Badge
163
164Use `BroadcastEvent` schema for live streams to show "LIVE" in results.
165
166---
167
168## 6. Allow Google to Fetch Video File
169
170For **video preview** and **key moments**, Google must fetch the actual video bytes. Do not block `contentUrl` with noindex or robots.txt. Use stable URLs; ensure both watch page host and video/CDN host have sufficient capacity for crawling.
171
172---
173
174## 7. Third-Party Embeds (YouTube, Vimeo)
175
176Google may index both your page and the platform's page. For your watch page: still add VideoObject and optionally video sitemap. For more features (preview, key moments), confirm the platform allows Google to fetch video files.
177
178---
179
180## 8. Removal & Restrictions
181
182- **Remove**: 404 on watch page, or `noindex`; or set `expires` in schema / `<video:expiration_date>` in sitemap
183- **Geo-restrict**: `regionsAllowed` or `ineligibleRegion` in VideoObject; `<video:restriction>` in sitemap
184
185---
186
187## 9. SafeSearch & Monitoring
188
189- Mark pages appropriately for SafeSearch if content is adult. See [Google SafeSearch](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/safesearch).
190- **Search Console**: Video indexing report; Video rich results report; Performance filtered by "Video" search appearance.
191
192---
193
194## Specs by Context
195
196| Context | Priority | Notes |
197|---------|----------|-------|
198| **Website video** | VideoObject, sitemap, thumbnail | This skill |
199| **YouTube** | Title, description, chapters, thumbnail | See **youtube-seo** |
200| **GEO / AI citation** | YouTube distribution; long-form | See **generative-engine-optimization** |
201| **Featured Snippet (video)** | Video schema; timestamps | See **featured-snippet** |
202
203---
204
205## Related Skills
206
207- **youtube-seo**: YouTube titles, descriptions, thumbnails, chapters
208- **schema-markup**: VideoObject, BroadcastEvent; rich results
209- **serp-features**: Video SERP feature; rich results
210- **featured-snippet**: Video snippet format
211- **xml-sitemap**: Video sitemap extension
212- **google-search-console**: Video indexing report; Video rich results
gabrielmoreira