Video on YouTube or on my own site?
Adding videos to your pages or posts can enrich the experience a user has on your site. In our case, for instance, when we want to explain how a certain feature of Yoast SEO works, adding a video or screencast showing you how to use it, will most likely contribute to the understanding of the use of it. So sensibly adding videos to your site – at the right spots – is something we recommend!
You might wonder though if it’s better to upload the video to your own server, or to use a platform like YouTube and embed it. Learn what’s best!
Tony Devine emailed Ask Yoast with this question:
“I’m going to add a third party video, which I have permission to use, to my website. It’s already hosted on YouTube. Should I put the files on my own server or should I leave them on YouTube instead?”
Check out the video or read the answer below!
Video on YouTube or own site
Well, to be honest, it doesn’t really matter, because getting the video snippet in the search results – which was quite easy in the old days – is quite hard now. So instead of allowing every site in the search results to have video snippets, Google has switched to a system with white listing sites that are allowed to have video snippets. And the chances of your site being among them are zero, to be honest.
So you’re not going to get a video snippet. The boost that you would get from that particular SEO benefit is gone. This means the biggest boost that you’ll get from adding a video, is that people will interact with your page more if that video is on there. So it might still be a very good idea to have that video on that page. However, it doesn’t really matter at that point where you have posted it.
The only thing that I would consider – if you have permission to use and do some stuff to the video – is republishing the video somewhere. Either on YouTube or somewhere else, and optimize the metadata, because then you could be found on YouTube. And YouTube is actually the second biggest search engine in the world after Google. So maybe think of that. If you’re not allowed to do that, just include the YouTube URL and you’re fine.
Good luck!”
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Hello, Joost!
Perfect answer!
I go the same exact route of YouTube because you know uploading the videos on my server can extensively increase the size of files/database.
And I, too, agree with the fact that adding the video in the post does a lot. Imagine you’re recording the video to explain the blog post, it gives the extra edge to become a trusted blogger.
Good work! :)
~Adeel
Uploading videos to your server might not be a great idea after all. Anyway, I’ve never considered it now that I operate on limited hosting space. Again if you think of additional benefits you might get from youtube alone (extra views and traffic), I think it’s wise to stick with youtube
Please tell me (and your other commenters) if this topic was generated by YouTube’s April 6 announcement that it would no longer put ads on YouTube channels with fewer than 10,000 views. And how your suggestion would benefit these smaller channels. Thanks.
My email address is correct.
Hello valk,
Great post….. your are right by adding a video in the content makes it look more professional and attractive for readers and also helps in explaining more technical thing in a easy manner.
Thanks for sharing.
What does your answer mean for the Yoast Video SEO plugin – if I understand your answer correctly, it sounds like you’re saying the plugin isn’t much use anymore?
Hey Mark,
the Video SEO plugin makes the video show up in video search in Google, and it enhances the metadata for the video so when you share the URL on Facebook and Twitter it’s shown as a video. This is, of course, still hugely valuable.
However I cannot and will not deny that a part of the initial value the Video SEO plugin had, giving you video snippets in normal search results, is gone.
Thanks, especially for the frankness of your reply.
The Facebook point is an important one for me, which I’d overlooked so for me at least there is some value still in the plugin.
Your answer surprises me. Today, people are used to HD or even Full-HD video. So, files are huge. We are talking GBs here. If you have some traffic, this will quickly overload the server, and your hosting company won’t be happy either. Self-hosted video is more often than not a bad idea. And why would you bother? There are many decent video hosting companies that won’t bug your visitors with ads.
Hey Mike,
I don’t think you “got” what I was saying. I’m not saying put it on your own server, per se :)
Hi Mike,
When you say to republish the video somewhere else, are you saying to upload it to Vimeo for example while still having the same one on a YouTube account?