If you’ve ever searched for a how-to guide or a recipe, you’ve probably seen video thumbnails in the search results. These thumbnails make it easier to find video content related to your search query, but they can also clutter up the search results page. Google recently announced that they’re reducing what triggers video thumbnails in the SERPs. In this blog post, we’ll explore what this means and how it will impact search results.
What Are Video Thumbnails?
Video thumbnails are small images that represent video content. When you search for a query that’s related to video content, Google may display video thumbnails in the search results. These thumbnails can help you quickly identify video content related to your search query. They may also include information such as the video’s title, duration, and view count.
Why Is Google Reducing What Triggers Video Thumbnails?
Google is reducing what triggers video thumbnails in the search results to improve the user experience. Video thumbnails can be helpful, but they can also make the search results page cluttered and difficult to navigate. Google’s goal is to show users the most relevant results for their search query, without overwhelming them with too much information.
What Will Trigger Video Thumbnails?
Google will now only display video thumbnails for certain types of queries. Specifically, they’ll only display video thumbnails for queries that are specifically related to video content. For example, if you search for “how to change a tire,” you may not see any video thumbnails in the search results. However, if you search for “how to change a tire video,” you may see video thumbnails.
This change will help ensure that video thumbnails are only displayed for users who are specifically looking for video content. It will also help reduce clutter on the search results page, making it easier for users to find the information they need.
What Impact Will This Have on Search Results?
This change will likely have a significant impact on search results. For websites that rely on video content, it may be more difficult to get their videos to appear in the search results. However, this change will likely improve the user experience, as it will ensure that users are only shown video thumbnails when they’re specifically looking for video content.
Additionally, this change may encourage websites to optimize their video content for search. Websites that want their video content to appear in the search results will need to ensure that their video titles and descriptions include relevant keywords.
What Should You Do If Your Website Relies on Video Content?
If your website relies on video content, there are a few things you can do to ensure that your videos continue to appear in the search results. First, make sure that your video titles and descriptions include relevant keywords. This will help Google understand what your video content is about, and will increase the likelihood that it will appear in the search results.
Second, consider creating a video sitemap. A video sitemap is a file that provides information about your video content to Google. It can help Google understand the structure of your website and the relationship between your video content and other pages on your site.
Finally, consider promoting your video content through other channels. For example, you could share your videos on social media, embed them in blog posts, or include them in email newsletters. By promoting your video content, you can increase the likelihood that it will be seen by users, even if it doesn’t appear in the search results.
Conclusion
Google’s decision to reduce what triggers video thumbnails in the search results is a significant change that will impact search results. While this change may make it more difficult for websites that rely on video content to appear in the search results, it will likely improve the user experience by reducing clutter on the search results page.
Read more blog: Google Search Console Tutorial: Analyzing Traffic Drops