There is quite a fuss being made about how online video SEO (search engine optimisation) can help most small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). Using video as a method of enticement can substantially increase your website traffic and also your conversion rates. Many are already using online video SEO to help drive actions and sales, but many more fail to see the benefit of using online video as a viable (additional) marketing tool.

Typically, when consumers are searching for a particular product, they will search a fair amount of websites before committing to one and completing the purchase. However, when these product sites add videos to promote their products, consumers are more likely to search fewer sites for the product they require. This emphasises the notion of how online video can help SMBs, and also shows how placing strategic video throughout your site can help enhance and stimulate the buying process.

Through the use of online video, conversions from general organic searches could see a sharp spike, depending on what you are offering. On an organic search engine results page (SERP), your online video could make an impression on the user to the extent that they do not feel the need to search elsewhere for alternatives. While online video is in its infancy as a marketing tool, it is a viable way of creating a distinctive identity for your company and/or product that will set you apart from the rest. But as time passes this trend will surely change, as more and more SMBs turn to online video as a method of advertising.

Businesses are focusing on methods to measure the efficacy of online video marketing, and are moving past the idea of just publishing a video to be more unique. This objective is to show the right video at the right time, but this is a more long-term goal.

The thing to remember is that something new and shiny will always get attention. Website quality and relevant content is what will keep consumers visiting your site regularly. These can be accentuated by the effective use of technology and presentation formats i.e. online video. But in order for technology to be effective it has to be implemented appropriately.

When implemented correctly, online video can make your site more useful and relevant to the consumer, and this is good for SEO as well as business purposes. In order for online video to be continually used as an effective online marketing tool, however, it needs to stay fresh and evolve alongside the industry.

Online video is here to level the playing fields and allow SMBs to vie fairly with larger cash-injected companies by showcasing their strengths in an affordable and entertaining way. This is an amazing initiative in terms of online competition and can only be good for the market. And the consumers will be happy too. Now it`s just up to the smaller businesses to build up a strong online reputation and actually start investing in online videos. Whether they survive or not could hinge on this.