Video Embedding or Video Linking: Which Works Better for Your SEO?
Video is one of the most effective marketing tools that you can use in your website design. Embedded or linked videos on your site can attract greater web traffic volumes, create leads and increase your conversion rates. Nearly 80 percent of video marketers report that including quality videos in your website design builds sales numbers directly.
To determine whether you should embed or link videos for your website design, it is necessary to understand the differences between these two methods.
Embedded Videos
When you embed a video on your website, you are borrowing it from another web platform. This enables your target audience and site visitors to view the video while remaining on your site.
Linked Videos
When you link a video to your website, you are using a shared URL for the video. When they click on the link for the video, your site users are redirected to the hosting page for the video.
When building or revising your website, embedding videos is the ideal option. This method will keep your visitors on your site, while linked videos will send them to an external web page. Of course, you want to keep your site users on your website, viewing all of its pages and content.
Especially if you have an e-commerce site, you want to increase your customer base and sales conversion rates by capturing and maintaining your visitors’ attention and interest.
Embedding Videos: Pros and Cons
Pros
- Optimising Videos for Online Use. Embedding videos is very effective for SEO and your site visitors’ user experience. When you embed a code for a video on your web page, the video is optimised for viewing on your site.
You can modify the embedded code to change the width and height as well as the frame size and other aspects of a video. This enables you to display the video for optimal online and responsive viewing.
- Selecting Start Time. In today’s fast-paced world, website users want to gain information as quickly as possible. When you embed a video, you can set the video’s start time. You can also redirect site viewers to the most relevant part of the video content.
Cons
• Partial Control. You will have only limited control of videos that you embed on your web pages. Any videos that may conflict with the host site’s terms and conditions may be suspended. Yet if you are not violating any of these rulings, you will suffer no consequences. However, if the video is removed, your web page will still exhibit the video embed, which is broken.
• Included Advertisements. If your online business gains revenue via your YouTube AdSense account, you may have ads in videos that you embed on your website. Google advises that you cannot turn off ads for embedded videos only. Your sole choice is to turn off ads completely. Another option is hosting videos on Vimeo. This can provide your site visitors with ad-free viewing of your embedded videos.
• Customising Limitations. There is no way for you to alter the embedded player or thumbnail for an embedded video. An alternative is to use JavaScript as a customising tool for your video player.
Linking Videos: Pros and Cons
Pros
• Sharing Videos Easily. When you link to videos, your site visitors can easily copy the video URL to share. Mobile site users in particular like to send these URLs via email or chat.
• Promoting Your YouTube Channel. If you link to YouTube videos on your web pages, your site visitors can click each link for a redirect to YouTube. There, your visitors can view your other videos and subscribe to your channel.
Cons
• Less Convenience. The redirect to the host page for a linked video can take time. If the host web page loads slowly, your viewers may decide to abandon your website for the site of a competitor.
• Reduced Searchability. Although embedded videos will appear in SERPs, video links rarely do. This may cause your site visitors who like video content to leave your site to view competing website content.
• Distracted Site Visitors. If you link to a YouTube video on your web page, your visitors will follow the link to YouTube. Once there, they may become distracted by other videos and fail to return to your site.