Universal search results pages contain organic web page listings, product information, Wikipedia information, local businesses and video. Recent additions also include bookmarks from friends, tweets and other social interactions.
Let's talk about video.
Both Google and Bing will include videos from sources including YouTube, eHow and TED, DailyMotion, MSN, Tudou (TF1), Allocine, MySpace, 5min, VideoJug, MTV, and perhaps other sources. However, it's obvious that YouTube is the most popular video website right now.
Video acts as a magnet to your product or service. You can use video to illustrate your specific talents and provide customer education. It also creates a bond between you and your customers that is solidified when they meet you in person or talk to you on the telephone for the first time.
Creating and uploading video to the web can be an easy process or a complex task; it just depends on how high of a production value you are trying to create.
Flip Video camcorders revolutionized how easily someone could record random videos and upload them to YouTube and Facebook. Since Flip's introduction, small hand held HD camcorders are available from many different companies. They all come with their own easy-to-use video editing software and upload features. The iPhone 4 and latest Android phones also have the ability to record video, but their quality and duration is not as good as a dedicated camcorder.
Every video you create has the potential to appear in the SERP and bring a lot of organic traffic to your website. Online videos don't help the SEO of your website, but they do increase traffic and recognition.
Here are some ideas for video:
1. Step-by-step demonstration of custom designing and creating jewelry.
2. Unpacking the latest shipment from Tacori, David Yerman or Pandora; describing each piece.
3. Demonstrate how you clean jewelry and how the customer can also care for their jewelry at home.
4. Create individual videos about each of the 4C's.
5. Upload a video from a real marriage proposal. Ask one of the guys shopping in your store for engagement rings. You might have to provide an incentive to get the video.
Be creative. Most YouTube videos are low budget, or simply raw video uploaded directly from a camera without any editing.
We recommend uploading 1 video per month as a way to get started. YouTube is a must, but you can also upload the same videos to your Facebook page. Eventually you'll have a library of videos online that continue to gain visibility and you can refer people to when they make inquiries by phone or email.
Usually either you or one of your employees will have to be the narrator or the talent in the video. It might take a while to get used to the camera. Without taking videography classes, you should simply be as natural as possible on the video; just pretend you are talking to a customer across the counter.
You can do this. It gets easier every time.
