Video SEO in the Age of AI

Adam Gelencser
6 min readAug 9, 2023

How AI-Generated Metadata Revolutionizes Content Discoverability and Video Editing

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1. Introduction

In an era dominated by the visual and the digital, video content reigns supreme. Videos don’t just entertain; they educate, persuade, and sell. However, as the volume of video content explodes, ensuring your video is seen by your target audience becomes increasingly challenging. Enter Artificial Intelligence (AI) — a tool primed to redefine how videos climb the search ladder.

2. The Rise of Video Content

Did you know that, according to Cisco, by 2022, online videos will make up over 82% of all consumer internet traffic (up from 73% in 2017)? Globally, 3 trillion minutes (5 million years) of video content will cross the Internet each month by 2022. Or that 54% of consumers desire more video content from a brand or business they support? It’s clear that video isn’t just a trend; it’s central to modern marketing and branding strategies.

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3. Traditional Video SEO

Video SEO isn’t a new concept. Traditionally, it relies on creators inputting relevant tags, crafting engaging titles and descriptions, designing click-worthy thumbnails, and using video sitemaps to guide search engines. But herein lies the challenge: it’s manual, time-consuming, and prone to errors and biases. The human touch, while personal, can sometimes miss the nuances that make video content rich and diverse.

4. Moving into AI-Generated Metadata for SEO

Metadata, at its core, acts as the informational backdrop of your video. Picture it as the digital fingerprint, giving search engines a detailed view of what your content contains, leading to improved categorization and, ultimately, better discoverability. Traditionally, this was a manual process. Content creators had to predict and input what they thought viewers and search engines might find relevant about their content. This often led to a simplified representation of the video’s depth.

Enter AI. With the advances in machine learning and video AI algorithms, we can now automate the metadata generation process. These algorithms, sophisticated as they are, can “watch” your video, dissecting it frame by frame. They don’t just look at the obvious elements like the main topic or the spoken content. They can identify background details, understand context, note visual elements, and even gauge emotional tonality. By doing this, AI creates a rich set of comprehensive metadata tags that are far more detailed and nuanced than what a human might generate.

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5. Benefits of AI-Driven Video SEO

  • Increased Accuracy: While the human touch has its value, it’s inherently subjective and sometimes misses out on the many intricacies that a video might contain. AI, being objective, delves deep into the video’s context. By analyzing audio, visual elements, and even subtitles, AI extracts insights that may often be overlooked or deemed non-significant by human creators. This level of detailed tagging ensures that the content is represented accurately and holistically.
  • Time Efficiency: Anyone who has uploaded a video knows that the SEO part can sometimes take as long as the editing itself. With automated processes, content can be analyzed, tagged, and optimized in a fraction of the time it takes manually. This doesn’t just save time; it allows creators to focus more on content creation and less on the technicalities of SEO.
  • Enhanced Discoverability: The more accurate and comprehensive your metadata, the better the chances of your video popping up in relevant searches. It’s not just about quantity, but the quality of metadata. AI ensures that your videos are not just found, but found by those who are genuinely interested in what you have to offer.
  • Dynamic Updating: The digital landscape is not static. Trends change, new keywords emerge, and viewer preferences shift. AI models, especially those that are cloud-based and continuously learning, can revisit your content, update metadata, and ensure it aligns with the current digital environment. Your content remains evergreen and adaptable.

When you combine these benefits, what you get is a powerful, streamlined, and efficient approach to video SEO. AI doesn’t just optimize the process; it revolutionizes it, setting a new gold standard for how videos should be indexed and discovered online.

6. Real-World Application of AI in Video SEO

Take, for instance, QMapper, a cutting-edge tool utilizing AI for video content search and optimization. In a case study, QMapper increased a brand’s video discoverability by 200%, simply by refining and enhancing its metadata. Such tools are not the future — they’re the *now*, and they’re transforming the video SEO space.

7. The Future of Video SEO with AI

In today’s tech-savvy world, it’s easy to envision a reality where the very devices and platforms we use daily understand our preferences and moods, making proactive content suggestions. The next generation of video SEO, powered by AI, promises to bridge the gap between content creators and consumers in ways previously thought of as science fiction.

Personalized Video Content: Current algorithms offer content based on viewing histories and broad demographics. But imagine if your devices could curate content based on how you’re feeling or what you’re doing? For instance, after an intense workout session, your smart TV might suggest a calming meditation video. Or if you’re reading about space exploration, your tablet might autoplay a documentary on the Mars Rover. AI can assess your digital environment, combining it with known preferences, to serve up content that’s tailored just for you.

Voice-Driven Video Searches: As voice assistants like Alexa, Siri, and Google Assistant become more sophisticated, the way we search for content will fundamentally change. Instead of typing “funny cat videos”, you might say, “Show me something funny”. AI will then analyze your previous views, factor in global trends, and showcase content that matches your request. The search becomes more conversational, intuitive, and human-like.

Seamless Multi-Platform Experience: AI-driven SEO won’t just be limited to one platform. You might start watching a video on your phone, continue on your TV, and finish on your laptop. AI will track, optimize, and ensure that your viewing experience is seamless, suggesting follow-up videos or related content across devices.

Understanding Nuances in Content: Future AI algorithms will not only recognize the main themes of a video but also the subtle nuances and subtexts. This allows for a more granular search experience. For instance, searching for “inspiring moments in sports” might yield results that focus on underdog stories, heartwarming displays of sportsmanship, and athletes overcoming personal challenges, all tailored based on what the AI perceives as ‘inspiring’ to the user.

Predictive Content Creation: For content creators, AI might predict what kind of content will trend in the coming weeks or months based on global events, emerging trends, or seasonal changes. This could be a game-changer, enabling creators to produce content that’s timely, relevant, and more likely to get views.

As we move into this bold new era, the boundaries between creator and consumer will blur. AI will serve as a bridge, ensuring that quality content finds its rightful audience, and viewers discover content that resonates with their current state of mind, interests, and needs. The future of video SEO, underpinned by AI, looks not just smart but also deeply empathetic and user-centric.

8. Conclusion

The video editing software landscape is ever-evolving. Staying updated with technological advances, especially in the realm of AI, isn’t just recommended; it’s imperative. Whether you’re a creator, marketer, or avid consumer, delving into AI tools like QMapper can propel your video content to unprecedented heights.

So, how do you feel about AI’s role in video SEO? Have you tried any tools or strategies that integrate AI? Share your experiences in the comments below. If this article provided you with some valuable insights, do share it in your network. Let’s together usher in the age of AI-driven video content!

Stay updated, stay ahead. Until next time.

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Adam Gelencser

Tech enthusiast, currently entrepreneuring — regularly sharing content on tech news and irregularly on other topics. Founder of QMapper.co video AI tool.