Video SEO: Optimize YouTube & Instagram Content for Search

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Video creation and promotion have always played a key role in search engine optimization (SEO), but in 2025, they’re no longer just important—they’re essential. Search behaviors are shifting, and platforms built on video have become the new gateways to discovery.

Instagram recently partnered with Google to allow the search engine giant to index Instagram content from businesses and individual creator accounts. Meanwhile, YouTube is the world’s second-largest search engine after Google, with over 2.5 billion monthly active users.

The takeaway is clear: prioritizing YouTube and Instagram in your SEO strategy is no longer optional. If you want your brand to stand out, compete, and capture attention in search-driven environments, video SEO must be at the core of your approach.

This guide and strategy playbook will help you optimize your YouTube and Instagram content for discoverability, engagement, and conversions. We’ll cover:

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Why Video SEO Matters in 2025

What’s the response you always hear after asking someone a question they don’t know the answer to? “Google it.”

But in 2025, the search landscape isn’t so straightforward anymore. Platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube are rising up to compete with traditional search tools. These platforms have gone beyond providing entertainment to providing the answers to questions that today’s searchers want to know.

“What are spring fashion trends for 2026?” and “What were the highlights from the recent gubernatorial debate?” are both questions that can just as easily be answered via YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram as they can on Google.

What’s causing this new trend? For one, younger audiences use social media as their primary search tool. 41% of Gen Z prefer to discover new products on social media via short-form video.

Plus, video content is useful for helping searchers find products they’re interested in. According to Bazaarvoice’s Shopper Experience Index, 53% of consumers use YouTube and 41% use Instagram for product discovery and research. Wyzowl found that 87% of people have been convinced to buy a product or service by watching a video.

Additionally, videos are highly visible in Google AI Overviews. According to data from BrightEdge/GoDataFeed:

  • Product queries that include videos in results see 64% higher click-through rates.
  • YouTube citations appear in 78% of AI Overviews for product comparison searches.
  • Video content is 3.1x more likely to be cited than text content for the same product information.

ideo SEO statistics (explained in the paragraphs above) 

These trends highlight the importance of incorporating video SEO best practices into your overall SEO and social media marketing strategies.

How Video SEO Works

You might be thinking: “My business already has an SEO strategy. We include high-value videos in our content when it makes sense. Do we really need a separate strategy just for video SEO?”

It’s true—many of the tactics that help blog posts and web pages rank can also give your videos a lift in search or on social platforms. However, a dedicated video SEO strategy ensures your content isn’t just visible, but fully optimized to drive engagement and reach new audiences across multiple channels.

Let’s examine how people actually discover your video content, whether they’re searching on social media platforms or using Google.

YouTube Search Ranking Factors

Google has owned YouTube since 2006, so many elements that help YouTube videos perform well also boost Google search performance. However, there are some key distinctions to keep in mind when it comes to YouTube search rankings.

The YouTube algorithm prioritizes these elements when ranking videos:

Metadata

Your video metadata, such as titles, descriptions, and tags, should contain relevant keywords based on the video’s content. For example, take a look at this video from Double the Donation. It’s optimized for the keyword “matching gift challenges.”

The video includes a brief, optimized title that includes the main keyword:

Screenshot of Double the Donation’s YouTube video titled “Double the Donation: Solving Matching Gift Challenges.”

The description also includes the keyword “matching gift challenges.” It’s not too long, but it includes crucial additional information about the Double the Donation brand.

Description of the Double the Donation video called “Double the Donation: Solving Matching Gift Challenges.” The description includes the keyword “matching gift challenges.”

Engagement signals

YouTube is more likely to showcase videos that receive higher audience engagement, measured by data such as watch time, click-through rates, likes, comments, and shares.

Video structure and closed captions/transcripts

Using features such as Chapters, captions, and transcripts helps enhance both accessibility and indexing.

➡️Here’s the bottom line: YouTube SEO is about aligning metadata with user intent and maximizing engagement signals.

Instagram Search Ranking Factors

Because Instagram posts, Reels, and videos are now indexed by Google, you can use content shared to this platform to extend your reach to new audiences (beyond your existing followers).

On-platform factors that can help improve search ranking include:

  • Including keywords in your Instagram captions
  • Using hashtags to boost discoverability both on Instagram and on Google
  • Providing descriptive alternative text for better accessibility and to provide Google with greater context
  • Using aesthetically pleasing, keyword-aligned video thumbnails
  • Increasing video engagement on Instagram through audience interaction

➡️Here’s the bottom line: Instagram videos now contribute to Google Search visibility, making optimized captions, hashtags, and alt text even more important.

How Google ties everything together

YouTube and Instagram videos can appear on Google’s search results pages in multiple ways:

  • Optimized YouTube videos often appear as rich snippets with thumbnails and timestamps.
  • Google’s new AI-generated search results increasingly feature YouTube videos—as mentioned, videos are 3.1× more likely to be cited than text in product-related AI Overviews.
  • With Google now crawling Instagram content, optimized captions, hashtags, and alt text can help your videos show up for broader keyword searches.

➡️Here’s the bottom line: Google is pulling videos from everywhere—especially YouTube and now Instagram—to satisfy users’ demand for visual, quick, and engaging answers.

Preparing Your Video SEO Strategy

Three steps to launch a successful video SEO strategy: conduct keyword research, create high-quality videos, and measure success.

1. Conduct Keyword Research

Keywords perform a similar function in video SEO as they do in any SEO strategy. They help ensure your video content gets discovered by a wider audience.

  • YouTube autocomplete: Head to YouTube and start typing phrases in the search bar that are relevant to your video’s topic. The autocomplete function will automatically suggest topics that users search for the most.
  • Instagram search bar: Similar to YouTube autocomplete, you can type topics related to your video in Instagram’s search bar and see other similar terms that users are looking for.
  • Seodity’s Free Instagram Keywords Finder: This tool provides valuable keyword insights such as search volume, user intent, and keyword difficulty—a metric that shows how competitive a term is and how hard it may be for your content to gain visibility and traction around it. The higher the difficulty score, the more effort (and stronger optimization) it will take for your video or post to appear in Instagram search results.
  • Semrush: This platform is a robust tool for tracking keywords and assessing SEO success. You can find high-traffic keywords and build a video content strategy around them. You can also evaluate the effectiveness of your organization’s backlinking profile and run technical audits to spot and fix mistakes quickly.
  • Google Trends for YouTube: Use the YouTube filter on Google Trends to discover popular topics users are searching for and their interest over time in specific trends. You can focus on keywords that are currently trending to capture attention. However, it’s not sustainable to be constantly trend-chasing, so prioritize keywords with sustained interest over time.

Focus on long-tail keywords for niche discovery. These keywords are often easier to get traffic for because there isn’t as much competition from other brands. Plus, you can use these keywords to capture the attention of more qualified audiences.

For example, if you run a nonprofit consulting business with a local focus, you’ll likely generate better leads by targeting a keyword like “nonprofit consulting for healthcare organizations in [your city]” rather than a broad term such as “nonprofit consulting firms.” The more specific phrase may bring in fewer searches overall, but the people who find you will be far more aligned with your services.

2. Create High-Quality Videos that People Want to Watch

When it comes to video SEO, keyword optimization will only take you so far. Your videos have to be engaging, informative, and watchable. Focus on quality content over quantity of videos.

Keep these key considerations in mind when planning out your video content:

  • Use professional equipment. For formal, branded videos, your lighting, camera, and microphones should be professional-grade equipment. You may post some videos with a more off-the-cuff feel that are filmed on a smartphone, but you should ensure that even those videos have clear audio and footage.
  • Keep videos brief. Shortform videos work much better for Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and LinkedIn posts.
  • Ensure your videos are useful and on-topic. Every video should have a clear goal, whether to inform, entertain, or inspire your audience to take action.
  • Feature subject matter experts in your videos. Sound bites or interviews with experts will make your content much more compelling and credible.

Your videos don’t have to be scripted, but they should be polished. For example, a video clip from a webinar wouldn’t be scripted, but it should have a professional feel, with good lighting and straightforward points shared by the speaker.

If you’re not sure where to start when it comes to filming, editing, and posting high-quality videos, the experts at Nexus Marketing are here to help. We can help you build a portfolio of high-quality videos to support your SEO and brand strategy and amplify your reach. Work with us to create explainer, product, demo, and SEO-support videos.

3. Measure Success

Use tools such as YouTube Analytics, Instagram Insights, and Google Search Console to monitor your video results and identify high and low-performing videos. Track key metricssuch as:

  • Impressions
  • Click-through rates (CTR)
  • Watch time
  • Retention
  • Search-driven views

Run frequent metrics reports to keep track of video engagement patterns. Note which videos perform well and which aren’t as popular to maximize what’s working and adjust what isn’t.

How to Optimize YouTube and Instagram Videos for Search

Take your video SEO strategy beyond the basics by using these optimization checklists to ensure you’re following best practices for each platform.

YouTube SEO Best Practices Checklist

YouTube SEO Best Practices Checklist (all items listed below) 

✅Compelling, keyword-driven titles.

✅ Brief, keyword-rich video descriptions (200 characters or fewer are ideal).

✅ Accurate tags and categories to support a better user experience.

✅ Customized, branded thumbnails that convey the essence of your video.

✅ Accurate subtitles or transcripts to support both accessibility and search visibility.

✅ Playlists to organize your videos by theme.

✅ Chapters to divide longer videos by key themes.

✅ An interactive engagement strategy that makes use of calls-to-action (CTAs), comments, likes, and the community tab.

Instagram SEO Best Practices Checklist

Instagram SEO Best Practices Checklist (all items listed below) 

✅ Engaging captions with clear keyword placement and engaging storytelling.

✅ A balance of broad and niche hashtags to achieve max visibility while avoiding looking spammy.

✅ Descriptive alt text with keywords included.

✅ Branded, clickable thumbnails/video covers.

✅ Reels-specific optimizations, such as using trending audios or memes.

How Nexus Marketing Supports Video SEO

Here at Nexus, we offer more than just video creation services. We can fully integrate client videos into search-optimized distribution channels, including YouTube and Instagram, to maximize visibility and discovery.

We offer upload kits to clients that include the following optimized video elements:

  • Engaging optimized titles
  • Concise and effective descriptions
  • Relevant hashtags
  • Branded thumbnails

With these elements, you can create an intentional video SEO strategy based on core ranking criteria. We offer this service for both newly produced videos (integrated during production) and historical/self-produced content (retroactive SEO uplift).

If you’re ready to invest in the success of your video SEO approach, your Nexus account manager can lay out a customized strategy no matter where you’re starting from.

Not yet a Nexus client? We’d love to hear from you! Contact us to tell us about your video SEO and other digital marketing needs.

Increase visibility and organic reach with targeted video SEO services. Work with Nexus Marketing to create a customized approach that drives engagement. Let’s Discuss Your Goals. 

Wrapping up

In 2025, video SEO is critical for connecting with your target audience. YouTube and Instagram are just as important for brand awareness as they are for search discovery. Proactively creating a video SEO strategy will set you up for success as Google continues to deeply integrate social media and YouTube into its algorithm.