A brand new Search Console report known as “Video pages” has prompted a lot angst amongst customers. I’ll clear up a number of the confusion on this put up.
What does the report present?
The report consists of two essential sections:
- Pages containing listed movies. Google calls them “host” pages despite the fact that they might embed or hyperlink to the video, not host it. Google to this point chooses one video per web page regardless of the precise quantity. And the identical video may be related to many pages.
- Pages with movies that Google couldn’t index for causes listed within the report.
The brand new report in Search Console exhibits movies listed and never. Click on picture to enlarge.
What’s the which means of ‘Video listed’?
When it indexes a video, Google is conscious of the file. It makes use of the data within the file and on the web page to discern the which means — and thus the associated queries. That doesn’t imply, by the way, that Google will generate a video rich-snippet in search outcomes.
An listed video could also be eligible for an autoplay preview whereby searchers can view a brief clip when hovering over it, like on YouTube. Up to now, nevertheless, these previews work primarily for precise YouTube pages in search outcomes, however the report might sign Google’s intention to increase the characteristic.
Why isn’t my video listed?
Google lists many potential the explanation why a video is just not listed. The commonest are defective embed codes. That is typical for older websites that use non-YouTube embeds or a plugin. The repair generally is to replace the code and validate the web page in Search Console.
Defective embed codes are a standard motive for movies not being listed. Click on picture to enlarge.
Different causes for not indexing embrace:
- Video is simply too small or too massive. Be certain that the dimensions is 140 to 1,080 pixels vast and at the very least 140 pixels excessive.
- Video is hidden behind JavaScript forcing customers to “Click on to view” the video within the overlay. Google claims it will probably typically entry these movies, however there’s no assurance.
- Video is linked however not embedded.
- Host web page is just not listed or crawled. The report doesn’t embrace pages outdoors of Google’s index — maybe because of a robots.txt directive, a canonical tag pointing to a special URL, the noindex tag, or as a result of Google can not in any other case entry the web page.
How can I get my video listed?
A web page with a video that’s not within the “Video pages” report has two potential fixes:
- Wait. The report is new and can finally embrace extra pages. Furthermore, new pages take time to seem.
- Verify that the host web page is listed utilizing Search Console’s “URL inspection device.”
For an listed host web page, makes certain your video is seen and playable on that web page.
Moreover, implement lazy-loading on your movies to make sure the code doesn’t sluggish web page hundreds.
Lastly, use structured knowledge to extend the possibility of a video incomes a wealthy snippet. There are free video Schema.org mills for that goal. Movies with Schema.org markup will seem in a separate Search Console “Enhancements” report.
Useful Addition
The “Video pages” report is a useful addition to Search Console, particularly for websites that emphasize streaming. It is vital to not overthink the report, nevertheless. Repair the errors after which transfer on. I wouldn’t obsess over it.
