Google has recently updated the video mode in search results to display only pages that have videos as their primary content. This update aims to make it easier for users to find videos without sifting through irrelevant content.
The update was rolled out on December 4, 2023, and may take up to a week to be fully effective. According to Google, a video can be classified as the main content if it meets the following criteria:
- The video is visible without scrolling (above the fold).
- The video is prominently displayed on the page.
- The primary purpose of the page is to present the video.
Examples of pages that meet these criteria include on-demand webinars with transcriptions, free classes taught by experts, and product pages that use videos to demonstrate their products (see screenshot below).
Additionally, Google gives examples of what supplementary video content looks like:
- A blog post where the video is complementary to the text rather than the primary content of the page
- A product details page with a complementary video
- A video category page that lists multiple videos of equal prominence
Site owners can monitor the status of their videos in Search Console video indexing report. Videos that are not the main content will be labeled “No video index,” with reasons to explain why the video was not indexed:
- Invalid video URL
- Unsupported video format
- Unknown video format
- Inline data URLs cannot be used for video URLs
- Video outside the viewport
- Video too small
- Video too tall
Google warns that the number of pages with indexed videos will decrease, likely showing a drop in video impressions. So, if you’re banking on your video to rank in the video search results, you must ensure your videos classify as main content.
Google advises site owners to use its video best practices guide to ensure their videos get indexed correctly.
Video content is becoming increasingly popular as it is more accessible and easy to consume. If video content can support your business, now is the time to capitalize on it.
