A Word About Video Search Engines

Searching for a video on a specific topic? Look no further than a video search engine, a specialized search engine that crawls the web for video content. In addition to searching by keyword, many of these sites allow users to search by video file type, or by the length of the clip. Search results are typically displayed as a thumbnail and a short description. Some video search engines simply search externally hosted content, while others allow content to be uploaded and hosted on their own servers (such as YouTube).

Video search engines began appearing in 2004, and the technology has since evolved quickly. Some video searches are performed using human-powered search (meaning that the results are based off tags that people have applied to videos), while others use complex algorithms that work automatically to detect what a specific video is about. Translating speech from a video into searchable text is possible, but the technology is not yet completely refined, especially when there is ambient noise or multiple people speaking at the same time.

Video search engines can be classified as either independent or proprietary. Basically, an independent search engine is one that gives equal weight to all results, regardless of where the videos are hosted. Most of these search engines do not host their own content. Some of the more popular independent video search engines include Blinkx, CastTV, Truveo, and ZaPom. Meanwhile, other video search engines are proprietary. This means that the results are modified due to hosted content receiving preferential treatment. For instance, videos hosted on YouTube tend to be highly ranked in Google video search because YouTube is owned by Google. Some of the other major proprietary video search engines include AOL Video and Yahoo! Video.

So, what does all this mean for your business? In the increasingly complex world of video marketing, it is essential to stay a step ahead of your competition by making sure your videos show up in a preeminent position when your keywords are entered into the search box. Skillman Video Group’s team of optimization experts can help you each step of the way in ensuring that your customers can find you quickly and easily! Contact us today to get started optimizing your video!