If improving your websites look, effectiveness, and Google ranking is on your list of things to do for 2010, then having video on your site is a must do.

Whilst the communication benefits of video have been promoted for decades, and more so since the first video content was posted on the internet, the case supporting the use of video on most business websites from a cost/return perspective has only just been settled as we start the new decade.

This year – online video content will evolve from its perception as an entertainment and communication fad, and develop to establish the medium globally as a full blown entertainment channel – and a must have feature for every business website.

Whilst Google is the worlds most used search engine, it is no surprise that YouTube, also owned by Google, is the second most used.  Back in 2007, such was the perceived value in online video that Google purchased YouTube for about 1.5 billion USD.

When looking to develop your sites search engine optimisation, it appears that Google now rank video higher than audio podcasts and blogs.  This fact alone is a compelling case for website video. Even more compelling, is the fact that Google now translates the voice track on a video into searchable text.  In other words – what you say on your video can now impact directly on its potential to rank as a stand alone result in a related search.  This could result in the video alone drawing users to your web site.

There is also data that also suggests you should have more than just the one video, especially if it’s on your home page.  It would appear that Google defaults home page videos as promotional, and videos on secondary pages as informational.  So, whilst a home page video is an excellent facility for providing an overview of your business and what you do, which is important, so too is the use of a more specific, informational video loaded further within your site.

To date the case for a website video has been very much bundled around the communication strengths that an AV presentation provides.  Now, the data is compelling.  Anyone interested in increasing traffic to their website should be planning their web video marketing now.  The key thereafter is to ensure what users see is relevant, and of a quality that backs up your business or service.  In this fickle age of online consumerism, when it comes to web video – the viewer can be very quick to change channel if they are not happy!