Why are Subtitles Important?
Subtitles have gained popularity in recent years. Sometimes it can even be difficult to watch any videos without having them turned on. As a content creator, subtitles can be leveraged to your advantage.
YouTube will index video subtitles in a Google search, which is one of the reasons it is vital that you not only have subtitles enabled but also have accurate subtitles added to each video you upload.
Optimizing your videos for SEO is one of the greatest things you can do to effectively market yourself and grow an audience. Videos rank high in search results, and previously that was accomplished through video titles, descriptions, and tags. While those still make a difference, as auto-captioning has become more and more accurate, Google has shifted the algorithm to emphasize the actual content of the video. This makes a lot of sense and discourages people from posting misleading titles and tagging spam to get their videos seen.
This change in the algorithm has shifted the focus to improving the video content. The best way to take advantage of this is not only to have auto captions enabled but also to add custom generated titles. This will tell Google exactly what is covered in the content of each video you post.
Another really important reason to add subtitles is for ADA compliance. For hearing or visually impaired internet users, subtitles make your videos accessible for everyone. This will help you rank higher and expand your reach far beyond the standard user base. Manually generated subtitles, being more accurate, are really important here, too.
Hearing or visually impaired users won’t be able to as easily pick up on inaccuracies of auto-captioning. Inaccuracies can be frustrating and even offensive to users. So add subtitles to your videos! And if you have the option of auto-generating them, be sure to go back through and check for accuracy – word for word. This extra step will go a long way in helping you enhance your SEO while building your audience. Not only will your videos become more accessible; they will also likely receive more likes, comments, and shares as well!