We all know that Google can’t "read" or "see" content within videos, so there’s no way to gain search engine rankings from video, Right? Or is there…

Anyone who uses Google Analytics knows that Google measures the "Avg Time on Site" , so when a visitor comes to your page, Google tracks how long the visitor stays on that page. So let’s assume you have a site about "baby gifts". And, you have a page ranked #10 for the keyword "baby gifts for boys". When a searcher finds your listing and clicks over to your page, Google tracks how long they stay there. Do they leave within seconds by hitting the back button? (also called a "bounce rate" ) Or do they spend two to three minutes looking at all your baby boy gifts?

If your bounce rate is high and visitors don’t stay long, Google will assume that the visitor didn’t find what they were looking for, and then lower your positioning for that keyword . And, the opposite is true too!

If you can find a way to lower your bounce rate, increase the stickiness of your page, and keep visitors on your page longer, Google will reward you with higher positioning. So, what does all this have to do with video?

Well, good video on related topics helps to keep visitors reading and watching your page for a longer period of time. In our above example, if we were to add a video showing baby boys playing with some of the gifts on your site, you may increase the average time on site by several minutes depending on how interesting the video is. So embed good quality, topically related video into your webpage, and Google will notice the increase in "Avg Time on Site", and boost your rankings!

Here are a few video tips to increase page stickiness:

1. Choose a video with tolerable length. If people see that a video is 15 minutes or more in length, they may never watch it and leave. If it’s only 30 seconds, people figure it can’t have anything worthwhile in it. But, if you can find a video that’s about 2-5 minutes in length related to your topic, you’ve found your sweet spot. Of course, you’ll want to test this, since every market is different.
2. Choose a video that informs, educates, or entertains. Most people search the web to learn something they didn’t know before so how-to videos or tutorials are great, and when you can find one that’s only a few minutes, you’ve found the perfect combination.
3. Embed the video above the fold whenever possible to increase stickiness. In order for this trick to work, you need to place the video where visitors will see it, which usually means, right at the top of the copy.

Adding video to a page can also improves the page’s "relevance scent", as Bryan Eisenberg describes in his post "Websites That Stink (in a Good Way) " and in this video from Search Engine Strategies Conference in London:

What are some other methods you use to improve your site’s stickiness?