Internet Marketing Business Blog James Schramko

Video sitemaps are totally HOT indeed! This is why I included this functionality natively inside my S3FlowShield plugin for WordPress.

If you are using WordPress and S3 to host your videos, the plugin will make it super simple to auto-generate a sitemap entry when you embed a video….and ping Google as well.

It automatically populates the sitemap info, such as category, tags, and even video views and ratings (if you enable this functionality in the plugin). Check out the features on the how-to page: http://www.s3flowshield.com/helpvideos/

Does not matter how you generate your sitemaps, as long as you DO IT!

Wil

Great post. Very interesting and a fantastic tool. I wish I knew that about 1 day ago.

Nice one Wil.

The reason I use an external player (EZs3) is I have content on many many sites. One player can be used across many many sites at once. Especially powerful for affiliates too! Your solution looks good for one or two dedicated sites.

James,

There is give and take for sure. One thing I do not like about services such as EZS3, which led me to develop the S3FlowShield plugin is the fact that once you start using that service, you are locked in. If you ever cancel, your videos will stop working (on all your sites). If they are ever down, your video will stop working (on all your sites). I could go on and on. My point is that I prefer to be locked into as few vendors as possible and keep as much control of the pieces of my business as I possibly can. The more critical the pieces are, the more concerned I get.

Not to mention that eliminating the monthly costs is a nice benefit as well.

Wil

P.S.: Remember that if your videos are stored on S3 (centralized), it is just as simple to embed them on a WordPress site with a plugin shortcode as it is to paste the EZS3 code…

Yes, agreed Wil.

At least with Amazon the videos are there all the time even if the player service fails one day.

EZs3 allows you to re-direct upon conclusion.
Affiliates can embed content on any page
You can measure analytics
You can create playlists
EZS3 gives you basic URL lockdown
EZS3 can be embeded into VBulletin protected membership areas

If I only had one or two blogs – yes – I would use a plugin.

I’ve heard good things about EZS3. I’ve talked to a few people who use it and they like it.

However…

I have first hand experience with S3FlowShield and it really kicks some booty. I’ve installed it, I’ve seen it in action and it’s great.

Wil also provides top notch support and frequent updates. You’ve gotta love that.

Cant comment on the plugin, looks pretty cool though.

But I’m definitely hooked on EZS3.

They’ve been adding some really cool features like redirects after videos / replacing your video with content or opt in box amongst other things.

Never had a problem with any of there players or anything, rock solid!

Thank you, I’ll be bookmarking this post for future reference.

The general consensus is that video ranks highly and is popular with the masses.

I myself enjoy watching videos as a learning medium, so I’m planning on adding videos on my sites to assist visitors who’d rather watch than read.

If adding a video site map will speed up the ranking process, then it’s a good thing for me and my readers.

I’m assuming if YouTube hosts your video, it’s not necessary to add a site map

Thanks again James and Dave

Hi James

Nice sitemap feature

Wil, nice software ap

Not sure where that rumour got started, but…

… if you cancel at eZs3.. your videos continue to play
(this has always been the case)

.. if our dedicated servers go down.. your videos continue to play
(We enabled playback from s3 in March)

The monthly cost.. I’ve always said that our return is the time saved making and deploying your media.. we will save you $20 in time…

We have a free version coming out – with a reduced feature set – so that should help those who have more time but less funds!

And we’ve developed an ‘expiring link’ option for those who are wanting extra protection for their files

One thing that is worth mentioning is that you can give your affiliates and partners your eZs3 embed script and they can play your video-ads…no plugins needed

TomC
Founder eZs3

I use the embed scripts with affiliates and it is awesome!!! They are streaming my podcasts all over the place and I can update it at my end.

(This can also be used for blog networks like an ad server)

@Tom,

Thanks for the updated info! I was told the videos would stop playing if the subscription was cancelled. I’m glad to hear that is not the case and will correct anyone who says so from now on!

Wil

@Mark,

re: Youtube. If you are embedding Youtube videos on your site, then creating a video sitemap makes sense. Otherwise, no need for one as Google does a good job of taking care of its own

Dave

Great post as always James you give us the most up to date breaking information as it becomes available.
tnx Graeme

Thanks for this James, really useful.

Video Sitemaps are totally awesome, that is why I build a Video Sitemap Generator WP Plugin that does all this described by James on autopilot every time you add a flash video to your blog.

Great post. I have been using Ezs3 for the past year and I am glad that they are finally implementing the expiring links function to protect content, which is the reason I purchased s3 Flowshield too.

Ezs3 just make it a lot easier to get your video up on your site fast. And if you want to make changes or upload a different start screen, the effect is global across all your videos no matter where you have embedded them.

Love video. It’s the actor in me! Ive been reading quite a bit about html5 and flash. I need my videos to play on the iPhone and iPad – the JW Player has a beta version I’m testing – so at the moment I’m opting for the S3, Player Plugin and Video Sitemap plugin. Anyway – exciting times – can’t be bored!

Fantastic to find this article today. I was actually using my EZS3 account to create a videos page on my site, and was debating on buying the $97 plugin formy WP site for video sitemap. Wonder why Tom does not promote this tool more often… Anyway – a big Florida thank you!

Scott

Thank you so much for this detailled information. I did not have to do any research myself, just had to read the series of comments and got all of my questions answered. I just made a number of videos and was wondering how to put them on my blog without having to upload them to Youtube. Great stuff!

Christine

How does this work for the MRSS version of a video sitemap? Because I know google supports this along with all the other video submission sites?

Because I created a .xml file just in notepad and then made a landing page on my site to where I can embed my youtube videos, but then read that I should’ve probably done the MRSS option.

Thanks!

@Dustin M.

The video sitemap generator here does not create a MRSS version.

Thanks.

Dave

An excellent piece of work yet again. I take away more from a lot of your free information than I get from paid for information that seems to be re-hashed by many of these so called “gurus”. Hats off to you! And cheers!

HMmm. very interesting. it’s also very useful. i hope to try this one..

re the above comment by Mark Dulisse. Has anyone played with his Video Sitemap Generator WP Plugin, in conjunction with eZs3-playered videos? Without buying a subscription for the plugin, it is impossible to know whether this plugin readily accepts eZs3 embed code.

I still think a xml file is pretty )
Very nice and useful post. I am sure that has help already plenty of video content pages to a top-ranking. Time to get things moving here.

I’m using blip.tv to host my videos and they give me different options for the video location. There is the embed code I use on my site plus these three examples below. Which do I use? How do I know if I used the right one? Will google just not verify it if I submit the wrong one? HELP!

http://blip.tv/file/4828069

http://blip.tv/file/get/Futuresoundtvraw-COMACHIXT3SLUMVILLAGEILLAJBackstageInterviewTOKYO77

http://a16.video2.blip.tv/10130007944841/Futuresoundtvraw-COMACHIXT3SLUMVILLAGEILLAJBackstageInterviewTOKYO774.mp4?brs=2267&bri=11.2

You would probably use the embed code.

I would say you want to host your videos through AmazonS3 or some other private source (not on a public sharing site). The bigger dog will win the fight… what I mean is that if the video is indexed on blip first, then that same video embedded on your site is duplicate content

The links in your sitemap should be to videos hosted on your site, not embedded from a free video sharing source…

the same video on many sites is a good thing not a bad thing – it gets more eyeballs and the code wont be getting you SEO love anyway. Text will drive seo more.

So is everyone saying that if I host my videos on another site then embed them on mine, I shouldn’t bother with a video site map?

A Video Sitemap only works for ‘self hosted’ videos, not streaming videos from video sharing sites. Google has struggled with this from the get-go.

There is huge copyright implications if you can take someone else’s video (ie, embed code from a streaming video) and put it on your sitemap, and it is indexed in the search engines going to your domain.

Trust me, I’ve tested this extensively. I’ve had random luck with a couple video sharing sites using a video sitemap, but the results will disappear in short time.

A video sitemap is for ‘self hosted videos..and yes you can use amazons3

also remember that whilst site maps of any type are great for getting stuff indexed you should be focusing on putting great content near that video and getting links to that content from other sites.

@ Stan

Regarding your question on using Ezs3 embed on a video sitemap.

I can bring support this player, and you can have the video on your sitemap, but Google will most likely not index the video, and if they do, it will be short lived.

Two reasons:

1. Ezs3 uses Java code. While Google can still read content in java, it is not as easy for the as Object code video players. Hence, your results would not be as consistent.

2. Ezs3 tried to hid your video URL. Look at the source code and the ezs3 code (or any players code). If you can find a video extension of – mp4, flv, wmv, avi, etc. – then Google can find your video file. With ezs3 (and EVP), the hide your video file, making it hard for Google to find.

If we want our videos in the serps, we need to be using players that make it easy for Google to find our videos. While some webmasters want to hide their video files for security reasons, or bandwidth, etc., I understand that..particularly for a paid course. But really, why use these security video players for a video you want indexed and gives you exposure. You think someone wants to rip off your public video? If it is a viral video that helps you, why not. Simply watermark it.

@ Josefine – RE: I still think a xml file is pretty.

…And that’s why you’re single.

@ Mark Dulisse

If I understand what you wrote above correctly, you are saying that encoded or hidden videos such as ezS3 or Will’s S3FlowShield (which I use) are not likely to have much success in getting their videos indexed, regardless of if they are properly submitted in a video sitemap to webmaster tools or not.

In other words, the above explained procedure that james outlined using the ezs3 video sitemap generator is essentially a waste of time because the videos probably wont get indexed and if they do, it will only be for a short while?

Thanks, great discussion.

Allen

You can put any video on a video sitemap and Google will see it in Webmaster tools. But this does not mean it will be in the serps.

Anything that tries to hide your video file for security purposes, or constantly changes the video file (cloudfront), or uses an encryption (ezS3, evp, or whatever), will have troubles with their videos in the search engines with any amount f of consistency.

The EZS3 video sitemap generator on this site, http://www.internetmarketingspeed.com/seo/ezs3-video-sitemap-generator/, will decrypt the file location making it easy for the search engines to find …

Dave

@ Dave – Fine, don’t listen to me. I’ll say it one last time. You can find any hidden and encrypted file and put it in a video sitemap, that does not mean Google will index it. Sure, maybe for a few days, but it won’t be there for long.

So, go and waste your time my friends and get it de-encrypted, created the sitemap, and do the work.

@Mark,

I am listening. Would like to understand where your information is coming from.

Your 10 March 2011 comment says:

“2. Ezs3 tried to hid your video URL. Look at the source code and the ezs3 code (or any players code). If you can find a video extension of – mp4, flv, wmv, avi, etc. – then Google can find your video file. With ezs3 (and EVP), the hide your video file, making it hard for Google to find.”

What I am saying is that the video sitemap generator on this site will provide that information – it decrypts what EZS3 and EVP hides – and provides a tag that includes a URL that points to a .mpg, .mpeg, .mp4, .m4v, .mov, .wmv, .asf, .avi, .ra, .ram, .rm, .flv, or other video file format

http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=80472#4

What am I missing?

Thanks.

Dave

Where do I get this information?

I am the creator of http://www.googlevideositemap.com and http://www.xml-videositemap.com

Like I said, you can add any video to a .xml page. Getting it to consistently be in the serps is a diffferent thing all together.

I really don’t care what their salescopy says it will do.

Just a note…the “EZS3 video sitemap generator” listed in the post ( http://www.superfastwebbuilder.com/scripts/ezs3.php?q=j ) created a corrupted video sitemap that google wouldn’t accept. It was missing a line of code and it also put in some extra code that google said were errors.

It could be a cool tool if it would create working video sitemaps.

@Brad,

Would you mind sharing additional details here or contact me at http://gowwwgo.com/go/contact so I can get this fixed?

Thanks.

Dave

Hi there, has been been some changes in the past few months with the code creater, when I put in my code from ezs3 the creater gives me this line for the video content, it doen’t work
{i|32?>~e|iatvu&-~);)>xzla.!70q7 #o}r”:o{g3jy}y19|y!ov1aocj*)kw,`|7~qic{o%750-p<3}x{mk|x)pjvmh"}dbQs.|pdfd8<eSv1.yu~fi)aXvn&|xc–~-