Should I embed my YouTube videos onto my website or host them myself?

In the majority of cases for our clients, I do not believe that it's a good idea to embed YouTube videos onto your website. While this topic is hotly debated in the video and SEO world, I would argue that more times than not, doing so will actually drive people away from your site. Talk about counterproductive!

You will find that the majority of information out there says that it is a good idea to embed YouTube videos, but those people are referring to content management systems like WordPress and Joomla. DSS, our proprietary marketing automation software, has a lot more going for it than these less sophisticated systems and actually makes hosting videos extremely easy.

Here are the top four reasons I believe you should think twice before embedding a YouTube video:

  • Advertising for the enemy. When you embed a YouTube video you can’t control what shows up after the video. Videos from other lawyers or competing businesses are likely to pop up as recommended videos after yours has stopped playing. Modern humans are more distractible than goldfish, so when they get to the end of your video and see other options you run the very real risk of having them go off-page and even find another attorney, doctor, or business. No bueno!
  • Loss of control. The fact that you have full control over the video you host is very, very important. When you add your video to YouTube, you lose full control of your videos; it's the price you pay for their hosting services. However, when you load your own videos, you have total control of them and don't have to play by any else's rules.
  • The annoyance factor. As I said in number one, when you embed a YouTube video on your site that video is likely to begin and end with an advertisement. Ads annoy users, so when they pop up, you run the risk of an ad sending people off your website. However, when you host your own videos, users will be able to watch your videos without having to worry about an ad popping up on their screens.
  • Level of difficulty. You hear a lot of people recommending embedding YouTube videos on a website because it is hard to create a separate video section. And with systems like WordPress or any similar content management system, this is true! But our clients have access to DSS, our proprietary marketing software, which includes a video section and a crazy easy uploading system. People also say that load times are improved with videos embedded with YouTube, but for our clients, bandwidth isn't an issue for websites run through DSS.

The Right Time to Embed YouTube Videos on Your Website

Though I've given you several reasons not to embed YouTube videos on your website, I am not totally against embedding a few of them on your site. A few embedded here and there can give the YouTube videos additional views, thereby boosting their search rankings on YouTube. And some people do like to see the YouTube logo on your site; it can make the videos seem more "legit." But I really wouldn’t recommend making this the main way you are posting videos on the site, so choose the videos you embed carefully and keep an eye on how they're converting.

Want to know more about video and its role in your SEO plan? Then call 888-886-0939 to speak with me or a member of our team. We would love to help you make the most out of every video you post.

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