Case study on driving traffic to your site using video.
December 26, 2006
There's been such a buzz around the internet marketing sector lately about driving traffic to your web site using videos uploaded to places like Google Video and YouTube. Since I could never get anyone to give me any solid answers with real data, I decided to do a case study on whether or not this method really works.
To that end, I created two videos, one for my cat pictures blog and another for my dog pictures blog. I created one on the 12th of December and the other on the 13th, and uploaded both of them to Google Video and YouTube.
To watch the videos and, if you like them, send them to your friends and family, here's the links:
Here are snapshots of the Google Video view counts and ratings as of today, December 26th:
Cat Video
Dog Video
That's 5,130 views from just Google Video. I have gotten 624 views from YouTube. That's 5,754 views of my videos so far to date, and the numbers are not slowing down. I'm getting about 800 views a day now, so the numbers are rising fast.
Did This Translate Into Revenue?
The real question here is: sure, a lot of people viewed the video, but did any of those people visit the blog and click the ads? Let's not forget, I created these videos to drive traffic and make money, right? So did that happen?
Absolutely.
Before going into detail, though, let me explain something. I put an advertisement in front of and after the videos telling viewers about the blog. That way the last thing they see after seeing the video is an ad for my site, which is related to the video.
Google Video gives you a link to the site, but it's not very visible and so few people actually click it. YouTube doesn't let you have a link at all. So it's important to advertise your site in the video (at the end especially), so people will type your domain name into their browser.
Since people typing the domain into their browser doesn't give me any referrer data, I have to estimate the traffic figures. That's not so hard to do, though, since I haven't done any advertising or had any change in search engine ranking for either site since I put up the videos. So it's a safe assumption that any significant rise in traffic is due to the videos.
Let me show you my YPN stats for the dog blog so you can see how the numbers played out, and we'll examine them in a bit more detail.
13-day Stats Before Posting the Video
13-day Stats After Posting the Video
Okay, the first thing to notice is that I had 594 more impressions in the 13-days after the video was published than in the 13 days before, a 19% rise in traffic. That by itself is significant, since if you'll recall from my article writing case study, it took more than twice as long to get a little more than half that number of impressions.
But the added traffic isn't important if it doesn't convert into clicks. Traffic is great, but if it doesn't generate revenue, what's the point? That's where the real gold was in creating these videos. Did you look at the click-through rates of the before and after stats?
The click-through rate for the blog more than doubled just from the video traffic, and although I can't show you the dollar figures, I made more than two and a half times as much in the 13 days after the video than in the 13 days before. That proves that the video traffic was revenue-generating traffic.
The cat video generated about the same amount of additional visitors and a 50% increase in revenue. So the videos really helped the bottom line of both sites.
Don't Start Creating Videos Just Yet!
Creating the videos is easy if you have the right tools and know how to use them. But I learned a bunch of tips, tricks and methods for creating great videos using only FREE software tools. Did you notice that my videos got great ratings from the viewers? What I learned is what made that possible.
I also have a way to kick-start the viral spread of a video so it doesn't just get lost in amongst the thousands of other videos out there.
That's why I'm putting together a video tutorial that I'll be releasing next week that shows you how to create videos, add music and the advertising to your videos, and some tricks I used to help the videos generate even more traffic from the traffic that my site was already getting.
Look for an announcement about the video tutorials next week. If you're not on my email list and you want to be notified when the videos are released, sign-up for free here.
Comments
47 Responses to “Case study on driving traffic to your site using video.”
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Jonathan Leger has been earning his living online full-time since the fall of 2004. He regularly posts advice about search engine optimization (his current passion), AdSense and Internet Marketing. He is the creator of a suite of popular software tools, including: Jonathan L Leger 
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What i like is the honesty in what your doing, zero hyp , your building trust, keep up the great work we need your help. Looks like your need to pre-launch is being used here, Good–Job i like it,
thanks
Not news for me. I make the same things. Create video and publish it via google/YouTube and my blog. So I get traffic from from video hosters and I have interesting content in my blog and all will be converted to revenue via ads. Why not? The internet makes possible.
Cute vids, Jon! One more thing you might cover is the sometimes huge instant boost for your website/blog in the natural serps that often results from video posting to the different hosts.
Thanks for all the great software and scripts you sold me in 2006….I use them, abuse them, and get great results from them all!
A fantastic 2007 to you and your family, as well as to everyone else who reads this!
Michael Rytter
Very good case study. Looking forward to your following results from the case study. Some info on how to make video with free tools is more attractive.
Great idea, thanks for putting together this case study. It's helpful to see that it helped drive in more traffic. I think I'm gonna have to get creative now!
Hi Jon from Jon…
Yes very good goog videos, they are short and tight enough to keep people and hook them to your desired
sites. We do the same and have a short advert at google for our very tight niche of Super 8 film to DVD telecine so we need to be doing more of this too.
We have a vid advert at goog too
cheers
Jono
hi Jon,
Am actually in the process of thinking of putting up a video on my site (and who knows, maybe a couple more to send to Google Videos and Youtube to generate traffic from targeted visitors maybe useful).
Thanks for another great case study.
Wil
Hi, you can have a link from YouTube but you have to create a director account. Then you can have 2 links - one to your main site and one related to the video.
You can visit my account at YouTube and you'll see. Search for tennismindgame (I won't spam you with links here :)) and you'll see.
All the best in 2007,
Tomaz
Thanks for the case study info Jon.
I appreciate seeing the data and facts. Much much more useful than hype.
Luke
Tomaz:
Thanks for the tip about the director account. I'll have to look into that.
One important thing I have found with this tactic is to give a clear and time sensitive reason why the person watching needs to go to your site immediately- I realize this is pretty remedial in nature but still something 98% of webmasters don't do or don't nearly do right…
Well done, Jonathan!
You used universally adorable subject matter AND good statistical analysis to prove your point—thus eliminating the dryness factor.
Regarding the videos, it's advantageous to have them appear a bit rough and homespun. While the cheerful, positive images displayed, viewers were led through a range of emotions in that area. I'm convinced anything that elicits different physical responses expressing those emotions in tight confines and toggles between them anchors those feelings.
Thus you're spot on about the mandate to tie this definitively to Your Brand. Viewers are being taught to smile, laugh, be wide-eyed and amazed and feel good…repeatedly….in connection with Your Brand.
We can extend it further to the phenomenon of 'office sharing'. If there's something cute with pets in it, colleagues often gather around one monitor to watch the video. Others walk up, and nobody moves. For all the time wasting that management may complain about, the sense of community that act of huddling together to focus on something good creates…is priceless.
Jonathan, I just clicked to watch live and noticed the views of Cats far outnumber those of Dogs, despite the more compelling dog headline. Does this correlate to profits in a linear fashion?
Cheers,
Dr. LaScala
I was just reading an e-mail from Frank Kern and John Carlton and they said that there is way too much hype about web 2.0 and everbody pitching some kind of product to take advantage of it of this "new, latest thing". John Carlton is already talking about web 3.0
You basically said the same thing as they did that even though people are getting views of their videos, big deal and so what. Are they actually getting any traffic to their sites and making money off of it. So you're in pretty good company if you have the same mind-set as those two internet ultra-gurus about finding a way to make 2.0 actually work to make some cash beyond what all the rest of the wanna-be gurus are pumping out.
Hi Jon
I have been looking into Web2.0 marketing for the past few weeks. And I came to the same conclusion as you have, this is a hell of a way to get traffic and it realy work! The best part about it is you do not need the search engine ranking
at all do get this new web 2.0 traffic. If you want more visitors all you have to do is rinse and repeat by submiting your videos to more social networking sites. There is 100 of video sites that have pop up in the last year. This is all very exciting and I am looking forward to a very prosperous year using this method.
Anteek
Thank you for your advice!
Dr. LaScala:
Actually no. The dog site, while not earnings many actual dollars (it gets less traffic) actually had a higher earnings jump from the videos due to the rise in CTR.
Hi! I noticed that in your YouTube listing, you placed dogpictures.blogspot.com in the description of the video. If you prepend it with http:// the link will become clickable (after people click on the "more" link).
That may help drive more traffic to your site, because it will be convenient for people to click over to your site (even if you're not yet a YouTube director).
Kind regards,
Manuel
Jonathan,
As usual, your posts are very interesting. I look forward to seeing the next part of the equation.
I wish you and your family a happy. healthy and prosperous new year.
Hmm… Thanks your mail. I very very appreciated it. It seems i need to take another work. To create a simple video or to use others video from youtube and put into my site. Yeah… More traffic… more chance to get profits.
Great work. Will wait for your videos..
Yo dog! Those pix r 2 cute! You need to put your dog blog up on dogster.com
great place thanks!
It's good!
Yeah.. i agree with you..Video create a lot traffic..but must create unique title that make people eager to know what is that video about..
Very good case study!
I am not getting even $1 per day from my site.
your case study is exciting.
i will get a lot of help from it
It is a good case study,i hope to create good revenue from it i m thinkin of usin this tecnique to poste a video of needy people and then direct people to my site for charities so that they can help the needy.
I would lv if u people visit my site and give me a feedback how i can improve it .
Just wondering if you could make an update on the traffic and the conversions
I feel that the post regarding upload video to increase
traffic is make sense and pratical. I think it should work. Now at least I have some idea how to do it. Thanks for case study. Good job.
From Choo
Jon,
If you have the time, could you please give us an update to how many hits your sites are getting and the amount of money being made from these videos, now that some more time has passed.
Thanks in advance,
Jason
Jason,
I will be posting an update soon. Look for it.
thanks for posting the stats for this case study. This has been something I have considered doing for. looks like it would be worthwhile.
Also, I would be interested in the update on how the stats are coming along
Hey Thomas,
Are you happy with Site Built it?
Jonathan,
How about using video email and LIVE Broadcast to promote yourself?
It does the same then 'U tube' and more, and you get paid for it.
Check my web site and please send me an email.
I'll let you know.
Thanks Suzanne. I'm actually looking into video email myself, through the same company! I'm in correspondance with them.
Jonathan, I am really thankful as
well as very impressed with the
geniune sincerity and honest to
goodness information that you provide
to you subscribers. You don't offer junk
and bogus information. You are helping
so many of us who desire to scucceed online.
I just wish I had the opportunity to talk with
you personally one on one.
Jonathan, will you be holding any teleseminars
where you give some of your subscribers the opportunity and chance to talk and commuicate
with you LIVE?
Twanzell Williams - Online Entrepreneur
Twanzell:
I've thought about it, and so far haven't come up with a good subject to discuss on a teleseminar. I'll have to give that more thought. Thanks.
That is really a great post. I learn a lot you even will include a video tutorial that is awesome..
Hi Jon,
Great stats.
As a copywriter I recently helped one of my clients create a video for a $5,000 workshop.
We were just experimenting but were amazed at the response.
Online video has potential in many different ways - driving traffic is just one of them.
Kindest regards,
Andrew Cavanagh
Hi Jonathan,
This is an awesome post. Thank you so much for sharing your case study with us.
Could you please tell us of any places you can get photos to use in videos, like you did with your video?
Thanks,
John
Hi Jonathan
The big buzz gurus would immediately say that you are doing with your cats and dogs is 'Web2' stuff.
(Web 2 meaning you are getting other folks to create your content and build the relationship with customers that way.)
Well whatever they want to call it, in my eyes this is actually good old 'Web1'. Just pre-sell folks with gentle nice stuff to build the good vibes with no sell at all.
I like it.
Jonathan
Really great posts, thanks for providing honest real time stats too, shows you are genuine and hide nothing.
I have added this site to my favourites and intend to be a regular visitor.
Sally
I has askeda question earlier,noresponse,Iboughthe7dollarproduct andhadsomequestionsabout it?
How can I useit tobuildmyu list?
Jonathan,
First, you're a man after my own heart. Testing, no-hype, and honesty is really appreciated by readers in this day of hyped-up claims.
I'd like to see what would happen if you played around a bit with the length of the trailer with your blog URL. It goes by so fast it could easily be missed or not copied down.
I'll bet if you doubled or even tripled the display time of that last frame it would increase your numbers.
Roger Zimmerman
I found here so much nice things..
thanks for that
Damir
nice to vist this place, good ideas and techniques about SEO and traffic
one thing i want to know why my website slip very fast from google ranking i had good ranking with many keywords and after two week i am places very far. e.g ecommerce software solution
Hey John, how are you doing, excellent time spent reading because you're a pro…you show very solid proof to support your case, no question about it you crunch the numbers. Thanks for sharing, I appreciate you.
Hi Jon,
Great article, I’m looking forward to the follow up,
Folks can really learn a lot from you, keep up the good work.
Your Pal.
Big Daddy
Scott R.
Johnathan,
Interesting concept and thanks for sharing the only thing I find with adsense is do these folks really understand the content network option feature in the google account?
If they did they would check it off.