Video Transcripts

Why It Matters

Video transcripts make content accessible to deaf/hard-of-hearing users and provide indexable text for search engines to understand video topics. Pages with video transcripts rank for 16-30% more keywords than video-only pages. They also improve user engagement by allowing users to scan content quickly.

How It Works

Transcripts convert spoken audio into text that search engines can crawl and index. This text signals to search engines what topics the video covers, helping it rank for relevant queries. Transcripts can be implemented as closed captions (synchronized with video) or as full-text below the video player.

Use Cases

• A podcast website publishes full transcripts of episodes, ranking for hundreds of long-tail keywords from discussions
• An educational channel adds auto-generated captions then edits for accuracy, improving accessibility and SEO
• A product demo video includes a searchable transcript, allowing users to find specific features discussed at different timestamps

Best Practices

• Provide accurate transcripts - don't rely solely on auto-generated captions without editing
• Include timestamps or chapter markers to help users navigate long videos
• Add transcripts as HTML text on the page, not just in caption files, for maximum SEO value
• Use proper formatting with paragraphs, speaker labels, and punctuation for readability
• Include relevant keywords naturally in video scripts to improve transcript SEO value
• Offer downloadable transcript files for users who prefer reading to watching