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Will Google Start Offering Video Optimization Suggestions?
A patent application originally filed in October of 2013, and published on July 1, 2020, includes a system to identify optimizations for videos and for suggesting those video optimizations to the posters of those videos.
The patent presents the problem that it is trying to solve regarding video optimization in this way:
Many video hosting websites allow entities to post videos. Users can then view those videos. Such videos can be monetized by associating advertisements to the videos. Users who view a video may also be presented with the advertisements, and the entity that uploaded the video may be paid based on the users who viewed the video. Improvements to the videos may increase the number of users who view the videos and thus increase revenues of the entity that controls the videos. However, it may be difficult for the entity to determine how the video should be changed to improve it.
This is the first time I have seen a Google patent state that they have seen value in providing optimization suggestions to people posting content to a video hosting service such as Youtube.
Related Content:
A much-abbreviated summary of what the video optimization patent application covers is:
In an implementation of the present disclosure, a computing device executing an optimizer analyzes a video. The computing device identifies one or more optimizations for the video based on the analysis. The computing device suggests one or more optimizations to an entity associated with the video. In response to the entity accepting the one or more optimizations, the computing device implements the one or more optimizations for the video.
A patent drawing shows an example screen of suggested video optimization suggestions too:
System and Method for Optimizing Videos
Applicants GOOGLE LLC
Inventors Vladmir Vuskovic, Dhruv Bakshi, Forgeot D’arc Amaury, and Christoph Poropatits
Application Number 19213032
Filed: October 1, 2013
Publication Number 3675014
Published July 1, 2020
Abstract:
A computing device executing an optimizer analyzes a video. The computing device identifies one or more optimizations for the video based on the analysis. The computing device suggests one or more optimizations to an entity associated with the video. In response to the entity accepting the one or more optimizations, the computing device implements the one or more optimizations for the video.
Surprising Video Optimization Suggestions
I admit that I am surprised by how much this patent enlists the assistance of people submitting videos to apply video optimization suggestions.
The patent does make a strong case for doing that:
Users and other entities that generate and upload videos to video hosting websites may not always apply best practices when generating those videos. Moreover, such best practices may be unknown or difficult to identify.
Accordingly, described herein are a system and method for identifying optimizations for videos, recommending the identified optimizations, and implementing the identified optimizations.
Administrators may view a video and manually select one or more video optimizations to suggest to a video owner.
Examples of optimizations include:
- Enabling one or more features for the video
- Adding a custom thumbnail
- Editing tags
- A title and/or a description of the video
- Editing contents of the video
- So on
In addition to such video optimization suggestions being made manually by an administrator of a video hosting service, a Video Optimizer (a machine) may make video optimization suggestions to a video owner, who can accept suggestions, and they will then be automatically applied to a video. The patent tells us that the results of video optimization may cause a video to achieve an:
- Increased viewership,
- Increased advertising revenue,
- Increased viewer time
- So on
A Video Optimizer Providing Recommendations
The patent provides more details about a video optimizer. The video optimizer may include a:
- User interface
- Video analyzer
- Recommender
- Rules manager
- Video editor
- Design of experiments (DOE) generator
The video optimizer patent explains various optimization rules.
We are told that the video analyzer is a rules engine that determines optimizations for a video based on a set of optimization rules. It is a rules engine that processes optimization rules to produce outcomes.
Optimization rules may perform actions, provide information, generate recommendations, etc. An optimization rule may include conditional elements (e.g., and, or, not, exists, etc.), constraints (e.g., equal to, not equal to, greater than, contains, etc.) and consequences or actions (e.g., generate a recommendation, process next rule, edit video, etc.). Some optimization rules may output one or more suggestions for executable optimizations that can be accepted to implement changes to an analyzed video. Some optimization rules may output one or more suggestions for non-executable optimizations that may be incorporated into future videos. Some optimization rules may output suggestions for both executable and non-executable optimizations. An optimization rule may also perform other functions.
Suggestions from the video optimizer can include particular optimizations, such as:
- Adding more tags
- Improving a title or description
- Adding specific tags to a video
- Using a specific custom thumbnail for a video
- So on
The patent does go into a lot of detail on optimization rules that might be suggested. They can include things like image recognition being performed on objects in a video. Tags and titles could be suggested based on an analysis of objects in a video (like a “dancing” tag if the object analysis recognizes dancing happening in a video.
Different optimization rules may be suggested for different types of videos, such as some for children’s videos that are different than rules for optimizing music videos.
Some Optimization rules may be set up for different types of results, like one to maximize revenues, and one to maximize for viewership or maximum viewer time of maximum discoverability.
If you are interested in how video optimization suggestions might be set up, it is recommended that you spend time going through the patent for more details.
Video Optimization Take Aways
I found myself wondering that if Google would offer video optimization suggestions, would they consider offering other optimization suggestions? They do provide tools such as Google Analytics and Google Search Console, the Rich Results tool, the mobile-friendly tool, and the Starter’s Guide to Search Engine Optimization.
They are encouraging people to create content that does well in search results, and they have published many blog posts about how to build high-quality websites.
These video optimization suggestions are not yet available, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Google offer them sometime soon.
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About Bill Slawski
With more than 26 years of SEO experience and a Juris Doctor Degree, Bill Slawski is the foremost expert on Google’s patents as related to SEO. Patent Exploration is one of the quickest and most detailed ways to find new information about SEO. Bill is the Editor of SEO by the Sea, a prominent search engine optimization blog, where he is the author of over 1,300 posts. Bill’s experience includes Fortune 500 brands and some of the largest websites in the world. Bill is a contributing author for Moz, Search Engine Land, and Search Engine Journal. In 2014-2021, he spoke at industry-leading international conferences about topics including search engine algorithms, universal and blended search, personalization in search, search and social, and duplicate content problems, structured data, and schemaJoin thousands of marketers to get the best search news in under 5 minutes. Get resources, tips and more with The Splash newsletter:
