Seeing YouTube show up a lot in AI answers. Wondering if we should invest more in video.
Our current situation:
Questions:
Looking for data and real experiences with video + AI.
Video is significant for AI visibility, especially for Google’s AI products. Here’s the data:
Platform-specific video importance:
| AI Platform | YouTube Citation Rate | Video Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Google AI Overviews | #1 most cited | Very High |
| Perplexity | 16.1% of citations | High |
| ChatGPT | 2nd most cited | Medium-High |
| Claude | Lower | Medium |
Why video works for AI:
What AI extracts from video:
Video optimization for AI extraction:
1. Transcripts (most important)
2. Descriptions
3. Chapters (timestamps)
0:00 Introduction
1:30 What is [Topic]
3:45 How to [Action]
6:00 Best practices
8:30 Common mistakes
4. Speaking structure
5. On-screen text
Think of video as “structured audio content” that AI parses through transcript + metadata.
Real results from video AI optimization:
Before optimization:
After optimization:
What moved the needle most:
Time investment: ~30 minutes extra per video for optimization. Worth it for AI visibility.
Example: “How to” video with chapters now appears in AI Overviews for that specific question. Before chapters, it didn’t.
Video works especially well for “how to” queries:
Query types where video dominates:
| Query Type | Video Citation Rate | Why |
|---|---|---|
| How to [action] | Very High | Visual instruction |
| [Process] tutorial | Very High | Step-by-step works |
| [Product] review | High | Demonstration value |
| [Comparison] | Medium-High | Side-by-side visuals |
| [Definition/concept] | Medium | Written often better |
Where video is worth it:
Where written might be better:
Strategic approach: Create video for topics that suit the format. Don’t force everything into video.
The multi-format advantage:
Same content in multiple formats:
AI citation benefits:
Our approach: Core content created once, then adapted:
Result: More AI citations overall because we’re present across multiple formats and platforms.
Efficiency tip: Don’t create from scratch for each format. Adapt and repurpose.
Video investment ROI analysis:
Costs:
Benefits:
When video ROI is positive:
When video ROI is questionable:
Our decision framework: Calculate cost per AI citation. Compare video vs. written for same topics. Invest where ROI is higher.
Alternative approach: Transcript-first video
The concept: Write the script (like a blog post), then record it as video.
Benefits:
Process:
AI advantage: Transcript is already optimized because you wrote it first. No auto-generated errors.
Example: Our “Best [Product Category]” content:
Double the content, not double the effort.
Platform-specific video strategies:
For Google AI Overviews:
For Perplexity:
For ChatGPT:
Platform priority:
YouTube is the central video investment for AI visibility.
This gave me a clear framework. Our video strategy:
When to create video:
When to stick with written:
Optimization approach:
Priority topics for video:
ROI tracking:
Key insight: Video is powerful for AI (especially Google), but not for everything. Strategic investment in the right content types.
Thanks everyone!
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