Introduction

Video content is an indispensable tool in the modern marketer's arsenal. However, creating an exceptional video is only part of the equation. Ensuring that Google properly indexes your video is crucial for maximizing reach and engagement. In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore common issues Google might encounter while indexing videos on your website, and how you can rectify these problems.

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Table of Contents

1. Google Could Not Determine the Prominent Video
2. Video Outside the Viewport
3. Video Too Small
4. Video Too Tall
5. Cannot Determine Video Position and Size
6. MRSS Failure
7. Invalid Video URL
8. Unsupported Video Format
9. Unknown Video Format
10. Inline Data URLs
11. No Thumbnail URL Provided
12. Unsupported Thumbnail Format
13. Invalid Thumbnail Size
14. Thumbnail Blocked by robots.txt
15. Thumbnail is Transparent
16. Thumbnail Could Not Be Crawled Due to Hostload
17. Thumbnail Could Not Be Reached
18. Video Not Processed
19. Video Not Processed Yet
20. Video Not Found on Host Service
21. Thumbnail is Missing or Invalid
22. Invalid Thumbnail

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1. Google Could Not Determine the Prominent Video

Issue: Google couldn't find a video prominent enough to index on your page.

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Solution: This issue has been deprecated as of June 12 and replaced by more specific issues. While it may still appear on your Video Indexing report, it no longer affects your pages.

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2. Video Outside the Viewport

Issue: The video is outside the viewport upon page load.

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Solution: Ensure the entire video is visible in the viewport when the page loads. You can use Google's live URL test to see the page as Google does.

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3. Video Too Small

Issue: Video dimensions are too small to be indexed.

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Solution: Resize the video so it's larger than 140px in height and width, and takes up at least one-third of the page width.

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4. Video Too Tall

Issue: The video's vertical size is too large for indexing.

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Solution: Decrease the video height so it's smaller than 1080px.

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5. Cannot Determine Video Position and Size

Issue: The video player is not loaded when the page is loaded.

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Solution: Ensure the video player loads at its actual size and position when the page is loaded, without requiring user interaction.

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6. MRSS Failure

Issue: Google had a problem processing the video description in MRSS format.

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Solution: Use schema.org markup instead to describe your video.

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7. Invalid Video URL

Issue: The video URL contains illegal characters or an invalid protocol.

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Solution: Validate the URL format to ensure it complies with standard protocols.

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8. Unsupported Video Format

Issue: The video is in an unsupported encoding.

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Solution: Use a supported video format and ensure the URL accurately indicates the video format. Good examples are .mp4 and .mpeg.

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9. Unknown Video Format

Issue: The file extension does not match any supported format by Google.

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Solution: Ensure the video is in a supported format and the URL includes the proper file extension.

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10. Inline Data URLs

Issue: Google can't index inline Base64-encoded videos.

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Solution: Use a standard video URL instead of a data: URL.

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11. No Thumbnail URL Provided

Issue: No thumbnail image was specified.

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Solution: Provide a link to a thumbnail using structured data, a sitemap, or an mRSS file.

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12. Unsupported Thumbnail Format

Issue: The thumbnail is in an unsupported format.

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Solution: Use only supported image formats for your thumbnail.

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13. Invalid Thumbnail Size

Issue: The thumbnail size is invalid.

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Solution: Provide a thumbnail of a supported size. - Supported sizes an be found here - (https://developers.google.com/search/docs/advanced/guidelines/video#provide-a-high-quality-thumbnail)

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14. Thumbnail Blocked by robots.txt

Issue: The thumbnail is blocked by a robots.txt rule.

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Solution: Unblock the thumbnail in your robots.txt or provide a new, accessible thumbnail.

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15. Thumbnail is Transparent

Issue: The thumbnail is too transparent to be indexed.

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Solution: Ensure that at least 80% of the image has an alpha level above 250.

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16. Thumbnail Could Not Be Crawled Due to Hostload

Issue: Your site has reached its crawl budget.

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Solution: Read Google's crawl budget documentation and make necessary adjustments.

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17. Thumbnail Could Not Be Reached

Issue: Google couldn't access the thumbnail.

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Solution: Make sure the thumbnail URL is accessible and not password-protected.

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18. Video Not Processed

Issue: Google detected a video but chose not to index it.

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Solution: There's no direct action to take, but revisiting other parameters may improve the odds of indexing.

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19. Video Not Processed Yet

Issue: The video is being processed.

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Solution: Check back in a few days to see if processing is complete.

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20. Video Not Found on Host Service

Issue: The video is missing from the hosting service.

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Solution: Update the page with the correct ID or URL for your video hosting service.

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21. Thumbnail is Missing or Invalid

Issue: The thumbnail was not provided or is invalid.

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Solution: Make sure a valid thumbnail URL is provided in a supported format.

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22. Invalid Thumbnail

Issue: The thumbnail is invalid for unspecified reasons.

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Solution: Validate that your thumbnail follows all guidelines and is accessible to Google.

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Conclusion

Facing indexing issues with your video content is a common hurdle in

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the digital marketing world. Understanding these issues and their solutions can save you from potential pitfalls, ensuring that your video content reaches its intended audience. Armed with this guide, you're now equipped to navigate the complexities of video indexing with Google.

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For further reading:

- Google's Live URL Test

- Google Crawl Budget Documentation

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Feel free to share your thoughts or questions in the comments section below!

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