Hey everyone. I've been getting a ton of emails lately from SEOmoz members (and Rebecca) who keep telling me that I should post YOUmoz entries more often. They tell me that they miss my unique writing style, my sense of humor, and above all, my world's best SEO advice. So even though I'm very busy playing with Legos and growing a beard, I suppose I can work a YOUmoz post into my hectic schedule. But before I begin, I just want to make one thing perfectly clear: No one really emailed me--I just made all that up, because I couldn't think of a better introductory paragraph. Still with me? Good.

During last week's Whiteboard Friday (SEO for Video Content), Rand talked about video content issues, such as how to get it indexed and ranked. One of the tips he mentioned for indexing is to create a text version (i.e., transcription) of the video's dialogue and include it on the page where the video is embedded. This text version provides search engines (and the hearing-impaired) with the same content that would otherwise be inaccessible. This tip brought up a couple of questions:

• What services can I use to transcribe my videos?
• What automated transcription programs are available?

I did a bit of research on this topic, and I'd like to share my findings--not because they're incredibly helpful, but because they're entertaining.

For transcription services, I found out that Google actually has a page that lists transcription companies which support Google Video. I also found a page that explains how to submit a transcript directly to Google Video. But if you're antisocial like me, you're gonna want an automated solution, so you can transcribe your videos without the hassle of talking to any humans. My search for said human-free solutions led me to this excellent video tutorial, which showed me how to use Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 to transcribe videos into text. What I really liked about this solution is that I already own this software. So I decided to test it out... by transcribing Rand's Whiteboard Friday video!

First, I downloaded the original video in Quicktime format from Vimeo.com. Then, I opened the file in Premiere Pro and followed the basic instructions from that tutorial I linked to. I chose the high-quality output option, and out of curiosity I enabled the "Identify Speakers" option. The video tutorial says the average video-to-text conversion takes about 3 times as long as the original video, but my computer transcribed Rand's 6m:53s video in 5m:48s!? (Probably because I'm using an insanely-fast custom PC.)

Anyways, here is the result. I haven't edited it whatsoever--so yes, it really did recognize Rand as like 6 different speakers, and it really does recognize/capitalize all the obscure proper nouns like "YouTube," "Spike TV," and "Strike Fighter." I recommend you open the Whiteboard Friday video in a separate tab and try to read along as it plays in the background. Good luck!

[Speaker 0] the US M no no and the key the No

[Speaker 1] CIA was looking good is why port Friday here now to be changing my clothes the last few weeks but I'm sure you'll forgive me for that so today I want to talk about video SCO I think there's a lot of questions around the Alessio getting optimize getting ready for it out what you do with it how can we leverage videos these are good questions we've got some good answers so I hear a lot of again Index when the big problems is search engines can parse a videotape you've got a video here Allen got a sort of you know your your title

[Speaker 2] and even got some comments and you know some some added

[Speaker 3] information but everything that happens in the studio everything that I'm saying right now if I say the word

[Speaker 1] the judge and was all right unfortunately if you search for that glow is not going to be able to see this video on SCO must read my lips and no I'm saying in order to break this video for the key word the judge was open just my last season he reached up and walk on however they can see things like that title and the comments in all I can stop it you're really worried about getting all the content of the UN and what I really recommend is a transcription service might get someone to get an automated transcript The Producers there's several good ones out there I don't have the names often off the top of my head on trendy him up for it and then have a human being actually do the editing process so this is one of things that we did when we were convinced are they they had a basically an automated transcript and it may have been inserted at it that transfer to make it more readable unusable would you how can I read how can I wait for those keywords night especially if they're ones that are in the contest you're going to have to rely on the fact that the video actually is a medium that earns a lot of links to a lot of links use both you know sort of through by external sources pointed to it and to people in getting it on their sites so you've got an advantage in that it's going to be tough to rank you know for things right in the in the country keywords unless you're talk about long tail which the judge was quickly on long tail at this e-mail and search for that before on the question comes around we are tough folks where can I push my video where should I hosted and you really have two options here you can go you know my size or even go third party and third party is really I'm talking mostly hear about YouTube right you too sir the big one although certainly things like him at a cafe in the emotion and the Spike TV and in all these other ones of the video which Seau was Jesus the reason you should choose between these two is is based on what you're trying to accomplish over here in the third party side of this is for maximum viewership if you want the maximum number of people have excess ability to find a spiraling I highly recommend using a third party sites however if you are trying to get the traffic or you need those PG is going to your side because only you can control it or you're earning money off this or this is where you can advertise for whatever service you offer any need to do that not inside the video itself I recommend putting it on your side

[Speaker 4] OK how can you optimize the video I think

[Speaker 1] States is really essential to have a few different things here you're gonna want to have number one to what you want to focus heavily on the title and I don't just mean from SCO perspective remember that videos just watch because of how their title and because of how they sort of sell themselves so you one thing you know sexy compelling and I seen viral title Griffin has your keywords but not as essential as this week you're out and out of your hand get a potential option number two think about time right Seau was tries to do the why court Friday videos in less than ten minutes because people are busy and don't have a ton of time even though this is the sexiest up is really important a lot of people sucking up twenty or thirty minutes for the white part video is not you know not ideal you really want to try and keep those videos short and punchy and exciting and not more to it as soon as it turns more and this could be turned off a menace not only share and finally I would think about you know that after all these things I would think about spring break so how is it going to spread by Riley who can you contact to get it out there who invented who will lead to and who's going to talk about it and that is sort of the classic you know public relations on the Web and viral promotion on the Web link these sorts of facts our last one shouldn't use mass hosting services and hear him really talk

[Speaker 5] about people like to Mobile now I have talked

[Speaker 1] to several people actually who used to twelve will actually get to talk to folks over there last week I like the service I think it's really strong and really saw what you need to be careful what it can do because remember if you push your video out to those third parties to you to win and then a cafe in all these other ones that are on two mobile chances are these have very high authority to make the sites are very very important ally quit TPA can write for just about anything so you have to be aware that if you put it on your site and you are ranking four and now you put around all these other sites you might actually be socked away people are not surprisingly on a condominium linking to the YouTube version of the medic cafe version or the video version rather than tear on Sunday and that can sort of Camelot is in conflict with what you're doing if you wanna be very careful about this and you're you're really worried about getting certain keywords over to your site and uncertainty were to these other sites don't use the mouse hosting services that two mobile do it yourself and the reason is you can cost them control the title said he wanted to put up punchy catchy titles over here that don't really have your keywords in them so they're not in a rank and take away your traffic from SCO you can do that and then you can use are optimized few words over here to draw enough traffic to video hosting page on your side I think that's a degree of Strike Fighter and what hope you've enjoyed this video edition of the SCO Moneyline for Friday and we'll see you again next week they can