One way to do this is through YouTube, like in the above screenshot. By typing the time of the video and then the name of the Key Moment into the description box, Google will automatically pick that up and display it as a timeline on the Google SERP. It should look like this:
- 0:40 – Intro
- 1:53 – Part 1
- 3:17 – Part 2
- 5:02 – Closing
This allows users on YouTube to click to whichever segment they’re interested in, and users on Google to do the same.
However, that’s not exactly schema markup. It accomplishes the same things, but it’s a much easier, user-friendly way to do it. If you want to get in the weeds, you’ll want to learn how to use schema on videos that are hosted on your website.
How To Use Schema Markup For On-Site Videos
Looking at schema markup can be intimidating, especially for someone who’s never coded anything before. Luckily, there are plenty of video schema markup generators on the web that make it as simple as plug and go.
Google lays out the requirements for video schema markup in relatively black and white terms. The required properties for any video are description, name, thumbnailUrl, and uploadDate. After those four, Google recommends a number of properties to enhance your video, including contentUrl, duration, expires, hasPart, and publication.
To make use of the Key Moments feature mentioned earlier, you’ll need to specify the Clip properties for each individual Key Moment. These include name, startOffset, endOffset, and url.
Once the code is generated, simply insert it in to the head of the page on your website that the video will live on.
Video Schema Markup Property Definitions
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- Description: Simply a short description of the video. Can be the same one you use for YouTube.
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- Name: The title of the video.
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- thumbnailUrl: Choose which image you think best represents your video, and provide the URL to that image. The image must be at least 60×30 pixels, and cannot be blocked in robots.txt.
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- uploadDate: The date the video was first published, using the format YYYY-MM-DD.
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- contentUrl: The recommended alternative to embedUrl. This is the URL of the video media file itself, not the URL of a page where the video lives.
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- Duration: Specify how long the video is using the format PT00H00M00S. For example, PT00H25M10S represented 25 minutes and 10 seconds.
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- embedUrl: Only use this property if you’re unable to use contentUrl. embedUrl provides a link to the player for the video.
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- regionsAllowed: If the video isn’t allowed in specific regions, specify it using this property. If there is no regionsAllowed property, Google will assume it’s allowed everywhere.
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- Name: a descriptive title for the content of a specific clip that will show up in Key Moments.
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- startOffset: The start time of the clip, written as the number of seconds from the beginning of the overall video
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- endOffset: The end time of the clip expressed as the number of seconds from the beginning of the overall video
- url: The URL that points to the specific start time of the clip, for example: https://www.example.com/example?t=120 would lead the user to 2 minutes from the start of the video.
The SEO professionals at ShoreSite Web Designs can help you markup your videos and more. Contact us today to set up an appointment to speak with us!
