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How Does the Movie Industry Optimize SEO for New Films
by Pamela Foster
The movie industry has been using advertising and marketing for over a century. That span includes the trailer industry that dates back to 1913 with the preview for “The Pleasure Seekers.” Interestingly, it was a Broadway musical and the trailer was shown after (trailed) movies.
However, today tools like search engine optimization (SEO) can help get the word out about products and services, including new films.
Even an Academy Award frontrunner will unlikely become a Hollywood blockbuster without an online presence.
Movie production companies can use an array of online marketing tools, including Google ads. Google Search is easily the world’s most widely-used search engine for PCs, Macs, and mobile devices.
Read on to discover how the movie industry optimizes SEO to advertise new pictures.
Movies, Marketing, and SEO
SEO is a digital marketing term that’s the practice or process of increasing internet traffic through non-paid search engine results pages (SERPs) on search engines.
Optimizing SEO effectively can help promote a movie, thus ranking higher on SERPs. Boosting web traffic around the globe may help increase the film’s viewership.
The ultimate goal is to boost revenue. That’s achieved by converting web traffic to movie tickets and merchandise sales.
Movie marketers should be aware of the latest SEO tools and tactics to help achieve the best results. For example, Google periodically alters its search algorithms, requiring tweaks or revamps to SEO strategies.
How the Film Industry Uses Effective SEO
Here are some of the most common tools and methods the movie industry uses to increase SERP rankings.
SEO and Keywords
Keywords and keyphrases are vital for successful movie marketing. For example, when people conduct searches about your movie, your motion picture should ideally appear on page 1 of SERPs. Here’s why: most people don’t read past page 1!
For example, a person may search for your movie’s title, theme, or actors and actresses.
It’s helpful to optimize SEO for short keyphrases and longer long-tail keywords.
Another good practice is to target keywords that the movie industry is using exceptionally well.
You should also try to optimize each website page with targeted keywords. This step can help drive traffic to content, including online trailers and movie reviews.
SEO and Cross-Platform Content
Today, moviegoers access the internet using different devices, including desktops, laptops, and smartphones.
So, movie studios try to ensure their potential customers can access content when they’re at home, work, school, or out and about.
For example, the Pew Research Center indicated that 85% of Americans own smartphones.
So, movie-making companies need to provide mobile-friendly content or offer a dedicated mobile app, for instance. Apps are especially critical for viewing “big screen” content on a small screen.
SEO and Social Media
The Pew Research Center also reported that 72% of Americans now use social media.
Movie marketing should arguably include social media as part of its SEO strategy.
For example, effective SEO can help improve social media marketing in the digital space. The goal is to make content like film trailers and film critic reviews go viral on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
The process starts with quality content. However, when people watch a trailer for a movie they’ve been anticipating, they’re likely to share it with social media friends.
Sharing and resharing movie content can create a snowball effect, helping content go viral.
One of the most remarkable benefits of this process is it functions as free advertising for filmmaking companies.
Consider that the trailer for “Rings” (2017) racked up over 200 million views on Facebook within 24 hours after being uploaded. The hyperlinks can also function as “backlinks” that connect the content to your website. People can then read and watch more content about the new movie.
Another benefit of social media content is sharing different types of content. For example, you can share movie stills on image-sharing platforms and trailers on video-sharing sites.
Yet another benefit of social media advertising is the costs can be significantly lower than traditional methods like TV and radio.
For example, independent film studios tend to have a tiny advertising budget compared to Hollywood studios. The lower cost of social media ads provides a practical alternative to television spots and radio advertising.
SEO and Quality Content
In the Digital Age, the “hard sell” as a marketing strategy is as outdated as analog film projectors. Today, quality content allows moviemakers to increase engagement with movie lovers.
Content marketing is crucial to succeeding in the highly-competitive film industry. That said, it’s quality content that can help separate your film from others hitting movie theaters and streaming services.
Another factor to consider is that content marketing doesn’t have to be entirely new. For example, your company can incorporate old blog posts and surveys into new digital marketing.
Wrap Up
Quality and unique content can also help set your movie-focused content apart from the competition.
Still, the ultimate goal is the same as it’s been throughout film history since “Horse in Motion” (1878): catching a good flick.
References
1. A Brief History of Film Trailers, or: Turns Out This Post Is Not About Peter Orner
2. What is SEO – Search Engine Optimization?
https://fremont.edu/what-is-seo-search-engine-optimization/
3. Mobile Fact Sheet
https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/mobile/
4. Social media fact sheet
https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/social-media/
5. What was the first movie ever made?
https://headsup.scoutlife.org/what-was-the-first-movie-ever-made/
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