SMX Munich: Optimized Video Hosting as a Lever for the Largest SEO/SEM Conference
As the official partner of SMX Munich, Ignite took over the video hosting on the event website. Our focus was on enabling a seamless and impressive video presentation that effectively conveys the dynamics and content of the event to the visitors.
Videos are playing an increasingly important role in SEO/SEM strategies as they increase dwell time on the page, improve interaction rates, and thus have a positive impact on ranking.
The Role of Videos in SEO and SEM
Videos have become an indispensable tool for modern SEO and SEM strategies. They not only increase a website's visibility in search results but also allow for the conveyance of more complex messages in an easily understandable and engaging way. Ignite supports SMX Munich in making their content more accessible through high-quality videos, improving click-through rates (CTR) and reducing bounce rates.
- By integrating Ignite, it is ensured that all videos are loaded quickly and displayed optimally on all devices.
- Unlike before, where videos were integrated via external sites (here Vimeo & YouTube), they are now played out via the own domain ("First-Party") and thus counted as such.
- The use of Ignite optimizes the Lighthouse score, page speed, and dwell time on the page, leading to increased SEO efficiency and an improved user experience.
Autoplay Videos Convey the Large Conference Community
By using autoplay videos directly on stages, SMX can better visualize this cohesion. Visitors to the website can immediately immerse themselves in the action, as the videos provide a more vivid and emotional representation.
“Ignite is an enrichment for our website, we can show our visitors that SMX is more than just a conference. We are a community that offers excellent content as well as great networking opportunities. With the videos, we can convey the ‘SMX’ feeling much better, especially to new visitors.”
UX Problem: Up to Seven Cookie Overlays Per Page Due to YouTube and Vimeo
Another significant advantage of our solution becomes apparent in the direct comparison of user interfaces before and after migrating to Ignite. Previously, numerous cookie overlays significantly disrupted the user experience.
Switching to our cookie-free technology eliminated this problem, as clearly demonstrated by before-and-after screenshots. It increases the usage of existing videos by visitors, and thus the dwell time as one of the major KPIs.
Longer Videos, Such as Talks, Are Significantly More Comfortable with Structured Chapters
Special attention deserves the integration of longer videos. Talks at SMX range from 20 to 60 minutes and are selectively published on the website as videos.
These longer formats are often a challenge for all users. Ignite enables a structured presentation through the chapter-wise division of content, which helps viewers better orient themselves and more easily find specific content.
A good example is this talk by Kineta Kalsall on the topic "Search Beyond the Engine - Unleashing the Power of TikTok SEO".