With videos showing up in nearly 47% of desktop search results, making sure your video content is optimized for search is a must if you want to stay visible.
But here’s the snag: search engines can’t “watch” your videos like we do. They need clues to figure out what your content’s about, where it lives, and why it matters. That’s where video sitemaps come in.
A video sitemap is a behind-the-scenes guide that helps search engines find and understand the videos on your site. It performs three key jobs:
- Shows search engines exactly where your videos are located.
- Serves up vital metadata (title, description, duration, the works) for your video.
- Boosts your chances of showing up in rich results and video feature snippets.
Add a video sitemap to your WordPress site, and you’re basically handing Google a VIP pass to your content, making it far easier to get noticed. Here’s how to build one using SEOPress PRO.
How to create a video sitemap with SEOPress PRO
While there’s no shortage of WordPress SEO plugins out there (like Yoast and RankMath), SEOPress PRO offers a no-fuss, high-impact approach to video sitemaps.
It packs serious functionality into a refreshingly clean interface, which is easy to use whether you’re a seasoned pro or just getting started.
“I switched from RankMath to SEOPress and am loving it so far. It is amazing. The PRO version makes it even better, as I can fully utilise its features and SEOPress is lighter compared to my previous SEO Plugin.” – @jornes83
SEOPress comes in two plans:
- SEOPress Free: adds essential SEO tools, including custom XML and HTML sitemaps.
- SEOPress PRO: unlocks premium features like full-scale video sitemap support.
With PRO, you get built-in video sitemap functionality. This makes adding videos to your sitemap simple, whether they’re self-hosted or pulled in from external platforms.
The final output is better indexing, stronger visibility, and a far better shot at landing in Google’s video results.
1. Install SEOPress PRO
Getting started with SEOPress PRO is refreshingly quick. First, grab your license from seopress.org and download the plugin ZIP file straight from your account dashboard.
Installation’s as standard as it gets:
- Head over to your WordPress dashboard. Go to Plugins > Add New,
- Click Upload Plugin, then select the ZIP file you just downloaded.
- Once it’s uploaded, hit Activate to get started.
Once it’s live, you’ll need to validate your license. Navigate to Plugins in your WordPress dashboard, find SEOPress PRO, then select Activate your license.
Drop your licence key into the text box on the next page. That unlocks all PRO features, video sitemap included, which we’ll set up next.
2. Enable XML video sitemaps
Video sitemaps help Google make sense of your video content, ensuring it gets properly indexed and has the best shot at appearing in video search results. Without one, there’s a real risk your videos could be overlooked during regular crawling, costing you valuable visibility.
Turning on this feature in SEOPress PRO to add video sitemaps is quick and easy:
- Go to SEO > XML / HTML Sitemap in your WordPress dashboard.
- Tick the box for Enable XML Video Sitemaps.
- Hit Save changes.
Once it’s switched on, SEOPress will create your video sitemap automatically at:
https://example.com/video1.xml/.
You can double-check it’s live by clicking View your sitemap on the XML sitemap page, then selecting the video sitemap link, or by typing the full URL straight into your browser.
Now that your video sitemap is up and running, you’re all set to start adding videos and giving them the best chance to rank.
3. Manually add videos to your sitemap
SEOPress PRO makes it easy to add videos to your sitemap by building video options right into the content editing experience.
To include a video in your XML sitemap, open any post, page, or custom post type and scroll down to the SEO metabox. Click on the Video sitemap tab, then expand the Video section to access the configuration settings.
Here’s where you’ll enter the key details Google needs to index your video properly:
- Video URL (required).
- Video title (required).
- Video description (required).
- Video thumbnail (required).
- Plus a few optional fields for extra SEO fine-tuning.
📌 Example: If you’re adding a tutorial video about “Installing WordPress Plugins,” your setup might look like:
- Video URL: https://youtu.be/abc123xyz.
- Title: “How to Install WordPress Plugins in Under 5 Minutes”.
- Description: “Step-by-step guide showing beginners how to install, activate, and configure WordPress plugins using three different methods.”
- Thumbnail: A clear screenshot showing the WordPress plugin installation screen.
Each field helps search engines better understand and display your video content, so it’s worth filling them out with care. We’ll walk you through optimization tips later in this guide.
⚠️ Quick heads-up: your video won’t appear in the sitemap if:
- You’ve checked Exclude this post from Video Sitemap?
- The post is marked noindex under the Advanced tab.
- The Video URL is missing.
Once everything’s set up correctly, your video will be automatically added to your sitemap, ready to be found and indexed by search engines.
🎁 Bonus: Automatic YouTube video detection
Here’s the great news for YouTube content creators: from version 5.7 onward, SEOPress PRO includes automatic detection for YouTube videos. That means no more manually setting up video metadata for each post.
Here’s how it works. Whenever you embed a YouTube video in a post, page, or custom post type, SEOPress will:
- Spot the YouTube URL.
- Pull the relevant video metadata.
- Add it to your video sitemap when you save.
It’s a simple but powerful way to speed up your workflow and remove some of the technical legwork from video SEO.
If a video doesn’t appear in your sitemap, there’s an easy fix. Just head to SEO > Tools > Video Sitemap, then click Regenerate. That’ll rebuild your video sitemap and make sure everything gets picked up properly.
4. Submit your video sitemap to search engines
SEOPress automatically generates your video sitemap, but to help search engines find and index your videos faster, you’ll need to submit it manually. This step makes sure Google knows exactly where your video content lives.
The best way to do this is through Google Search Console. Here’s a quick walkthrough:
- Log in to your Google Search Console account.
- Choose your website property.
- Head to Sitemaps in the left-hand menu.
- Paste your sitemap URL into the Add a new sitemap field.
- Hit Submit.
This approach has two main advantages:
- You only need to submit once, which keeps things simple.
- It ensures all your content types are covered in one go.
Google won’t always crawl new sitemaps immediately, but submitting them this way often speeds things up, so your videos can start showing up in search results sooner.
SEOPress PRO video sitemap optimization best practices
SEOPress fills in your video sitemap fields by default, which means you’re up and running quickly. But if you want to maximize your video’s visibility, both in standard search and video-specific results, it’s worth taking a few extra moments to customize the content. Here’s how to get the most out of every field.
Video title
Your video title is one of the biggest levers you have for visibility and clicks. It’s what users see first in search results, so getting it right matters for both engagement and SEO. Aim to keep it between 50–60 characters so it displays cleanly across devices.
Here’s what to keep in mind when writing titles:
- Add your primary keyword naturally. Overdoing it can backfire.
- Make it clear and compelling, so viewers instantly know what to expect.
- Prioritize user intent and clarity rather than cramming in keywords.
- Always ensure the title reflects the actual content of the video.
Misleading titles hurt trust and tank your rankings. Swap vague labels like “WordPress Tutorial” for something like “How to Install WordPress Plugins in 5 Minutes | YourBrand” – it’s clear, specific, and keyword-smart.
📌 Examples:
- ❌ “SEO Tips” (too vague).
- ✅ “10 SEO Tips That Boosted Our Traffic 300%”.
- ❌ “Product Review!!!” (unclear, spammy).
- ✅ “iPhone 15 Pro Review: 3-Month Real World Test”.
Video description
You’ve got 2,048 characters to play with in your video description, which is plenty of space to give your content the visibility and context it deserves. Use it wisely to deliver extra value beyond what your title can cover.
Here’s how to structure it for the best results:
- Start with a strong hook (first 160 characters): This is what shows up in search previews, so make it count. Lead with clarity, intrigue, or a benefit that draws viewers in.
- Follow with a clear overview: Give a brief but informative summary of what your video covers. Let viewers know exactly what they’ll gain from watching.
- Highlight key takeaways: Use bullet points to list the main insights, tips, or outcomes viewers can expect.
- Finish with a call-to-action: Include useful links, resources, or next steps – whether it’s subscribing, exploring a product, or checking out related content.
Sprinkle your target keywords throughout your description, but avoid keyword stuffing. Prioritize clarity and usefulness for both the algorithm and your audience.
Video thumbnail
Thumbnails play a big role in driving clicks, so getting them right is key. A strong thumbnail should make it immediately clear what your video’s about, while also catching the eye in a crowded search result.
Here’s what you need to know on the technical side:
- Minimum resolution: 160x90px.
- Maximum resolution: 1920x1080px.
- Recommended size: 1280x720px (16:9 ratio).
- File formats: JPG, PNG, or GIF.
It’s also worth remembering that many viewers are on mobile, so your thumbnail needs to look sharp even at smaller sizes.
Keep the file size lean to ensure quick loading, but don’t compromise on clarity. Above all, make sure the thumbnail genuinely reflects your video to build and maintain trust with your audience.
Additional recommended information
SEOPress PRO gives you the option to add extra details that can boost how your videos perform in search. These include:
- Video duration: Set the length in seconds (up to 28,800 seconds or 8 hours).
- Video rating: Add a rating using decimal values from 0.0 to 5.0.
- View count: Show how many times your video’s been watched to build social proof.
- Video tags: Include up to 32 tags (comma-separated) to help categorize your content.
- Family-friendly status: Flag content that isn’t suitable for all audiences to support SafeSearch filtering.
These fields are optional, but filling them in gives search engines more context, making it easier for your videos to appear in relevant searches and stand out in results like video carousels.
Start boosting your video visibility today with SEOPress PRO
You’ve seen how powerful video sitemaps can be for boosting your search visibility, and with SEOPress PRO, getting started is refreshingly straightforward.
From automatic YouTube detection to flexible optimization tools, everything you need to compete in video search is right at your fingertips.
“I would highly recommend this SEOPress plugin to anyone looking to improve their site SEO. This could not have been easier.” – @sadduck
With nearly half of all Google searches now showing video results, this isn’t a trend to sit out. SEOPress PRO makes it easy for anyone to build and optimize video sitemaps without coding expertise. Just install, activate, and let your content do the climbing.
If you’re ready to make your videos work harder for you, SEOPress PRO is your next smart move. Thousands of WordPress users already have.
Your audience is out there. Let’s make sure they find you.
