Creative agencies usually have beautiful websites and weak search visibility: lots of video, very little text Google can read. SmartVideo, a video production and animation agency in Belfast, hired us to handle SEO for the whole site. Founder Paul Connolly has worked with us for a long time since; his review: “Great job from Monirul. He is very dedicated and a fast worker.”
The challenge for video agencies
- Portfolio pages are mostly embedded video with little text.
- Service pages are short because “the work speaks for itself”.
- Competitors target the same city-plus-service searches.
Step 1: Local keyword research
We focused on how businesses in Northern Ireland search for services: video production, animation and corporate video combined with Belfast and Northern Ireland.
Step 2: A keyword map and SEO file
Each target phrase was assigned to one page so pages support rather than compete with each other. This was documented in an SEO file shared with the client.
Step 3: Page-by-page optimisation
Titles, meta descriptions, headings, image alt text and internal links were optimised across every important page, tracked in an optimisation sheet.
Step 4: Add words to the visuals
Short descriptions of each project and service give Google context for the videos and help visitors understand what they are watching.
Step 5: Reporting
A regular SEO report sheet showed what had been done and what changed, so the client always knew where things stood.
The outcome
The site ranked quickly for its target services after the optimisation, and the client left strong reviews for the work.
What other creative agencies can copy
- Give every service its own page with real explanatory text.
- Describe portfolio pieces in words, not just video.
- Map one main keyword to each page.
- Use your location naturally.
- Measure and report regularly.
The same approach worked for an audio production studio, The Audio Café in Wrexham. See our SEO services or the on-page SEO audit checklist.
FAQ
Does YouTube help my agency website rank?
It helps brand visibility, but your website still needs its own text content to rank for service searches.
