Video search is here. Well,... almost.

OK, so video search has been here for a while now. I'm just of the opinion that the offerings haven't been very useful as of yet. However, I was at SMX (Search Marketing Expo) 2008 in San Jose last week to learn how video search has evolved and what we can expect in the future. While it still has a long way to go, there was some encouraging news and a few surprises. The first big surprise was that everyone (Google, Yahoo, MSN/Live, and Ask) all agreed that Microsoft Live has the best video search capabilities. Yes, Microsoft. I couldn't believe it either (I mean, it's all about YouTube, right?).But how could Microsoft possibly have the best video search capabilities? Oh, let me count the ways...

1) Roll-over coolness. Simply roll-over the video and you'll see a 30 second preview without having to click on the video. You'll hear it as well. You can even rate the video without clicking the page. Very cool.

2) Finally, a choice. I am so tired of Google video searches. For the most part, all you see are YouTube and Google video searches. Live actually searches outside of their network for video content from the sources themselves. Thank you!

2a) Why care about this choice? Well, it's a huge benefit to the user experience. Let's take a look at a few video searches on Google and Live to see the difference.

Google Video Search: Ford Mustang
Live Video Search: Ford Mustang

Don't get me wrong, burn-outs are cool. But, if I want to see more than user generated content of Mustang burnouts, it's nice to have the option of seeing crash tests, reviews, other video content. This differnce also extends to topical information like politics.

Google Video Search: Democratic Primary Results
Live Video Search: Democratic Primary Results

Again, it's nice to have the choice. Sure, everyone uploads to YouTube (including us). But it's nice to go directly to the source and be on the content providers website for more information. It also helps to know the source. Is my video from a 15 year old kid or the folks over at CNN?

3) Number of choices/page. Upon opening YouTube, I can see five videos without scrolling. With Microsoft Live video search that jumps to 15. Very nice. I can easily scan the page to find what I want, roll-over the content to see/hear a preview, and know the original origin of the video. Yes, yes, and more yes. Nice work!

4) Universal/Blended search results. Live seems to do a better job right now of providing universal/blended results. These blended search results (for video, photo, and local) are a great way to see exactly what you want in that top portion of the search window without having to go to the video, image, or map portion of the search engine. Expect these advancements to continue. What does this mean for your searches? If you upload a video, for example, it could now be seen on page one of the search window for a general web search without having to go to the photo, video, or local search tabs. You can stay right in the same search area and receive a variety of resulty. Pretty cool. Here's what it looks like.
Sorry, Britney Spears just happens to be a really easy example to use. Take a look at how many search options I have using Live Search. I can see news, images, albums, etc. I don't need to scroll down all of the text links to find what I'm looking for. It's all right there. Pretty darn cool. Look for Google to catch up quickly in terms of functionality. But as of today, that same search for Britney Spears on Google looks pretty old school.

What does this mean for companies looking to maximize online exposure? A lot, actually. Your options are increasing by the day in terms of how you connect with your audience. But the complexity is increasing as well. I'll delve into the nitty gritty details in my next post of how to get your videos indexed and ranked by the search engines as well as they types of online video that are generating huge results.