Do videos really enhance the SEO of news websites?

Does Google really differentiate between video and image in its algorithm?

The statement by John Mueller aims to clarify a common misunderstanding: no, embedding a video instead of an image does not directly improve the relevance score of content in regular results on Google News or Search.

What matters for ranking remains editorial quality, content freshness, domain authority, and user engagement signals. The media format itself — video, static image, photo carousel — is not a ranking criterion that distinguishes itself in the core algorithm.

What advantage does video offer then?

The real impact plays out in the presentation of results. A page with a video can trigger the display of a rich video thumbnail in the SERPs, a video carousel in Google Discover, or a placement in the Videos tab.

These formats generate a higher click-through rate due to their enhanced visibility and visual appeal. Let's be honest: a video thumbnail with a play icon captures more attention than a simple static photo, even if both pieces of content are ranked at the same position.

Should you always prefer video on a news site?

No, and this is where Google's narrative becomes interesting. Mueller implicitly reminds us that the choice of format must be editorially justified. A 3-minute video that paraphrases a 400-word article adds nothing — and may even degrade the UX if it slows down loading or fails to meet the search intent.

The real lever is to produce complementary formats: a short video (30-90 seconds) that summarizes a news fact, alongside a detailed text article. This maximizes the chances of appearing in multiple SERP entry points (text results, video, Discover) without sacrificing relevance.

• No direct algorithm boost: video and image are treated equally in the core relevance scoring.
• Real SERP impact: video can trigger enriched display formats (thumbnails, carousels) that increase visibility and CTR.
• Editorial logic first: producing video just to “do SEO” is counterproductive if the format does not serve user intent.
• Multichannel strategy: combining short video + text article allows for multiple entry points in the SERPs without cannibalization.
• Technical performance: a poorly optimized video (size, lazy loading, missing Schema markup) can hurt Core Web Vitals and nullify any benefit.

Does this position align with what we observe in the field?

Yes, overall. Field audits show that articles without video continue to rank in the top 3 of Google News for competitive queries, provided the content is fresh, sourced, and structured. The myth that “you must have a video to rank” does not hold true.

What we find, however, is that pages with optimized videos (Schema VideoObject, thumbnail 1200x675, duration

What should you concretely do on a news site?

Stop producing video “just because you have to.” Ask yourself: does this content gain clarity in video format? If the answer is no, a quality image with good alt text suffices. SEO is primarily about sound editorial sense.

If you produce video, do it properly: duration