Why Googlebot Sometimes Ignores Your Video
You did everything right: embedded a YouTube video, wrote some text, hit publish. But Googlebot just scrolls past your Blogspot post without indexing the video content.
This happens more than you think. The issue often isn’t the video itself—it’s the way your post is structured. Let’s fix that so Google’s crawler understands your page perfectly.
How Googlebot Sees Your Blogspot Page
Unlike humans, bots don’t watch videos. They rely on surrounding content and HTML structure to figure out what the video is about. If your layout is confusing or lacking context, the video won’t get indexed—even if it’s great.
That’s why structuring your post semantically is key. Here's how to do it right.
Best Practices to Help Googlebot Understand Your Video Post
1. Use Descriptive Headings Around the Video
Don’t just slap the video in the middle of a post with no context. Use clear headings before and after the embed:
<h2>How to Grow Basil at Home (Video Tutorial)</h2><h3>Watch the Full Guide Below</h3><h3>What You’ll Learn from This Video</h3>
These headings help crawlers build context and assign meaning to the video’s position in the content flow.
2. Wrap Your Embed in a Semantic Container
Instead of dropping the iframe raw, wrap it in a <div class="video-container">. This makes your HTML cleaner and signals to crawlers that this block contains media.
<div class="video-container">
<iframe width="100%" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dQw4w9WgXcQ" title="Grow Basil Indoors" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div>3. Always Add a Textual Explanation
Explain the video content right below or above the embed. Example:
“This video shows the 5 simple steps I use to grow fresh basil in a jar with just water and sunlight. Perfect for beginners and city dwellers.”
Googlebot will scan this paragraph and match it with the video context, improving understanding and ranking potential.
4. Add Structured Data (VideoObject Schema)
This is essential for crawlers. Add JSON-LD schema into the HTML mode of your Blogspot post:
<script type="application/ld+json">
{
"@context": "https://schema.org",
"@type": "VideoObject",
"name": "How to Grow Basil Indoors",
"description": "A simple indoor gardening tutorial using household items.",
"thumbnailUrl": "https://i.ytimg.com/vi/dQw4w9WgXcQ/maxresdefault.jpg",
"uploadDate": "2025-04-20",
"contentUrl": "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ",
"embedUrl": "https://www.youtube.com/embed/dQw4w9WgXcQ"
}
</script>5. Avoid These Common Mistakes
- Don’t use short posts (less than 300 words) with just a video.
- Don’t place the iframe at the very top of the post.
- Don’t rely on fancy widgets or non-standard embed codes—they confuse crawlers.
- Don’t forget to use plain English for captions and context—bots prefer clarity over creativity.
Test If Googlebot Understands Your Post
Use these tools to simulate what a crawler sees:
- Google Search Console: Inspect URL and view crawl status.
- Rich Results Test: See if your structured data is valid.
- Mobile-Friendly Test: Bots use mobile rendering—this tells you if your video loads properly.
Conclusion: Talk to the Bot Like a Human with Rules
Googlebot wants to understand your video. But it needs your help. Write with structure. Use headings. Add schema. Provide text support. That’s the language of SEO bots—and the path to getting indexed fast on Blogspot.
Once you start writing with crawlers in mind, everything else—traffic, ranking, visibility—gets easier.