Using Transcriptions

[philraymond]

Hi everyone, I've spent a long time trying to figure this one out, so I'm looking forward to your insights.

I've recently started having our videos transcribed and keyworded. The videos are hosted on youtube and already embedded on our website. Each embedded video is accompanied by an existing keyword-rich article that covers pretty much the same content of the video, but in a little more detail.

I'm now going back and having these videos transcribed. The reason I started doing this was to essentially lengthen the article and get more keywords on the page.

Question A. My concern is that the transcription covers the same content as the article, so doesn't add that much for the reader.

That's why when I post the transcription (below the embedded video), I use a little javascript link for people to click if they want to read it. Then it becomes visible. Otherwise it's not visible.

Note that I am NOT trying to hide it from google by doing this - and it will still show up for people who don't have javascript on - so I'm not trying to cheat google at all and I think I'm doing it based on how they want it done. You can see an example here: http://www.healthyeatingstartshere.com/nutrition/healthy-diet-plan-mistakes

So my first question is: do you think the javascript method is a good way of doing it?

Question B. Does anyone have any insight on whether it would be better to put the transcription:
1. On the same page as the embedded video/article (which I am doing now), or
2. On a different page, linked to from the above page, or
3. On various other websites (wordpress, blogspot, web2.0 sites) that link back to the video/article on our site.

I know it's usually best practice to put it on the same page as the video, but I'm wondering from an <acronym title="Search Engine Optimization">SEO</acronym> point of view if I'm wasting a 500 word transcription by posting it on the same page as a 500 article that covers the same topic and uses the same keywords, and I wonder if it would be better to use the transcription elsewhere. Do you have any thoughts on which of the above methods would be best?

Thanks so much for reading and any advice you may have.

[RyanKent]

The reason I started doing this was to essentially lengthen the article and get more keywords on the page.

The questions you ask point right back to the above statement. This line of thinking will take you to a place you don't want to go. It is not best for your users nor for your ranking.

Offering video content is great for your users. Offering a transcript OR a summary below the video is great as well. What value does offering both provide?

My suggestion would be to offer the transcripts without other similar content which covers the same topic. If you feel the transcription is incomplete, add the additional details in bold, italics, a text box or otherwise make it stand out as additional content you are adding. This method will provide all the content which is helpful to your readers without any extra content.

[EGOL]

Do you have any thoughts on which of the above methods would be best?

All I can do is say how I would handle this.   I would post the full transcript on the same page as the video and the article.

I like having a transcript because I sometimes don't understand the speaker in the video. Sometimes I want to read the words slowly and carefully. And, sometimes I am writing about the video and want to include an exact quote of fair use length.

I would not hide the transcript with java.  Instead, below the video I would have an anchor text link to the transcript that shoots the visitor down the page to the top of the transcript.

I think that a big page with 500 word article, video and 500 word transcript will be impressive and substantive.

[EGOL]

My answer to the question was based upon you already having the article and the transcript.  However, the ideal thing would be to have the transcript and have an EXTRAS area with some additional details on fine points on the topic of the video and some links to related topics that were covered in the video.

[philraymond]

Thanks very much, I think will take advice from both of you. From now on I will make the transcript and article have slightly different content, still all about 1 topic.

So do you think I'm wasting my time - or worse, potentially incurring penalties - by having my existing content transcribed when the video is more closely matched to the article? It's so inexpensive for me to outsource this and it's a great task for my VA to fall back on when she's done the main tasks every day. Plus, I can upload the transcript into youtube now, too.

(I'm also interested in anyone else's advice that may be different, although these guys have obviously done a great job of answering.)

[EGOL]

I don't think that you will have any problem with penalties.  I think that this is strictly upside.

[RyanKent]

If I may ask, who does your transcription work? I will have a need for those services in the future.

[philraymond]

Sorry for the delay, Ryan. I didn't see this.

I don't use a service - otherwise I would let you know for sure. I actually have a VA who does it for me.