Video is one of the most effective marketing assets—it helps generate traffic, capture leads, and boost revenue. In fact, 78% of video marketers report that videos directly contribute to increased sales.
When adding videos to your website or landing pages, you have two main options: embedding or linking. Both allow you to take advantage of video marketing, but they differ in how they impact the visibility and searchability of your content.
So, which approach works best? In this article, we’ll break down the pros and cons of embedding versus linking videos, along with their SEO implications.
Embedding vs. Linking Videos: What’s the Difference?
An embedded video is displayed directly on your webpage but hosted on another platform. This way, visitors can watch the video without navigating away from your site.
On the other hand, linking a video means sharing its URL. When a user clicks the link, they are redirected to the platform where the video is hosted.
Before exploring the advantages of each method, let’s first clarify what embedding a video actually means.
What Is Video Embedding?
Embedding a video means pulling it from the platform where it’s hosted and displaying it on your webpage. For example, if your video is uploaded to YouTube, visitors can still play it directly within your website.
You’ve likely seen this in practice. For instance, the beauty blog Into the Gloss often features embedded YouTube videos, allowing readers to view them right within the blog post without leaving the page.
Embedded Videos Keep Visitors on Your Page
Embedded videos are useful for blog posts or landing pages because they allow viewers to watch content without leaving your site. This helps retain attention and ensures readers stay engaged with your page.
What Does Linking a Video Mean?
A linked video is simply a URL that you can place on a webpage, landing page, email, or text message. When clicked, it redirects users to the platform where the video is hosted.
Pros and Cons of Embedding Videos
Pro: Optimized for Web Viewing
An embed code ensures your video plays smoothly on your website. By adjusting the embed code, you can customize elements like width, height, and frame size to fit your layout. While it may take a little effort to learn, platforms like YouTube make these settings fairly simple to manage.
Pro: Control the Start Time
With embedding, you can set a specific start time so viewers jump directly to the most relevant section of your video, saving time and keeping their interest.
Con: Risk of Removal
If a video violates platform guidelines, it could be taken down. In that case, your embedded video would appear broken on your site. As long as you follow the rules, this isn’t usually a problem.
Con: Advertisements
If your video is hosted on YouTube with AdSense enabled, ads may appear in the embedded version. Google doesn’t allow ad removal for embedded videos specifically—only for your entire account. Vimeo is often used as an alternative for ad-free viewing.
Con: Limited Customization
Embedded players usually can’t be heavily customized in terms of design or thumbnails. For more flexibility, you’d need extra coding, such as JavaScript, to adjust the player’s look and feel.
Pros and Cons of Linked Videos
While linking videos is generally less effective than embedding, it still has its own advantages and drawbacks worth noting.
Pro: Easy to Share
Sharing a direct video link is simple. Viewers can copy the URL and pass it along through chat, email, or social media—especially convenient for mobile users.
Pro: Channel Exposure
When someone clicks a linked video, they are taken straight to your YouTube channel. Although this may feel like a disruption, it gives them access to your other videos and a chance to subscribe for updates.
Con: Less User-Friendly
Links redirect viewers away from your site. If the hosting platform loads slowly, users may lose interest and exit before watching the content.
Con: Limited Visibility
Linked videos don’t usually appear in search results the way embedded ones do. This could drive video-preferring audiences to competitors offering embedded content.
Con: Visitors Leave Your Website
When prospects follow a link to YouTube, they’re exposed to other recommended videos. This distraction may pull them away from your content—and they might not return to your site.
Are Embedded or Linked Videos Better for SEO?
Beyond user experience, embedding videos carries clear SEO advantages:
- Improved Search Visibility
Embedded videos can appear in Google search results and even in the video results tab. Many people prefer videos—especially for tutorials or product demos—making embedded content more discoverable and appealing. - Increased Time on Site
Video content keeps users engaged longer. According to Databox, 74% of marketers believe videos generate more leads than blog posts. A longer average session duration can indirectly boost SEO performance. - Brand Recognition Through Thumbnails
Embedded videos display thumbnails, which strengthen brand recognition. Regular viewers may be more likely to engage with your channel when they see your recognizable video content on search results or platforms.
How to Embed a Video
If you’re ready to start embedding, most video platforms provide an embed option. Since YouTube is one of the most widely used, here’s the process for embedding a YouTube video:
- Go to the YouTube video you want to embed.
- Click the Share button below the video.
- Select Embed to generate a code.
- Copy the HTML code provided.
- Paste it into your website’s HTML where you want the video to appear.
Best Practices for Videos
Over time, I’ve embedded numerous videos across my site, and I’ve found that following certain best practices leads to better engagement and results.
1. Think About Placement
Always consider the role of your video within the context of the page.
- A video designed to capture attention should be placed near the top of a landing page.
- A video included within a blog post or subsection can reinforce your message.
- Another option is to use a hero video in place of a static background image. Similar to YouTube previews, a short, silent autoplay clip can spark curiosity and encourage clicks.
2. Keep Videos Short
According to Wistia, two minutes is the ideal length. Engagement tends to drop as videos get longer. The general rule: keep it brief and to the point. Longer videos can still work, but only for detailed tutorials or walkthroughs where more time is necessary.
3. Use a Strong Thumbnail
Your thumbnail is the first impression of your video.
- Incorporate branding elements like your logo, brand colors, or name for instant recognition.
- Consistency in thumbnails makes your content more identifiable.
- For example, I often include my photo and a bold, eye-catching title in all caps across my videos to strengthen my personal brand.
How to Link and Optimize Anchor Text for Videos
Linking a video is straightforward and involves creating anchor text. Anchor text is simply clickable text with a hyperlink.
On WordPress (and most platforms), the process is easy:
- Type in the keyword or phrase where you want the link.
- Highlight the text and press Ctrl + K (Windows) or Command + K (Mac).
- Paste in the video URL and apply.
Conclusion
When deciding whether to embed or link videos, weigh the benefits and drawbacks of each approach. In most situations, embedding is the better option since it enhances SEO and makes your video content more discoverable. Still, linking has its place—especially when directing users to external resources.
FAQ’s
1. What is the difference between embedding a video and linking a video?
Embedding allows the video to play directly on your webpage, while linking redirects users to another platform, such as YouTube, to watch the video.
2. Which is better for SEO—embedding or linking videos?
Embedding is generally better for SEO because it increases on-page engagement, improves time spent on site, and helps videos appear in search results.
3. Do embedded videos slow down a website?
They can, depending on how they are added. Using lazy loading or optimizing your embed code can help maintain site speed.
4. Can I customize the look of embedded videos?
Most video platforms, like YouTube, have limited customization options for embedded players. However, you can use coding or third-party tools for more control.
5. When should I link to a video instead of embedding it?
Linking works best when you want to drive traffic directly to your YouTube channel or when sharing videos through email, messaging apps, or external content.
6. Do embedded videos increase user engagement?
Yes. Embedded videos keep users on your page longer, improving engagement and reducing bounce rates.
7. Can embedded videos show ads?
Yes, if the video is hosted on YouTube with monetization enabled, ads may appear in the embedded player. Alternatives like Vimeo can provide ad-free embedding.