Video has been part of Google Search results since Universal Search began blending news, images and video into ordinary results in 2007. But for creators, the last few years have changed how often video appears, where it appears and which platforms benefit. The May 2022 core update is the moment many SEO analysts point to when video platforms surged in visibility.
This guide explains what is confirmed and what was observed about video visibility after Google updates, how video results interact with regular web rankings, and what creators and brands can do in 2026 to make their videos eligible and competitive in Search, Video mode, Images and Discover.
If you want the fundamentals first, start with our video SEO guide and our YouTube SEO guide.
Key Takeaways
- Google has not announced a "video update"; video gains after the May 2022 core update were reported by analysts, not confirmed by Google.
- Search Engine Journal reported significant gains for YouTube, TikTok, Disney Plus, Hulu and Twitch after that update.
- Videos can appear in the main results, Video mode, Google Images and Discover.
- Self-hosted videos need a clear watch page, structured data or a video sitemap to be understood well.
- Treat video and text as complementary: the same query can show both.
What happened to video in 2022
Google released the May 2022 core update on 25 May and completed it on 9 June 2022, according to its Search Status Dashboard. As always with core updates, Google did not publish lists of winners. Analysts did. Search Engine Journal summarised the findings this way:
“Video sites like YouTube, TikTok, Disney Plus, Hulu, and Twitch increased significantly.”
— Search Engine Journal, Google May 2022 core update impact
The same article reported that TikTok "had the most impressive growth" with "an overall gain of 133%" based on the Sistrix visibility index. Lily Ray's analysis for Amsive noted in a June 2022 tweet that TikTok was "skyrocketing into top positions for celebrity/business keywords", mostly with profile pages. Reference sites, by contrast, were reported among the losers, which we cover in how updates affect reference sites.
Why might video have gained? The responsible answer is that nobody outside Google knows. A reasonable interpretation, consistent with Google's emphasis on matching intent, is that for many queries people want to watch rather than read, and results reflected that. See our colleagues' piece on search intent shifts during core updates.
Timeline: video in Google Search
| Change | Date | Confirmed? | What it meant for video |
|---|---|---|---|
| Universal Search | May 2007 | Yes | Video began appearing alongside web results. |
| Mobile-first indexing rollout | From 26 Mar 2018 | Yes | Mobile versions of pages, including embedded video, became the basis for indexing. |
| May 2022 core update | 25 May - 9 Jun 2022 | Yes (gains observed by analysts) | Reported significant visibility gains for video platforms. |
| AI Overviews | US from 14 May 2024 | Yes | AI summaries with supporting links appear above results for many queries; creators compete for those clicks too. |
| Discover core update | 5 - 27 Feb 2026 | Yes | Discover-specific quality update, initially for English-language users in the US. |
Sources: Wikipedia's Timeline of Google Search, Search Status Dashboard incident pages and Google's AI features documentation. Our 2022 Google updates review covers that year in full, and the February 2026 Discover core update post explains the newest change for video-heavy publishers.
How video results interact with web rankings
Video can appear in several places, and each behaves a little differently. Google's video documentation says videos can show "including the main search results page, Video mode, Google Images, and Discover". For creators, that means:
- A YouTube video and your blog post can rank for the same query in different features.
- A page with an embedded video is not automatically a video result; Google needs to identify a watch page.
- Video features depend on Google being able to fetch the video file and understand its metadata.
- Changes in how often video features appear can shift your clicks even when your web ranking is unchanged (see SERP changes vs algorithm updates).
Google is precise about the watch page concept:
“A watch page's main purpose is to show users a single video.”
— Google Search Central, Video SEO best practices
Making your videos eligible, step by step
- Create a watch page for each important video, where the video is the main content and "can't be hidden behind other elements".
- Add VideoObject structured data with title, description, thumbnail, upload date and duration.
- Submit a video sitemap (or use structured data or Open Graph, which Google also supports).
- Add key moments with Clip markup, or SeekToAction where timestamps live in your URLs.
- Write a useful page around the video: transcript, summary, related links.
- Check the Video indexing report in Search Console for errors.
- Publish on YouTube too where it fits your strategy, linking back to your site.
| Setup | Strength | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| YouTube only | Huge reach; strong presence in video results | Traffic stays on YouTube; less control |
| Self-hosted watch pages | Traffic and conversions on your site | Needs markup, sitemaps, fast hosting |
| Embedded YouTube on articles | Supports text pages | Article usually not treated as a watch page |
| Short-form (Shorts, TikTok) | Visible for trending and creator queries | Thin descriptions; profile pages compete |
Common mistakes
- Hiding the video below the fold or behind a click on the watch page.
- Using the same title and description on every video.
- Blocking video files or thumbnails in robots.txt.
- Assuming a ranking drop is an update when video features simply appear more often for that query.
- Ignoring transcripts, which help both users and Search understand the video.
For AI-era strategy, see video for AI search and our YouTube Shorts strategy.
Related Guides
- How Google Updates Affect Media, Entertainment and Streaming Sites
- The Florida Update (2003): The Shake-Up That Ended Old-School SEO
- Big Daddy (2005-2006): Google's Infrastructure Update Explained
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Google boost video in the May 2022 core update?
Google did not say so. It confirmed the update and its dates only. Analysts using Sistrix and other data reported significant gains for video sites such as YouTube, TikTok, Disney Plus, Hulu and Twitch, as summarised by Search Engine Journal.
Does my video need to be on YouTube to appear in Google?
No. Google can show videos hosted on your own site if it can find and process them. Google's video SEO documentation recommends structured data, video sitemaps and a dedicated watch page where the video is the main content and isn't hidden behind other elements.
What is a watch page?
Google defines it as a page whose main purpose is to show users a single video. A blog post with a supporting embedded video is not a watch page, which affects whether it can get video features in Search.
Can key moments be added to my videos?
Yes. Google supports Clip markup to define segments with start and end times, and SeekToAction markup so Google can identify key moments automatically, in supported languages.
Will video results replace my web pages?
Not necessarily. Video and web results often appear together. For queries where people want to watch something, a video result may outrank text; pairing a strong page with an embedded or linked video covers both.
Conclusion
Analysts saw video platforms gain ground in 2022, and video now appears across Search, Video mode, Images and Discover. Creators who build clear watch pages, provide metadata and pair video with useful text are best placed through future updates. For help building a video search strategy, request a quote.
References
- Google Search Status Dashboard: May 2022 core update
- Search Engine Journal: Google May 2022 core update impact
- Amsive (Lily Ray): Google May 2022 Core Update winners, losers and analysis
- Google Search Central: Video SEO best practices
- Wikipedia: Timeline of Google Search
- Google Search Status Dashboard: February 2026 Discover core update
- Google Search Central: AI features and your website
