While most will agree that the Yoast WordPress SEO Plugin is the best SEO Plugin for your WordPress blog (and we agree), there might be some things to think about when comparing Yoast’s Video SEO Plugin to our very own WP Social SEO Booster Pro Plugin (which will be renamed to just the WP Social SEO Plugin shortly).
While we love Yoast’s work, we have done a huge amount of testing on the use and lack of use of Video Sitemaps for websites and how it reflects on Search Engine Optimization (SEO). What we have tested is the effect of using a Video Sitemap versus simply using Schema.org Video Object Markup (which Google fully supports). We have also used them together as well.
Simply put, we have seen the exact same results from simply using Schema.org Video Object markup (Microdata) on our sites.
Does this mean we think you should not use Video Sitemaps? No. We believe that any time you can submit information directly to Google about your site via a Sitemap, it will be beneficial. That being said, right now we are seeing no difference between the 2, but we also are seeing almost immediate indexing and displaying of the Video Thumbnail next to our listings in Google.
For Example, on our Deals Plugin Page, we are only using the Schema.org Video Object Markup. If you do a Google Search for “social deals engine” you will see that our Social Deals Engine Plugin page displays right below the YouTube listing for the Video almost identically with the Video Thumbnail showing next to it.
As you can see, even without using a Video Sitemap we are able to show off our Video in Google just by using this markup as recommended by Google. This can be verified by using the Google Structured Data Testing Tool.
Showing Up In Google Search
Now does this mean all your pages using the Video Markup will display in Google Search like this? No. Even when using Video Sitemaps your pages will not always display like this. Why? Honestly, sometimes there is no rhyme or reason to what Google shows or does not show. Just like Authorship and Publisher status, Google chooses to display search results differently in different searches and differently in different locations. Not everyone sees the same results.
The important thing isn’t if it is displayed in search as much as it is important that Google is seeing it on your site and indexing it appropriately. By having the correct markup you can do this and both the Yoast Video SEO Plugin and the WP Social SEO Booster support this.
How Do They Compare?
First off, remember that Yoast’s Video SEO plugin was built just for Video and mainly for creating Video Sitemaps. The plugin does this extremely well and is the best in the business at doing this. Our SEO Booster Pro Plugin is a Social Media SEO and Microdata Optimization Plugin. Its focus is a lot broader than Yoast’s and that is also why we wanted to compare the 2 plugins.
When compared side by side, the only thing the Yoast SEO Plugin has that the WP Social SEO Booster plugin does not is the Video Sitemap feature and MediaRSS enhancements (which do nothing). When comparing the SEO Booster Pro plugin to the Yoast Video SEO Plugin on a feature level, we have more line by line inputs for technical Itemprop, Schema.org Microdata, Facebook Open Graph, and Twitter Cards for Video then Yoast’s plugin. In fact, Yoast’s plugin does not support Twitter Cards for Video (Player Cards) at all and all the plugin does for Open Graph is change the Open Graph Type to “Video”.
Now while the Yoast’s plugin has an incredible feature set for automatically seeing your Videos and adding them to the Video sitemap, it really drops the ball when it comes to allowing you to customize your output for Video SEO with Schema.org Markup and Open Graph. All it uses is the default output (Meta Title and Description) from the Yoast WordPress SEO Plugin which is required for use with the Yoast Video SEO Plugin (which means you can’t use it with any other SEO Plugin for WordPress).
The WP Social SEO Booster allows you to Customize Video SEO Output for Schema.org Microdata (VideoObject), Facebook Open Graph, and Twitter Cards for Video (Player Card) and Yoast’s Video SEO Plugin does not. See below.
Schema.org Video Object Input in SEO Booster Plugin
Facebook Open Graph Video Inputs in the SEO Booster Plugin
Twitter Card Customization Inputs in SEO Booster Plugin
Pricing
Now, we have to admit we are more than slightly biased in favor of our own plugin. That does not mean all the information shown here isn’t true. It is. Our main reason for doing this comparison is we want WordPress blog owners to understand they don’t have to pay the exorbitant prices required to purchase the Yoast Video SEO Plugin to get the same exact results for Video SEO and even more when looking at all the other features of the SEO Booster Pro Plugin when compared to Yoast’s. We personally have looked at the plugin’s code and don’t understand why the price is so high.
Here is the Yoast Video SEO Plugin’s Current Pricing:
Yoast Video SEO Plugin Pricing
Compare it yourself. Try the WP Social SEO Booster Pro Plugin for just $37 with Developer License on an Unlimited number of Sites and if you are not happy with the results in the next 60 Days, we’ll give you your money back. No questions asked.
Good Luck!
Mike, I am in awe of the great tools that you have made available to us. I am a little (ok maybe alot) confused about the “best” ways or the best practices for their use together to optimize results.
I know that this is a suite of tools and am imagining that you have an optimal use/configuration for how they all integrate together and synergize. I’d love to see an overview video from 30,000 feet on how you see all of this working together.
This post is actually the beginning of a series of posts in which I am going to do exactly that. Stay Tuned. More is coming.
Mike
Mike,
Great work uncovering this, but like Jim, I’m uncertain if I should use both together, or just turn off Yoast, after I’ve had Yoast running for a good 6 months, and adding SEO Booster, I hate to lose rankings because I turned it off?
Is there a quick best-practice you can recommend for this situation? Do I keep Yoast running and turn parts of it off? How do I verify I’m getting the same results – without watching for dropped rankings that may occur by doing that?
Thanks again for all of your work with social SEO and your plugins and themes… brilliant work…
-Brett
If you have Yoast running there is no reason to shut it off. Our focus here was to show everyone this can be done via our plugin for pennies compared to what is being charged for their plugin.
I always say, if something is working for you, don’t change it just to change it.
That being said, you can still use the SEO Booster with Yoast’s plugin as we built it to integrate with the main plugin and replace the Social and Rich SNippet features. Just make sure you do not have those same features turned on in Yoast’s plugin at the same time or you will get duplicate Meta entries in your Header.
Mike
Mike, I like your post. I like all your posts. Here’s why;
1. Objective
2. Analytical
3. Knowledgeable
For me, the thunbnail show in the SERPS is hugely desirable, but I would not pay Yoast’s price for this – it does not feel to me like fair pricing – more like scarcity pricing.
Well done for an excellent comparison and sane conclusion. Keep offering great value to the internet marketing community, as you do.
Peter
Thanks Peter. I appreciate it.
Mike
Amazing Results Mike!
To add to Jim’s comment, your company is one of a kind. You keep evolving your tools, educating us on best practices at the best value possible.
We appreciate the great comments. Thanks!
MIke,
When is your training membership going to open?
In the next 3 weeks or so.
I am also going to take on a few people into my coaching program as well.
Mike
Very nice post, Mike.
I was an early adopter (believer) in SEO Booster Pro and recently just nabbed the Grab Everything Developer Bundle. For blog posts, I usually add a relevant YouTube video and add details to just the Opengraph section but I think what you are saying here is I should also be adding those details to other sections as well, is that right? If so, a to of people are probably missing out on valuable search engine signals they never knew they could get.
Might be a great idea to do a walk through on creating the perfect blog post with all the right backend stuff?
Great work guys!
Yes, you are right. As I said to another commenter here, I am going to be doing a series of posts on how to best configure and use our plugins for the optimal results.
Mike
It’s been 4 months now.
Any idea on content relating to getting the most from the actual plugins and optimizing posts using them?
Hi Mike,
great post! Like Jim above I fully agree, your products are great, but probably we don´t fully understand the how-to use best to gain optimal results with it. More short and or in-depth posts/videoposts to clarify the benefit and how-to aspect would be beneficial for all parties.
Keep rocking!
Bill
They are coming!
Thanks. 🙂
Mike
Excellent comparison of the two plugins… I really like the SEO Booster pro plugin and currently use another video sitemap plugin with SEO Booster. Maybe you should put a training video in the members area showing how to set up all the features. Just in case something isn’t properly set-up. If it doesn’t currently exist… maybe I overlooked it.
I’d enjoy more posts like this, and look forward to wants coming down the pipeline. Thanks!!!
Thanks Dexter. Like the others who asked for the same thing here, I see the demand and need for it. I will continue with this over the coming days and weeks to help everyone out.
Mike
Hey Mike, thanks for the comparison- i just considered buying the Yoast Video Plugin but now i´m going to overthink it because i own all of Your plugins and bring them to good use (if someone is unclear/ not working i got always great support from Daniel- even in my own language 😉
I´m also considering the Yoast Local plugin as it seems to be much more important for my work with offline clients compared to the video plugin/implementation.
My question to You: is WP SEO Booster similarly comparable to Yoasts plugin in terms of the local features. Or to the point: Do You think i have to buy Yoasts Local plugin because it has some important features WP Seo Booster has not.
Your opinion (biased or not 😉 would be very helpful- thanks in advance!
Regards, Matt
Right now we are actually working to make sure all our local features are equal to or better than Yoast’s Local plugin as well. We are updating our KML and GEO Sitemap features as we speak. The big thing with Local SEO when it comes to Google is also making sure your site has a dedicated Google Plus Page for Local Business which is associated with your blog via Google’s Publisher feature. Without that, all the other local SEO stuff really isn’t nearly as effective (for Google specifically).
Mike
One thing that I really appreciated about the Yoast plugin was how quick he went about adding in a new ‘module’ for the custom WordPress video plugin that we are using http://easyvideosuite.com
After working extensively with the author of EVS, we were able to get an api developed that basically made it very easy for any other plugin to automatically recognize if there was a video added to a page via EVS so it could be added to the sitemap just like youtube videos are added. The EVS author even added in the video thumbnails location via the api so that those can be pulled in and added automatically as well.
I have used just about every major video system available on the market and I have to say that in the end, EVS turned out to be hands down the easiest and most powerful system available for WordPress. And yes, I am comparing it to true commercial systems like wowza, (which evs just integrated for live streaming), kaltura (by far the most powerful system available anywhere, yet very involved and expensive to run), and a few other WordPress video systems including VideoPress which is seriously lacking in many areas.
It would be nice if you would consider adding in other video systems to your SEO plugin for video autodiscovery as it makes the job a lot easier when it is automated.
Just my 2cents…
Very nice post. Yes, Yoast’s plugin is very good for this, but its not something we are going to do for the SEO Booster since it is not something which is critical for SEO in comparison to the costs which would be passed on to the buyers of our plugin. We like to keep the effectiveness of the Plugin high while keeping the cost low.
Thanks.
Mike
I have to check out with video SEO plugin, I haven’t worked with this one before. Since the recent Google changes, I am searching for as many tools as possible to help improve visibility.
very nice – thanks for sharing.
Can someone use WordPress SEO & WP Social SEO Plugin at the same time without causing any conflicts? I’ve set WordPress SEO just the way I like it and would use WP Social SEO for Video SEO purposes only.
Yes you can do that. I would recommend using our Open Graph, Google Plus, and Twitter Card setup as well since our features are a lot broader and more inclusive then Yoast’s. We built this to integrate with the WordPress SEO plugin so it will replace those features with our’s without conflict.
Mike
For those of us who want to test drive the free version to get our feet wet with all this new data (because a few of us have concerns about making a couple of our sites worse when they’re bad enough already) …
What are the major differences between the free and the pro version of SEO Booster? Do both versions play nicely with the rich snippets and other new schema goodies everyone seems to be adding everywhere?
All this ever-changing SEO best practices info gives me a headache in my eye 🙂
Yes, both versions have this capability. The difference being that the Free Version only works for Posts and not Pages or Custom Post Types.
Mike
I purchased Yoast Video SEO plugin, could not get it to work at all. Multiple emails and Tweets to the development team went unanswered. Do you folks answer tech support questions? Please advise. Thanks.
Yes we sure do:
http://support.wpsocial.com
The only time we do not is on the weekends.
Thanks.
Mike
I Googled “social deals engine” and did not get the results you show above. In fact, the Youtube video clips shows as above, but your page does not show video. It shows a picture of Mike Johnson. I think the consumer will be more likely to hit the Youtube video. You do not have the Video Thumbnail next to your post.
You may be seeing personalized results. Turn off personalization and search again. I just did the same search and got the exact same search results.
Mike
Hi Mike,
I’m renovating a couple of my old sites at the moment and updating my wordpress SEO approach. I came across a brilliant discussion you had with David Laws on one of his blogs back in 2010 and I’m wondering if you could help with some general advice on WordPress SEO.
I build most of my sites on Genesis and I use Yoast’s WordPress SEO Plugin out of habit really. Aside from the content snippets which are a useful reminder of on page SEO, is there any point using an SEO plugin with Genesis or should I use Genesis built in SEO and, of course, your own excellent plugins?
I know you’re planning some more blog posts but …..
Thanks
Mark
While Genesis is an excellent Framework, nothing beats the SEO capabilities of the combination of the WordPress SEO Plugin and the SEO Booster Pro. Genesis only has a small fraction of the on-site and on-page SEO settings required for optimizing your site.
Mike
Sorry Mike, one more thing,
I’m trying to minimise my use of plugins. Would you be happy to tell us which wordpress plugins you generally use?
I’m still using akismet, yoast’s wordpress SEO, wp social seo booster pro, wordfence security, w3 total cache, related posts plugin, optimize database after deleting revisions, redirection, simple tags and wp-smush it.
This still seems a bit top heavy. Any thoughts?
Mark
I don’t think your site is heavy at all. You should see all the plugins we have installed here at WPSocial.com. 🙂
I personally would still use WP Smushit unless you are using something else to optimize your image sizes for faster load times.
You are using almost the same configuration of plugins we are, although we do not use Wordfence Security. I like using Incapsula.com. The stop security threats at the IP Level instead of making security a server intensive process.
Mike
Excellent,
Thanks Mike (for both comments)
I’ll stick with wordpress seo and take a look at Incapsula.
What are your thoughts on Jetpack. I’ve detested it so far but there a couple of features that look quite handy. However it looks like it might seriously conflict with your plugins?
Mark
Jetpack does have some nice features, but yes, some of the Social Media options might conflict with our plugins.
Mike
I bought this and instilled it and filled out out the stuff on the pages where the videos are embedded.
google has re-indexed these pages days ago, and still no video pic in search results.
what am i doing wrong? do you have detailed information for getting videos to show in serps?
thanks
Google is making changes to what shows up and what doesn’t by a new ranking system just like the one we talk about here:
http://wpsocial.com/google-authorship-changes-affects/
I wanted you to know that I made an enquiry about WP Social SEO 4 days ago with no response from you. I reposted twice more with no answer. I had an awful time with Yoast and so I thought I would give you guys a try as I feel customer support is one the most important factors. I’m disappointed to say that you have now put me off completely, you are no better. So, as a postential new customer I ma now going elsewhere.
My reason for posting on here is that I want people to know how awful this is. Apparently your customer agent AJAZ ALI was processing it…..but is clearly stuck on ..processing it!
Can I ask why you have deleted my post?