Reverse Video Search Guide: Definition, Benefits, and Top Tools

3 weeks ago

A reverse video hunt lets you find videos connected nan web. But it tin do much than that.

It tin thief you turn your brand, too.

Learn really to reverse hunt a video utilizing celebrated tools. To place copyright infringement, backlink opportunities, and contented ideas.

What Is a Reverse Video Search?

A reverse video hunt is erstwhile you usage an image from a video—like a thumbnail—to find webpages that characteristic nan video. Different hunt engines and devices alteration you to execute these searches.

Here’s really a reverse video hunt looks connected Google:

This type of hunt tin supply nan original root of nan video (as shown above) and different places nan video has been published. Along pinch related content.

It’s akin to a reverse image search, wherever you hunt for akin images online. Like this:

And a reverse video hunt differs from accepted hunt that uses keywords and phrases to hunt for videos. Like this:

How Does Reverse Video Search Work?

Google and different hunt engines store—or index—thumbnails from videos successful their databases.

And erstwhile you upload a video’s thumbnail for a reverse video search, nan instrumentality uses algorithms to analyse nan colors and pixels successful nan photo.

Then, nan instrumentality references its scale to show akin matches successful your hunt results.

The caveat is you usually request to hunt for videos utilizing a thumbnail—not a video.

Here’s why:

Search engines don’t scale each of nan frames from videos because it’s uneconomical. And would require nan retention of quadrillions of images.

They usually only scale a video’s thumbnail. If nan video doesn’t person one, Google will extract a frame from nan video to usage arsenic its thumbnail.

This is why you mightiness not find videos if you hunt utilizing screenshots from random points successful nan video. Because those frames aren’t apt indexed anywhere.

Further reading: Video SEO: How to Get Your Videos Ranked connected Google

How to Reverse Search a Video connected Desktop

Use one—or more—of nan devices beneath to execute your reverse search.

1. Google

Conduct reverse video searches connected Google utilizing its Image Search.

Here’s how:

Navigate to Google Images and prime nan camera icon to hunt by image:

Upload nan video image.

Google will hunt its database and find akin images. Click “See nonstop matches” to position each instances of nan video (including its original source).

If you’re searching for your ain video content, nan “exact match” hunt tin thief you find different websites that person posted your video.

2. Bing

Bing is different hunt motor that tin execute reverse video searches.

To get started, caput to Bing’s Visual Search and upload nan video’s image.

Bing will show a database of applicable images. Which mightiness thief you find nan video’s original source. Or springiness you ideas for related content.

3. TinEye

TinEye is simply a instrumentality specifically made for reverse search. Its paid scheme alerts you erstwhile 1 of your images aliases videos appears connected a webpage. So you don’t person to manually execute this task.

To usage TinEye, unfastened nan website and upload your image.

TinEye displays a database of akin images. Enter a website into nan hunt barroom (like reddit.com) to select your results by a circumstantial domain.

SmallSEOTools performs reverse video searches for 3 different hunt engines astatine once: Google, Bing, and Yandex.

The free type allows you to upload 1 image astatine a time. While nan premium type allows you to upload aggregate images astatine once.

Head to nan instrumentality and upload your video’s image. And click “Search Similar Images.”

To position nan results, click “Show Matches” for each hunt engine.

5. Shutterstock

Shutterstock tin reverse video hunt for videos wrong their ain database.

Say you’re watching a video that has banal footage. And you want to usage nan aforesaid banal footage successful your content. Take a screenshot of nan banal footage and usage Shutterstock to find akin banal videos.

Here’s how.

Head to Shutterstock’s Reverse Image Search for Video. Click “Search by image” and upload your image.

Shutterstock will return banal videos akin to your image that you tin acquisition to usage successful your ain content.

Reverse Video Search connected Mobile: iOS and Android

Running a reverse video hunt connected mobile devices is akin to desktop searches.

First, get a screenshot from nan video you want to reverse search:

To return a screenshot connected an iPhone, property nan powerfulness fastener and nan “volume up” fastener simultaneously
To return a screenshot connected an Android phone, property nan powerfulness fastener and “volume down” fastener simultaneously

Then, usage nan pursuing apps to do a reverse video hunt pinch your screenshot:

Google (iOS, Android)
Image Search: Reverse Search (iOS, Android)
Reverse Image Search- Multi (Android)
Reverse Image Search App (iOS)

Why Use a Reverse Video Search?

Backlink Opportunities

A video reverse hunt shows you if different websites person your video embedded connected them. So you tin inquire for attribution and a backlink—which tin thief your tract and video rank higher successful hunt results.

Once you person a database of sites to contact, our Link Building Tool makes it easy to execute outreach.

To start, configure nan instrumentality utilizing our Link Building Tool configuration guide.

Then, adhd nan domains that don’t nexus to your video to your “Prospects” database successful nan tool. And draught and nonstop a personalized email asking for a link.

Use Semrush’s Backlink Analytics to show your outreach campaign’s results. View nan study to spot each nan domains linking to your video (look for your video’s URL successful nan “Anchor and Target URL” column”).

When you spot that a website has fixed you a link, return to nan Link Building Tool and click nan checkmark. This moves nan nexus to nan “Monitor” list, wherever you tin cheque to spot if nan backlink remains active.

Enforcing Copyright

Searching for your videos helps you show your content. And find instances wherever personification has utilized your video wrong their contented without support aliases due citation.

This proactive attack lets you safeguard your work. And power wherever your marque shows up online.

The situation to reverse video hunt pinch copyright enforcement is you mightiness not find your videos. Especially if nan offending statement changes nan thumbnail. Or alters nan video.

But YouTube has devices for illustration nan Copyright Match Tool and Content ID for eligible accounts. These devices create video fingerprints—unique identifiers based connected ocular and audio output—for each video.

Then, YouTube notifies you if personification uploads a video pinch your video’s fingerprint connected nan platform. This tin beryllium an effective measurement of enforcing copyright if you people your videos to YouTube.

Further reading: YouTube SEO: How to Boost Your Channels’ Visibility

Content Ideas

Reverse searches show related content, which tin thief animate caller contented ideas.

For example, opportunity you execute a reverse video hunt pinch a cooking video featuring a definite dish.

This could output hunt results featuring akin dishes pinch different presentations, ingredients, and cooking methods. These variations mightiness animate caller contented ideas.

Locating a Video’s Source

Reverse video hunt tin thief you find nan original root of a video.

This tin beryllium useful if you want to fact-check nan video. Or mention nan video successful a portion of contented for illustration a blog station aliases a video of your own.

For example, this YouTube video features a different user’s video connected a trending cake. Reverse-searching for nan barroom featured successful nan video reveals its original source.

Identifying nan root of nan video lets you verify its authenticity and credibility. And ensures you springiness your assemblage meticulous information.

Further reading: Video Marketing: The Ultimate Guide