A video that nobody finds is just a cost. Video search work is the unglamorous craft of making each roofing video discoverable: the title a homeowner would type, a description that answers the question in text, chapters that let a viewer jump to the part they care about, accurate captions, and an embed on the website page where the decision happens.
What it is, and who it is for
It is for roofing companies with ten or more finished videos, or a plan to produce them. Below that, effort is better spent making footage. Above it, a few hours of search work per video usually does more than making another one.
It suits companies who:
- have a YouTube channel full of untitled uploads ("IMG_4471.mov")
- post project films on social but never on YouTube
- want their videos to appear when homeowners search material and cost questions in their region
What is included
- Question research. We list the questions homeowners in your area ask before choosing a roofer: material comparisons, lifespan, what happens on tear-off day, how to spot storm damage from the ground, insurance claim basics. Each becomes a video topic or a chapter.
- Titles and descriptions. Titles written the way people search, and descriptions that open with a direct answer, name the town or region served, and link to the matching page on your site.
- Chapters and captions. Timestamped chapters for every video over a minute, and hand-checked captions. Auto-captions routinely mangle roofing words like "soffit", "drip edge" and "ice-and-water".
- Channel structure. Playlists by roof type, material and service area, a channel description that says plainly who you are and where you work, and a consistent thumbnail style.
- Website embeds. Each video placed on the page it supports, with a short written summary so the page still reads well if the video does not load.
- Quebec and French content. For Quebec audiences, French titles, descriptions and captions, because the OQLF expects websites and social content for Quebec customers to be available in French. See the Quebec page.
Timeline
- Weeks 1–2: audit of your existing videos and channel; a prioritised fix list.
- Weeks 3–6: existing videos re-titled, described, chaptered and captioned; playlists built.
- Ongoing: every new film and clip goes up search-ready on the day it is published.
How we measure results
We look at search traffic to your videos (how many views come from YouTube or Google search rather than from your own shares), average view duration, clicks from video descriptions to your website, and calls or texts from pages with embedded video. Monthly reports show the videos that are working and the topics we should cover next. No one can promise rankings, and we do not.
How AI answers change the picture
AI assistants increasingly summarise answers to questions like "how long does a metal roof last in Canada". They draw on text: descriptions, captions, transcripts and the pages videos are embedded on. A video with an empty description gives them nothing. A video with a clear written answer, a transcript and an embed on a well-structured page gives them something to cite. The same work that helps on YouTube helps here.
Thumbnails that tell the truth
A thumbnail should show what the video delivers: a clean finished roof, a clear before-and-after split, or a recognisable detail. Avoid shocked faces and arrows; homeowners choosing a roofer respond to calm competence.
Mistakes to avoid
- Clever titles. "Another Beauty!" tells nobody anything. "Metal roof replacement on a 1970s bungalow, start to finish" does.
- Descriptions that only say "call us". Answer the question first; the phone number goes at the end.
- Burying the location. If you work in a particular region, say so in the description and the channel profile.
- Hosting only on social. Social posts fade in days; a well-described YouTube video can keep working for years.
See how video search fits with project films and the photo library, or contact us for a quick channel review.
Frequently asked questions
Do roofers really need a YouTube channel?
If you are producing project films or explainers, yes, because YouTube is where those videos are hosted and searched. The channel does not need to be big; it needs to be organised, with each video answering a clear question.
How long before videos get found?
Some videos start getting search views within weeks; others take months. Questions with steady demand, like material comparisons and what to expect during a re-roof, tend to keep earning views for years once they rank.
Can you fix videos we already posted?
Usually. Rewriting titles and descriptions, adding chapters and captions, and embedding the video on the right page often improves an existing video without re-uploading it.
Do captions matter for search?
Accurate captions make videos accessible to people watching without sound or with hearing loss, and they give search engines and AI assistants readable text about what the video covers. We always check auto-captions by hand.
Sources
- OQLF: Entreprises (2026-10-22)