Videos That Send Website Visitors: Turning Viewers Into Visits

Videos that send website visitors are videos that give viewers one clear reason to visit your site, say out loud and on screen where to go, and pair that with a tagged link wherever the platform allows one. Most short video viewers cannot tap a link inside the video, so the words do much of the work.

• YouTube Help on sharing links says URLs in Shorts comments and descriptions are not clickable, and a channel can show up to 14 links on its channel page.
• YouTube's end screens can be added to the last 5 to 20 seconds of a video at least 25 seconds long, with up to 4 elements on a 16:9 video.
• Google Analytics Help on URL builders says to always use 3 parameters on a tagged link: utm_source, utm_medium and utm_campaign.
• Google Analytics' default channel group counts a visit as Organic Social when its medium is one of 6 values such as social or sm, or its source is a known social site.

Why do so few video viewers visit a website?

Because leaving a short video app takes effort, and most videos give no reason or route to do it. Fix both, and visits follow more often.

Short video feeds are built for the next swipe, so a viewer has to stop, find your profile and tap a link before they reach your site. Each extra step loses people. On YouTube Shorts the route is narrower still, because YouTube's help page says URLs typed into Shorts descriptions and comments cannot be tapped. A viewer who hears a vague line such as "check out our website" has no idea why the visit is worth the trouble.

The fix has two parts. First, give a specific reason that only the website can satisfy, such as a price list, a booking calendar, the full menu or stock you have today. Second, remove guesswork about the route by saying exactly where the link is, and making sure it is there when they look.

Where can a link go on each platform?

On YouTube, links can sit on your channel page, in long video descriptions and on end screens, but not as tappable links in Shorts. On TikTok and Instagram, the usual place is your profile link, subject to each app's own rules.

The table sums up the routes a viewer can follow. Platforms change these rules often, so check each app's settings and help pages before relying on any route. Where a rule depends on your account type or history, the app will show you whether you can use it.

Platform	Where a viewer can tap through	Points to note
YouTube Shorts	Your channel page links	URLs in Shorts descriptions and comments are not clickable; a channel can show up to 14 links
YouTube videos	Description links, end screens, channel page	Clickable external links in long videos need advanced features turned on; end screens need a video of at least 25 seconds
TikTok	Your profile link, where your account can add one	Check the app's current rules for your account
Instagram Reels	Your profile link, where your account can add one	Check the app's current rules for your account

YouTube's links page also notes that clickable external links on long videos require access to advanced features on your channel. If you post a longer, horizontal version of a video, an end screen can show up to 4 elements in its last 5 to 20 seconds, according to YouTube's end screens page. For Shorts, rely on the channel page links and on saying your web address clearly.

What should a video say to send people to your website?

Say one specific reason to visit, then say where the link is, in the last line and on screen. "See today's prices on our website, link in our profile" beats "visit our website" every time.

Build the video around that reason from the start, not as an afterthought. A hypothetical bakery in Leeds could open with a decorated birthday cake, show two more designs, and close with "Pick your design and order on our website, the link is in our profile." The viewer knows what they will find and where. The reason, the route and the closing line all point at the same page.

Say the web address aloud only if it is short and easy to spell, and show it on screen for long enough to read. Repeat the route in the caption or post words, because many people watch without sound. Keep to one request per video; asking people to follow, comment, call and visit all at once spreads their attention thin. If the website is the goal, make it the only goal of that video.

Which page should the link open?

The page that matches the video, not your home page. Someone who tapped through for a price list should land on the price list, with your contact options visible.

Every extra tap after the click loses more visitors, just as it did before the click. If one link in your profile has to serve several videos, point it at a short page that lists the things your recent videos mentioned, each with a clear button. Check that the page loads quickly on a phone and that the enquiry form, phone number or booking button is visible without scrolling far. A hypothetical plumber in Nairobi might send viewers straight to a page with emergency call out details and a tap to call button, rather than to a general about page.

Keep the page consistent with the video. If the video says a service is available on weekends, the page should say the same thing in the same words. Visitors who find a mismatch tend to leave, and they may not trust your next video either.

How do you tag links so you know which video worked?

Add UTM parameters to every link you place, with utm_content naming the video or the month's set of videos. Google Analytics then reports those visits by source, medium and campaign.

Google Analytics Help says to always use utm_source, utm_medium and utm_campaign, and describes utm_content as the parameter that tells apart creatives, such as two links in one email. A consistent pattern keeps reports clean: the platform as utm_source, social as utm_medium, the offer or month as utm_campaign, and the video's name as utm_content. Because a profile link serves every video, change its utm_content when you change the video you are promoting, and note the date in your sheet. Visits then show up in the Traffic acquisition report under session source, medium and campaign.

The medium you choose decides where the visit is grouped. Google Analytics' default channel group puts a visit in Organic Social when the medium is one of six values such as social, social-media or sm, and in Organic Video when the medium contains the word video. Pick one and use it every time, or the same platform will be split across two channels. The page also notes that these channel definitions are not case sensitive and cannot be edited.

How do you know whether those visitors were worth it?

Check what they did after they arrived: whether the session was engaged and whether they reached a key event such as an enquiry, a call tap or an order. A visit that leaves at once is not a result.

Google Analytics counts a session as engaged when it lasts longer than 10 seconds, includes a key event, or has 2 or more page views, according to its help page on engagement rate. Set your enquiry form, booking and tap to call links as key events, then compare tagged video visits with visits from other sources. If video visitors engage less, the page or the promise in the video needs work. Website visits are one stage of your wider video marketing metrics, so read them alongside the watching numbers and the enquiries that follow.

Remember that some viewers will never tap the link. They remember your name and search for you later, so their visit arrives as search or direct rather than social. Ask new customers where they heard about you to catch those visits, and expect tagged links to undercount what your videos do.

Questions business owners ask about video traffic

Can I put a clickable link inside a short video?

Usually not inside the video itself. On YouTube Shorts, YouTube says URLs in descriptions and comments are not clickable, so viewers rely on your channel page links. On other apps, the profile link is the usual route, so say in the video exactly where it is.

Should the profile link go to my home page?

Only if your videos are about the business as a whole. When a video promotes one product, service or offer, link to that page or to a short page listing your current offers. The fewer taps between the video and the answer, the more visitors stay.

Does saying the web address in the video work?

It works when the address is short, easy to spell and shown on screen at the same time. Long or unusual addresses are hard to remember after one hearing. Pair the spoken address with the profile link so people have two routes.

Why do my tagged links show fewer visits than I expected?

Many viewers search for your name later instead of tapping, so their visit is reported as search or direct. Links typed without tags, or tags spelt differently, also split the count. Keep one tagging pattern and ask customers how they found you.

Turn your next video into a route to your website

Pick one page on your website that answers a question your customers ask, and build your next video around sending people there. Tag the profile link for that video, say where the link is in the closing line and in the caption, and set the page's enquiry button as a key event.

You can see three video ideas for your business with the AI Video Maker, which works from your AI Web Maker website. Its scripts end with a closing line that says how to reach the business, and each finished video comes with the caption, title and hashtags for TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. From the video's page you can open each network with the words ready, then add your tagged link before you post.