While video has faced past obstacles of complex production and prohibitive cost, technology and mobile devices now make video more accessible than ever.  Consumer demand for video continues to soar and it is estimated that video will constitute 80% of all internet traffic by 2019.

Video ad spending is expected to double in that same time period, and growth is expected not just for large national advertisers, but for small local businesses as well.

That growth is supported by metrics demonstrating the effectiveness of video advertising.  LSA’s recent white paper, Local: Online Video’s Next Frontier, found that 44% of buyers viewed online video while searching for local products and services leading to 53% of viewers contacting the business.

Check out my latest Search Engine Land column for more stats and some helpful tips with (1) keeping video format simple and costs low, and (2) using video to boost SEO.