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

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

It tin assistance you turn your brand, too.

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

A reverse video hunt is erstwhile you usage an representation from a video—like a thumbnail—to find webpages that diagnostic the video. Different hunt engines and tools alteration you to execute these searches.

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

Google lens hunt  results showing archetypal   root   thumbnail images for a houseplant circuit  YouTube video

This benignant of hunt tin supply the archetypal root of the video (as shown above) and different places the video has been published. Along with related content. 

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

Reverse representation  hunt  of a Rubik's cube utilizing Google with accompanying results

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

Google hunt  results for 'hoe to alteration  a tire' with the video tab selected and youtube video thumbnails displayed

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, the instrumentality uses algorithms to analyse the colors and pixels successful the photo. 

Then, the 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 the frames from videos due to the fact that it’s uneconomical. And would necessitate the retention of quadrillions of images. 

They usually lone scale a video’s thumbnail. If the video doesn’t person one, Google volition extract a frame from the video to usage arsenic its thumbnail.

This is wherefore you mightiness not find videos if you hunt utilizing screenshots from random points successful the 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 the tools 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 the camera icon to hunt by image: 

Google Images hunt  barroom  with camera icon highlighted

Upload the video image. 

Google Lens representation  hunt  with 'Upload a file' highlighted

Google volition hunt its database and find akin images. Click “See nonstop matches” to presumption each instances of the video (including its archetypal source). 

Google images video hunt  for Tiramisu Epicurious video with 'see nonstop   matches' highlighted

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

Exact matches database  for a Tiramisu Epicurious video connected  Google images

2. Bing

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

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

Bing images hunt  with options to resistance  and image, instrumentality     photo, paste image, browse oregon  find   an image

Bing volition show a database of applicable images. Which mightiness assistance you find the video’s archetypal source. Or springiness you ideas for related content.

Bing video hunt  results showing archetypal   root   and related contented  for puppy grooming  video

3. TinEye

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

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

Tineye reverse representation  hunt  with upload fastener  highlighted

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

Tineye reverse representation  results with 2  YouTube matches for Mario crippled  thumbnail

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

The escaped mentation allows you to upload 1 representation astatine a time. While the premium mentation allows you to upload aggregate images astatine once. 

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

Small SEO Tools reverse representation  hunt  with Ted Talk thumbnail and Search Similar Images highlighted

To presumption the results, click “Show Matches” for each hunt engine.

Small SEO Tools showing akin  representation  effect   buttons that nexus  to Google, Bing, and Yandex

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 privation to usage the aforesaid banal footage successful your content. Take a screenshot of the 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 reverse representation  hunt  with 'search by image' highlighted

Shutterstock volition instrumentality banal videos akin to your representation that you tin acquisition to usage successful your ain content.

Shutterstock reverse video results showing 6 banal  illustrative videos

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 the video you privation to reverse search:

  • To instrumentality a screenshot connected an iPhone, property the powerfulness fastener and the “volume up” fastener simultaneously
  • To instrumentality a screenshot connected an Android phone, property the powerfulness fastener and “volume down” fastener simultaneously

Then, usage the pursuing apps to bash a reverse video hunt with your screenshot:

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 assistance your tract and video fertile higher successful hunt results. 

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

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

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

Prospects tab of Semrush Link gathering  instrumentality   with 3 domain prospects listed

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

Backlinks tab of Semrush Backlink Analytics instrumentality   with 2 backlinks highlighted showing nexus  to Youtube video

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

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

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

The situation to reverse video hunt with copyright enforcement is you mightiness not find your videos. Especially if the offending enactment changes the thumbnail. Or alters the video.

But YouTube has tools similar the Copyright Match Tool and Content ID for eligible accounts. These tools make video fingerprints—unique identifiers based connected ocular and audio output—for each video. 

Then, YouTube notifies you if idiosyncratic uploads a video with your video’s fingerprint connected the platform. This tin beryllium an effectual mode 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 assistance animate caller contented ideas. 

Google video hunt  revealing akin  contented  showing aforesaid  formal  arsenic  the 1  successful  the YouTube video

For example, accidental you execute a reverse video hunt with a cooking video featuring a definite dish. 

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

Locating a Video’s Source

Reverse video hunt tin assistance you find the archetypal root of a video. 

This tin beryllium utile if you privation to fact-check the video. Or mention the video successful a portion of contented similar a blog station oregon a video of your own. 

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

Reverse representation  hunt  to place  the archetypal   root   of a debunking cooking trends Instagram reel

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

Further reading: Video Marketing: The Ultimate Guide

Use Reverse Video Searches to Strengthen Your Brand

Video reverse searches assistance you with a assortment of tasks. Including gathering backlinks.

Monitor each video backlink you get with our Link-Building Tool and Backlink Analytics. To fortify your brand’s consciousness and authority.