If you wish to discover the place a video seems on-line, you need to use a reverse video search (or video reverse search). This technique helps you find the unique supply of a video, verify in case your content material is getting used with out permission, and even discover backlink alternatives.
On this information, we’ll present you the best way to reverse search utilizing well-liked instruments. We’ll additionally clarify why you would possibly wish to reverse search a video and the way it works.
What Is a Reverse Video Search?
A reverse video search helps you to discover webpages that function a video through the use of a picture from the video, akin to a thumbnail. It’s just like a reverse picture search, while you seek for related photos on-line.

Completely different search engines like google and yahoo and instruments allow you to carry out these searches. Right here’s an instance of a Google reverse video search:

Be aware: In the event you use random frames from a video for the search, you won’t discover a lot. Google and different search engines like google and yahoo don’t index each body of a video. They usually index the video’s thumbnail. If the video doesn’t have one, Google will choose a body to make use of as an alternative.
Learn how to Reverse Video Search on Desktop
1. Google Reverse Video Search
To reverse search a video on Google:
Go to Google Photographs and choose the digicam icon.

Add the video’s thumbnail or screenshot.

Google will use algorithms to investigate the colours and pixels within the picture. Then, it is going to reference its index and present related matches.
Click on “Actual matches” to view all webpages that function the video, together with its unique supply.

“Actual match” search may also help you discover different web sites which have posted your video. In the event you do natural video advertising and marketing, that is one solution to measure a video’s attain.

Additional studying: Video search engine marketing: Learn how to Get Your Movies Ranked on Google
2. Bing Reverse Video Search
Bing additionally provides a reverse video search function. Right here’s the best way to use it:
Go to Bing Visible Search and add the video’s picture.

Bing will return an inventory of comparable photos and movies. This may also help you discover the video’s unique supply or get concepts for associated content material.

3. TinEye Reverse Video Search
TinEye is a specialised reverse search instrument. To make use of TinEye for video:
Open the web site and add your picture from the video.

TinEye will present you related photos and movies. You can too filter outcomes by area to slim your search to particular web sites (like Reddit).

4. SmallSEOTools Reverse Video Search
SmallSEOTools helps you to seek for a video’s picture throughout three completely different search engines like google and yahoo without delay: Google, Bing, and Yandex.
Add your video’s screenshot and click on “Search Related Photographs.”

To view the outcomes, click on “Present Matches” for every search engine.

This instrument means that you can add one picture at a time at no cost. Or a number of photos with a premium account.
5. Shutterstock Reverse Video Search
Shutterstock provides a reverse video search inside their inventory video database.
Say you’re watching a video that has inventory footage, and also you wish to use it in your personal content material. Take a screenshot of the inventory footage and use Shutterstock to seek out related inventory movies.
Right here’s how:
Head to Shutterstock’s Reverse Picture Seek for Video. Click on “Search by picture” and add your picture.

Shutterstock will return inventory movies just like your picture you can buy to make use of in your personal content material.

Learn how to Reverse Video Search on Cell
Performing a reverse video search on cell units is straightforward. Right here’s the best way to do it:
- To take a screenshot on an iPhone, press the facility button and the “quantity up” button concurrently
- To take a screenshot on an Android cellphone, press the facility button and the
“quantity down” concurrently
Then, use one of many following apps to reverse video search together with your screenshot:
For instance, right here’s the best way to reverse search a video on the Google App.
Open the app and click on the yellow picture icon.

Then, look beneath “Screenshots” and choose the one you wish to seek for. Ensure you’ve granted the app entry to your digicam roll.

After you choose your screenshot, Google will present you the outcomes of the search. Like this:
Why Use a Reverse Video Search?
A reverse video search will be helpful in a number of methods:
Determine a Video’s Supply
Reverse video search helps you discover the unique supply of a video.
That is helpful for fact-checking or citing the video in your personal content material, akin to a weblog submit or one other video.
For instance, a YouTube video would possibly function a trending cake recipe. Reverse-searching the cake video may also help you discover its unique supply.

By figuring out the video’s supply, you may confirm its authenticity, assess its credibility, and higher perceive short-form movies or clips that want extra context.
All of which helps you present your viewers with probably the most correct data.
Additional studying: Video Advertising and marketing: The Final Information
Discover Backlink Alternatives
Reverse searches may also help you discover web sites which have embedded your video with out offering a backlink. You’ll be able to then attain out to these websites for attribution and backlinks, which may enhance your search engine marketing.
After you have an inventory of web sites to contact, use Semrush’s Hyperlink Constructing Software to streamline your outreach course of.
To begin, configure the instrument utilizing our Hyperlink Constructing Software configuration information.
Then, add the domains that don’t hyperlink to your video to your “Prospects” record within the instrument. And draft and ship a customized e mail asking for a hyperlink.

Then, use Semrush’s Backlink Analytics to observe your outreach marketing campaign’s outcomes. View the report back to see all of the domains linking to your video. (Search for your video’s URL within the “Anchor and Goal URL” column.)

Whenever you see {that a} web site has given you a hyperlink, return to the Hyperlink Constructing Software and click on the checkmark.
This strikes the hyperlink to the “Monitor” record, the place you may verify to see if the backlink stays energetic.
Implement Copyright
Reverse video search may also help you discover situations the place somebody is utilizing your video with out permission. This helps you safeguard your work and management the place your model seems on-line.
It’s possible you’ll not discover movies if the offender adjustments the thumbnail or alters the video.
However YouTube has instruments just like the Copyright Match Software and Content material ID for eligible accounts. These instruments create video fingerprints—distinctive identifiers based mostly on visible and audio output—for every video.
Then, YouTube notifies you if somebody uploads a video together with your video’s fingerprint on the platform. This may be an efficient manner of implementing copyright on the platform.
Additional studying: YouTube search engine marketing: Learn how to Enhance Your Channels’ Visibility
Get Content material Concepts
Reverse searches show associated content material, which may also help encourage new content material concepts.

For instance, say you carry out a reverse video search with a cooking video that includes a sure dish.
This might yield search outcomes that includes related dishes with completely different displays, components, and cooking strategies.
However one other solution to generate content material concepts is utilizing Matter Analysis.
Seek for any subject and get an inventory of associated subtopics. Plus, examples of how different web sites have lined them. Like this:

Click on on any of the headlines to go to the content material and evaluate it. Add to an inventory of favorites by clicking the “+” signal.
Use Reverse Video Searches to Strengthen Your Model
Video reverse searches show you how to with quite a lot of duties, however if you wish to construct your web site’s visibility in search engine outcomes, begin leveraging them to construct extra backlinks.
Then, monitor every video backlink you get with our Hyperlink Constructing Software and Backlink Analytics. To trace how a lot your efforts strengthen your model’s consciousness and authority.

