YouTube Marketing Blog

Video content has become one of the most effective ways to keep visitors engaged on a website. Whether you’re running a business site, portfolio, blog, or educational page, adding YouTube videos to Google Sites can significantly improve user experience, time on page, and trust.

The good news?
Google Sites makes it fairly easy to embed YouTube videos—even if you have zero technical skills.

In this guide, you’ll learn multiple ways to add YouTube videos to Google Sites, when to use each method, and best practices to make your videos look clean and professional on your site.

Why Add YouTube Videos to Google Sites?

Before jumping into the “how,” let’s quickly understand the why.

Adding YouTube videos to Google Sites helps you:

• Increase visitor engagement and dwell time
• Explain products, services, or ideas more clearly
• Showcase tutorials, testimonials, or demos
• Make your website more interactive and modern
• Repurpose YouTube content without re-uploading videos

For businesses and creators, embedded videos often perform better than plain text—especially on landing pages and resource sections.

What You Need Before Embedding YouTube Videos

Make sure you have the following ready:

• A Google Site (new or classic)
• A YouTube video URL (public or unlisted)
• Editor access to your Google Site
• Stable layout plan (page or section where video will appear)

Once you have these, you’re good to go.

Method 1: Add YouTube Videos Using the Built-In Google Sites Option (Easiest)

This is the most common and beginner-friendly method.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Open your Google Site
2. Click Edit (pencil icon)
3. Go to the Insert panel on the right
4. Select YouTube
5. Paste the YouTube video URL or search directly
6. Click Insert
7. Resize or reposition the video
8. Click Publish

That’s it. Your YouTube video is now live on your Google Site.

Best Use Case

• Single videos
• Tutorials or explainer videos
• About or homepage videos

Limitations

• Limited customization
• No video feed or gallery
• Cannot display multiple videos dynamically

Method 2: Embed YouTube Videos Using Embed Code (More Control)

If you want more flexibility, embedding via iframe code is a good option.

How to Get the Embed Code

1. Open the YouTube video
2. Click Share
3. Select Embed
4. Copy the iframe code

How to Add It to Google Sites

1. Open your Google Site editor
2. Click Insert → Embed
3. Choose Embed Code
4. Paste the iframe code
5. Click Next → Insert
6. Adjust layout and publish

Best Use Case

• Custom sizing
• Autoplay or mute options
• Advanced control over appearance

Things to Keep in Mind

• Still manual
• Not ideal for adding multiple videos
• Requires updating code for every new video

Method 3: Add Multiple YouTube Videos Using a Playlist

Instead of adding videos one by one, you can embed a YouTube playlist.

Steps

1. Open the YouTube playlist
2. Click Share → Embed
3. Copy the embed code
4. Paste it using Insert → Embed → Code
5. Publish your site

Why Use Playlists?

• Organized content
• Easy binge-watching
• Perfect for courses, tutorials, or series

Limitations

• Fixed layout
• No filtering or design customization

Method 4: Display a YouTube Video Feed on Google Sites (Advanced)

If you regularly publish videos and want your website to update automatically, embedding a YouTube feed is a smarter approach.

Instead of manually adding each video, a feed displays:

• Latest uploads
• Channel videos
• Playlists in grid or slider layout

This method is useful for:

• Business websites
• Educational portals
• Content-heavy sites
• Brands using YouTube actively

Some website owners prefer using dedicated widgets or tools for this, as Google Sites itself doesn’t support dynamic feeds natively.

Native Method vs Feed-Based Embedding: Quick Comparison

Feature	Native YouTube Embed	YouTube Feed
Easy to use	✅ Yes	⚠️ Moderate
Multiple videos	❌ No	✅ Yes
Auto-updates	❌ No	✅ Yes
Design flexibility	❌ Limited	✅ High
Best for	Single videos	Active channels

Best Practices for Adding YouTube Videos to Google Sites

To get the best results, follow these tips:

1. Place Videos Strategically

Add videos:

• Above the fold
• Near important content
• On landing pages and service pages

Avoid hiding them too far down the page.

2. Optimize Page Load Speed

• Don’t embed too many videos on one page
• Use playlists or feeds instead of multiple iframes
• Keep layout clean

3. Make Videos Responsive

Always check how your video looks on:

• Desktop
• Mobile
• Tablet

Resize and adjust spacing accordingly.

4. Use Supporting Text

Add a short heading or description above the video to:

• Improve SEO
• Give context to visitors
• Increase watch intent

Common Issues & How to Fix Them

Video Not Showing

• Check if the video is private
• Make sure embed is allowed
• Republish the site

Video Looks Too Small

• Resize manually
• Switch to full-width section
• Use embed code for better control

Too Many Videos, Page Looks Messy

• Use playlists or feeds
• Break videos into sections
• Avoid stacking too many embeds

SEO Benefits of Adding YouTube Videos to Google Sites

Embedding YouTube videos correctly can help with:

• Higher dwell time
• Better engagement signals
• Improved content understanding
• Lower bounce rates

While videos alone don’t guarantee rankings, they support strong on-page SEO when combined with quality content.

When Should You Consider a YouTube Widget or Feed?

If you:

• Upload videos regularly
• Want auto-updating content
• Need better layouts (grid, carousel)
• Want to showcase social proof

Then using a YouTube feed widget approach makes more sense than manual embedding.

Many website owners eventually move from native embeds to feed-based solutions as their content grows.

Final Thoughts

Adding YouTube videos to Google Sites is one of the easiest ways to make your website more engaging and informative. Whether you choose the native method, embed code, playlist, or a full video feed depends on your goals.

For simple needs, the built-in YouTube option works perfectly.
For growing websites or businesses, scalable embedding options offer better long-term value.

The key is to keep the experience clean, fast, and user-focused.