Google Bard can now answer questions about YouTube videos

Google is expanding Bard's capabilities to boost engagement on YouTube.

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Google Bard can now answer questions about the content of YouTube videos. Bard now summarizes video footage when users enter a YouTube URL.

Why we care. Expanding Bard’s capabilities could lead to greater engagement for content creators. Summaries of video content may also enhance users’ experiences. This functionality makes content more accessible, whether users are subscribing to a YouTube channel or making a purchase.

Getting started. To integrate Bard with YouTube, turn on the YouTube extension toggle on the Bard website, as demonstrated in the screenshot below, shared by Skill Leap AI:

Google Bard YouTube

Once the YouTube extension option is enabled, users can start a conversation with Bard by asking it a question relating to a video, such as:

  • “Give me a recipe for Thanksgiving turkey. Show me a video.”

Bard will then answer the prompt by serving a collection of approximately five videos from YouTube. Users can then ask for details about a video’s content, such as:

  • “Give me the recipe for video 2.”

Bard will understand what is meant by “video 2” and provide a text summary, including a breakdown of the ingredients and methods.

Google Bard YouTube Recipe

Bard can then provide more detailed information about the video. Some follow up prompts might include:

  • “Can you describe the overall tone or style of the video, such as informative, entertaining or persuasive?”
  • “What is the cooking time?”
  • “How many people does this recipe serve?”
  • “Is there a specific target audience that this video seems to be addressing?”
  • “Did this video receive any comments or engagement from viewers, and what are some common reactions?”

Accessibility. Bard’s new YouTube capabilities appear to have been rolled out to all users, suggesting a transition from the testing phase to general availability, according to Forbes. Extensions within Bard, including this feature, are only available for Gmail (personal) accounts at this time.

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Deep dive. Read our guide on how to use Google Bard for better SEO for more information on how to best utilize the chatbot for brand awareness.


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About the author

Nicola Agius
Contributor
Nicola Agius is the Director of SEo and Discover at Reach PLC. Previously, she was Paid Media Editor of Search Engine Land from 2023-2024. She covered paid media, retail media and more. Before this, she was SEO Director at Jungle Creations (2020-2023), overseeing the company's editorial strategy for multiple websites. She has over 15 years of experience in journalism and has previously worked at OK! Magazine (2010-2014), Mail Online (2014-2015), Mirror (2015-2017), Digital Spy (2017-2018) and The Sun (2018-2020). She also previously teamed up with SEO agency Blue Array to co-author Amazon bestselling book Mastering In-House SEO.

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