In this episode of the 90-Day Website Mastery Podcast, Jonny Ross and Pascal Fintoni tackle a crucial question for website managers: Should you upload videos directly to your website or embed them from platforms like YouTube and Vimeo?

The discussion delves into the strategic considerations behind video hosting decisions, performance implications, and how to maximise both user experience and discoverability. Pascal and Jonny break down when to use native uploads versus embeds, and explain the distinct advantages of YouTube for reach versus Vimeo for polish and control.

The episode also reflects on Jason Hellerman's five-part YouTube storytelling framework from No Film School, revealing how to structure videos that hook viewers immediately and keep them engaged through to the final reflection. This proven structure works for B2B, B2C, and social content alike.

Finally, Jonny and Pascal introduce two powerful AI tools: one for generating complete website prototypes in seconds, and another for creating professional-grade product imagery, plus actionable website optimisations you can implement today.

If you manage a website, create video content, or want to improve your site's performance and engagement—this episode delivers immediately applicable strategies.

🎥 Should I Upload Videos Directly to My Website or Embed Them?

The answer depends on your strategic goals and the type of video content you're creating.

Upload directly to your website when:

• You need seamless integration (hero videos, contact page messages, product demonstrations)
• You want complete control over branding and user experience
• The video is bespoke to that specific page
• Critical: Optimize video files rigorously to maintain site speed

Embed YouTube videos when:

• You're building a YouTube channel and want to increase visibility
• You want videos to be easily shareable across platforms
• You're creating social-style content that benefits from wider distribution
• The more places a YouTube video appears in relevant contexts, the better for SEO
• Watch out for: Limited branding control, potential ads, and suggested videos from competitors
• Pro tip: Add ?rel=0 to the end of YouTube embed URLs to show only videos from your channel

Embed Vimeo videos when:

• You need polished, professional presentation for service pages or case studies
• You want full control over branding without ads or distractions
• You're creating promotional content or training materials
• You need granular control over download and sharing permissions
• Note: Vimeo requires a paid subscription based on upload volume

Cookie compliance matters: Remember that embedded videos trigger third-party cookies—ensure your privacy policy covers this for GDPR compliance.

🎬 How Do I Structure Videos to Hook Viewers and Keep Them Engaged?

Based on Jason Hellerman's framework from No Film School, here's the five-part structure for compelling YouTube content:

Part 1: The Hook (15-20 seconds)

• Present the big goal or problem you're addressing
• Answer the "what"—what will you explore, solve, or understand?
• Use pattern interrupts: bold statements, surprising stats, or quick visuals
• Speak directly to your ideal client using "you" and "your"
• Build curiosity with strategic word choices
• Include social proof early if possible (e.g., "tested across X clients")

Part 2: The Context (up to 1 minute)

• This is surprisingly the most important section
• Shift from "what" to "why"—why does this matter to you and your audience?
• Explain the significance and relevance of your topic
• Establish credibility and set expectations

Part 3: The Rising Action

• Document the journey truthfully—both successes and struggles
• Show internal and external challenges
• Make it relatable by demonstrating you don't have all the answers immediately
• This is where most people start thinking, but it should come third

Part 4: The Climax/Resolution

• Deliver what viewers have been waiting for
• Show the transformation—what changed, what you learned, what you achieved
• Answer whether you succeeded in solving the problem

Part 5: The Reflection

• Summarise key learnings
• For YouTube specifically: Share only ONE key takeaway or lesson
• Avoid the temptation to share multiple lessons
• Create a satisfying close (the "riding off into the sunset" moment)

Additional tips:

• You don't have to write sections in order—start with the journey (Part 3), then extract the hook and context
• If you're not ready for video, use this structure for written articles first
• "If you can write it, you can film it"

🛠️ What AI Tools Can Transform My Website Creation and Visual Content?

Deep Site by HuggingFace (Jonny's pick):

• AI-powered website generator that creates complete sites from text prompts
• Produces homepage code, content, images, and design in seconds
• Uses DeepSeek AI model (can be changed to other models)

Best use cases:

• Rapid prototyping and idea generation
• Starting point for client discussions
• Exploring design concepts quickly
• Overcoming blank page paralysis
• Access at: huggingface.co/spaces/enzostvs/deepsite

Google Gemini Nano Banana Image Generator (Pascal's pick):

• Google's latest iteration of AI image generation
• Significantly improved quality and blending capabilities

Key features:

• Generate images from text descriptions
• Upload your own product/service images as inspiration
• Merge multiple separate images into seamless compositions
• Create variations and new versions of existing photos
• Animate generated images for teaser content

Strategic value:

• Upskill yourself as an image creator
• Enhance product and service visual storytelling
• Create custom images without expensive photoshoots

Critical skill: Master briefing and prompt writing for image generation

• The battleground is shifting from text-based AI to image and video generation

⚡ What Website Changes Should I Make Right Now?

Jonny's Call to Action: Optimize Core Web Vitals

Check your performance using two methods:

• Google PageSpeed Insights (test your homepage)
• Google Search Console (check Core Web Vitals tab after signing up)

What Core Web Vitals measure:

• Site speed and loading performance
• Mobile responsiveness
• Visual stability (content doesn't shift as it loads)

Why this matters: Google and other search engines will rank competitors higher if you're not passing Core Web Vitals

• Failing these benchmarks significantly reduces visibility regardless of content quality

Action: Identify problems, fix them, ensure your site is fast, responsive, and stable

Pascal's Call to Action: Audit Your Marketing Tools for Hidden AI Features

The opportunity: Most software you already pay for has added AI assistants—but they don't announce them prominently

• What to do:
• List ALL your digital marketing apps and software (including free ones)
• Investigate each one for new AI features (look for new icons or menu items)
• Contact customer service for paid platforms and request an AI feature demo
• Ask for a full platform tour—you may be missing other valuable features

Time savings: Could reclaim 15 minutes to several hours per month

Mindset shift: Be curious about your existing tools rather than always seeking new ones, and of course, reinvest saved time into running your website more successfully!

🔑 Key Takeaways — What You’ll Learn (with timestamps)

00:49 – Introduction and approaching episode 50!

02:13 – You Ask, We Answer: Should I upload videos directly or embed them?

03:49 – When to upload videos natively to your website

04:50 – The benefits of embedding YouTube videos for channel growth

05:18 – Using Vimeo for polished, professional video presentation

06:15 – Cookie compliance considerations for embedded videos

07:38 – Managing YouTube's related video recommendations

09:16 – Website Stories: How YouTube creators hook audiences immediately

10:14 – Part 1: The Hook – presenting the problem in 15-20 seconds

11:39 – Part 2: The Context – explaining the 'why' behind your story

12:34 – Part 3: The Rising Action – documenting the journey truthfully

12:59 – Part 4: The Climax – revealing the transformation

13:26 – Part 5: The Reflection – sharing one key takeaway

14:38 – Pattern interrupts and speaking directly to your ideal client

16:54 – Writing the structure before filming your video

18:26 – The Website Engine Room: Deep Site AI website generator

21:12 – Google Gemini Nano Banana for AI image generation

24:31 – Mastering briefing skills for AI image creation

25:07 – Website Call to Action: Optimise for Core Web Vitals

26:03 – Checking Core Web Vitals in Google Search Console

26:32 – Pascal's tip: Audit your marketing tools for hidden AI features

28:25 – Reclaiming time by discovering AI assistants in existing software

29:22 – Episode wrap-up and rdon't forget to leave reviews

🔎 SEO Keywords & Tags:

video embedding best practices, YouTube vs Vimeo comparison, Core Web Vitals optimisation, website video optimisation, Google PageSpeed Insights, Google Gemini image generator, YouTube storytelling framework, Google Search Console tutorial, video content strategy, website speed optimisation, AI marketing tools audit

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• Jonny Ross
• Pascal Fintoni

About the Hosts

Jonny Ross is a leading digital marketing consultant and SEO strategist with decades of experience helping businesses transform their online presence.

Pascal Fintoni is a digital skills trainer and video marketing expert, known for making complex tech topics accessible and actionable.