In April 2023 and December 2023, Google modified its classification of video pages. The video on the page must be the primary content for Google to display a video thumbnail in the search results and in the videos tab in Google Search. Many noticed a significant increase in "video not the main content of page" notifications in Search Console in late December. Google stated that the video should be prominent. John Mueller from Google reiterated this, emphasizing that the video should be the main focus, especially on mobile.
Despite efforts to make video the primary content, such as moving the video to the top of the page, some have found no change in Google's classification. This could be due to the presence of a text summary below the video, which may lead Google to perceive the page as not being video-first.
John Mueller's recent comments suggest that having the video above the fold in the mobile viewport and possibly including a videoobject schema could be beneficial. However, even moving the video to the top of the page has not always resulted in a change. The challenge lies in maintaining the text on these pages while ensuring that the video is perceived as the primary content.
