The article was initially published on iAmAttila blog on January 6, 2020.
We all want more views on our videos and channel. There are many ways to do this and most people are focused on video content. There is technical stuff that we can use to our favor. Understanding Youtube algorithms is incredibly important in understanding and having the system working for your benefit.
There are strategies to adjust what you are doing and trigger that algorithm to get you more views. We are going to do this in a simple way and I will help you understand. Because I know that YouTube studio beta can be complicated.
Also, don’t be scared of the algorithm. Its job is to get the right content to the right people. The algorithm is there to help people that don’t have technical skills and don’t know how to optimize everything on their channels.
So, we are going to look at the 3 key metrics that you want to look at in your analytics that are going to help you understand why your videos are getting views or not getting views.
How to start?
Log in to YouTube, when you click your profile image, find and click on YouTube studio beta. Now, on YouTube studio dashboard (left side of the screen) click on the Analytics.
This is how your screen should look.
Here you can see who saw your videos, how many people and what videos are most popular. At any time you can export the statistics as Excel or CVC data.
For more statistical options and graphics – explore YouTube studio.
Watch Time
Here you can find out about the time people spent watching your content. There is an option to see this data for every video that you uploaded. From the most popular to the least. You can also see the total time people spent watching your videos since the beginning.
The time of day when people watched your videos the most is very important. You will know when is the best time to post.
You should know that YouTube is counting a view if a person spent more than 30 seconds watching your video. Most people think that the viewer’s number is showing the popularity of the video. However, you have no way of knowing how many people watch the video and how many watched just a part of it.
Using these analytics you can have a clear idea about the popularity of your videos. You will see whether you are becoming more or less popular, which content got the most views, and what is your average number of viewers.
A number of views and watching time are very important to YouTube. This tells them how relevant and good is your video or a channel in general.
If you want to reach new GEOs and audiences, maybe it is all waiting for you on Telegram? We’ve prepared some material about Telegram audiences. What are the messenger’s users like this year? How old they are, what they do, and what they are interested in!
A good way to have more views, aside from paid advertising, is to optimize your videos. What I mean by that is to have an attention-grabbing title with keywords, interesting thumbnail, good description, and your business info.
Of course, all these metrics are here just to help you out. You should focus on creating the content that people want to watch. That’s the most important.
Average View Duration
From a marketing point of view, a number of views are not that important. How much you were able to get people’s attention is much more important. Average view duration shows how much an average viewer spends time watching. The closer that number is to video duration, the better. It means you are providing valuable content.
Again you have the option to see this analytic for every video or for all of them combined. This is important, for example, if you shorten the video time for one month then you can see if people are now paying more attention or the duration of your video is not an important issue for the most.
Most important is that YouTube will give you a bigger rank if your viewing average is high.
Impressions Click-Through Rate
This is maybe the most important of metrics because it shows how capable are your videos of drawing the attention of people.
A high click-through rate shows YouTube that your content is relevant and interesting. So, they will give you a higher rank for relevant keywords and it’s easier to promote your videos.
Of course, sometimes you will see a lot of impressions and a low number of clicks. The reason for this is that people don’t like your thumbnail or title is not drawing enough attention.
Low impression numbers with a high number of clicks probably mean that your content is relevant but your audience is specific and therefore small.
Identify where your audience is coming from
Here you can find out more about your audience and how they are finding your content. Your audience can be segmented into two categories. Subscribers and viewers.
What is important to know is how are people finding you. Traffic sources will tell you what your viewers use to get to your content. From a direct link to the search engine. This is a good way to see how good are your title keywords for example. Also, if you see a lot of people are coming from Facebook, post your videos and promote them on Facebook more than before.
It’s very useful to know what demographic is enjoying your content.
Tip: If you sell your products through videos, then you should compare your audience data on YouTube with the one from your website and Facebook. Profile what audience is enjoying your promotions on which platform and find common characteristics.
Using analytics, you will have a much better idea about your customer persona and what content you should make. It will provide you good guidance for future content.
In this blog, I only show you the basic metrics. You should definitely spend some time learning every tool and fixture of YouTube analytics. Especially if you are selling your products or promoting offers through video advertising.
Of course, the most important thing is to provide great content . People will come to watch your videos sooner or later.
Related articles:
How To Create An Effective YouTube Ad: Useful Tips and Tricks
Simple Tips for Making Your Videos Go Viral
The Right Amount Of Videos To Upload On YouTube Every Week
Road To First 1K YouTube Subscribers – 7 Steps To Achieve This
