Contrary to the surprising belief of some business leaders, YouTube is far more than just a platform for cat videos and fail compilations. It holds significant potential as a powerful tool in your marketing arsenal. If you haven’t fully utilized its capabilities, you are undoubtedly missing out on substantial opportunities.
Conducting a comprehensive audit on a regular basis is crucial to ensure that you are maximizing the value of your brand’s YouTube channel. Here’s how you can effectively perform this audit.
Gaining Insights into YouTube Metrics and Analytics
Metrics like views, subscribers, likes, comments, and shares provide a general sense of how well your video content is doing. However, for a more detailed analysis, YouTube Analytics is an invaluable resource.
This tool offers a wealth of information, including watch time, traffic sources, and audience demographics, not only for individual videos but also for your entire channel. Grasping these figures is essential to discern what aspects of your content are successful and what requires improvement.
Here’s a breakdown of some key metrics found in YouTube Analytics:
Views:
Views represent the overall count of how many times a video has been watched on YouTube. It serves as a primary indicator of the extent to which your content is reaching the audience.
Subscribers:
Subscribers are the number of individuals who have chosen to follow your YouTube channel. They form your core audience and are likely to actively interact with and regularly engage in your content.
Watch Time:
Watch time is the cumulative duration that viewers have spent watching your videos. This metric holds significant importance as YouTube’s algorithm heavily considers it when ranking videos.
Audience Retention:
Audience retention reveals the average duration for which viewers stay engaged with your videos. A high audience retention rate suggests that your content is captivating and pertinent, as people are consistently watching your videos until the end.
Engagement metrics (Likes, Comments, Shares):
These metrics illustrate how viewers interact with your videos. Elevated levels of engagement usually indicate that your content is striking a chord with your audience.
Visibility Metrics (Impressions and CTR):
Impressions indicate how frequently your video thumbnail is presented to people on YouTube, while the CTR reveals how often people click on it to watch the video. If you have high impressions but a low CTR, it may suggest that your title or thumbnail could benefit from some adjustments.
Traffic sources:
This metric shows the origin of your viewers, whether they find your videos through YouTube’s search engine, suggested videos, external websites, and more. It aids in understanding the effectiveness of your marketing efforts.
Demographics:
This offers insights into your audience’s characteristics, such as age, gender, and location. Understanding your audience demographics can help you tailor your content more precisely to their interests.
Top Videos:
This displays your most popular videos based on watch time. Knowing which content performs best can provide valuable guidance for your future content creation strategy.
Playback Locations:
Playback locations indicate where viewers are watching your videos, whether it’s on the YouTube watch page, embedded on other websites, or within YouTube’s mobile app. Understanding these preferences helps you tailor your content delivery to meet your audience’s needs.
It’s essential to recognize that while all these metrics hold significance, the ones that carry the most weight will depend on your particular objectives and strategy. Before delving deep into analyzing the data, ensure you have clear goals in mind.
Do you aim to expand your subscriber base? Increase engagement? Drive traffic to your website? Align your YouTube channel goals with your overall marketing strategy and ensure they adhere to the SMART framework:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Relevant
- Time-bound
Essential metrics to focus on for enhancing YouTube ranking and visibility
If you want to conduct an audit of your YouTube channel to identify opportunities for improving rankings and visibility, focus on these key metrics:
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View duration (Watch Time)
YouTube prioritizes keeping viewers engaged on the platform. The longer your videos hold viewers’ attention, the more favourably YouTube’s algorithm will treat your content. Monitor your analytics to identify which videos capture viewers’ attention and the reasons behind their success. Are they fast-paced and engaging? Do they deliver on the promises made in the title and thumbnail? Are they particularly relevant to current trends or topics? Replicate the elements that work well and trim away what isn’t resonating with your audience.
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Audience Retention
This metric is often overlooked or misunderstood by marketers. Audience retention refers to the percentage of a video that viewers watch before leaving. If your 10-minute video consistently loses viewers at the 2-minute mark, it indicates a problem. You need to identify what’s causing viewers to bounce and address it accordingly. Could it be a dull or uninteresting introduction? Perhaps a misleading title that doesn’t match the video’s content? Pinpoint the issue and take corrective action to keep your audience engaged for longer.
When analyzing the audience retention graph for each video, look for a relatively flat line or a gradual decline, which indicates steady viewer interest. Steep drops or fluctuations should be further investigated to understand the specific reasons behind the sharp decline in engagement.
To find the chart, go to YouTube Studio > Content > Select a video > Analytics, then scroll down to Key Moment for Audience Retention.
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Engagement metrics (Likes, Comments, Shares, and Subscriptions)
When viewers actively interact with your videos by liking, commenting, sharing, or subscribing, YouTube perceives it as a positive signal that your content is valuable and engaging. Encourage such interactions by prompting viewers to like, comment, share, and subscribe. Additionally, don’t be passive; engage with your audience by responding to comments in a positive and professional manner.
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Click-Through Rate (CTR)
The CTR measures the proportion of people who see your video thumbnail and title (impressions) and then proceed to click and watch the video. It serves as a crucial indicator of how appealing your video’s presentation is. To enhance your CTR, create captivating titles and design eye-catching thumbnails. However, remember to avoid clickbait, as it may initially attract clicks but can ultimately harm your view duration and audience retention if the content fails to fulfil its promises.
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Traffic Sources
This metric reveals the origins of your views, such as YouTube searches, suggested videos, external websites, and other sources. Understanding this information can help you fine-tune your SEO strategy. For instance, if a substantial number of viewers find your content through a YouTube search, you should focus on optimizing keywords. On the other hand, if external websites are driving traffic, investigate which sites are linking to your content or embedding it, and ascertain the reasons behind their support.
Essential Elements for Conducting a YouTube Audit
Now that you have a grasp of the metrics involved, it’s time to get down to business.
To elevate your brand’s YouTube channel, you need to gain a comprehensive understanding of its current status, what’s performing well, and where improvements can be made. This calls for a thorough YouTube channel audit.
Below are the crucial steps and elements you should incorporate into your audit:
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Step 1: Assess the channel aesthetics
The first impression matters greatly. Begin by examining your channel’s logo, banner, and overall visual appearance. Does it strongly reflect “your brand” or is it too subtle? Ensure that everything aligns perfectly with your brand’s identity and vibe.
Additionally, pay close attention to the About section. It should clearly communicate what your channel is all about, when viewers can expect new videos, and how they can contact you. Consider it as your brand’s elevator pitch.
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Step 2: Explore the Video Library
Immerse yourself in a diverse selection of videos from the channel’s library, including both old and new ones, those with high views and those with low views. Examine the channel analytics closely, focusing on the essential metrics mentioned earlier. If possible, compare the data year over year.
This analysis will provide valuable insights into the quality of content and its evolution over time. Ask yourself if the videos align with the brand’s messaging and if they effectively meet the needs and interests of viewers. If there are any discrepancies, it’s time to reconsider your approach.
Remember, it’s crucial for your channel to feel current, relevant, and aligned with ongoing trends. If you have any non-evergreen content that has become outdated (for example, “2020 SEO Trends to Watch Out For”), it could be negatively impacting your channel’s performance. Unfortunately, YouTube doesn’t allow you to upload a new version while retaining the stats from the old one; you’ll need to start anew.
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Step 3: Scrutinize Thumbnails, Titles, and Descriptions
Now, it’s time to delve into the finer details. Examine the video thumbnails, titles, and descriptions closely.
Ask yourself:
– Are the thumbnails eye-catching and visually engaging?
– Do the titles clearly convey what the video is about and pique curiosity?
– Have you optimized them with relevant keywords to improve discoverability?
Remember, the combination of an enticing thumbnail and a captivating title serves as a movie poster for your video, luring viewers in for a watch. The description, on the other hand, provides you with the opportunity to entice both viewers and search engines with more detailed information about the content. These elements play a vital role in attracting and retaining an audience for your videos.
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Step 4: Embrace Engagement
Evaluate the level of engagement on your videos. Are viewers actively liking, commenting, and sharing? Equally important, are you taking the time to respond to those comments? Remember, engagement is a two-way street, so make an effort to interact with your audience and foster a sense of connection.
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Step 5: Compare with Competitors
Take a glimpse at what your competitors are doing. Analyze their strengths and weaknesses. Identify ways to set your brand apart and make your content stand out. Utilize tools like TubeBuddy for effective competitor analysis and to optimize your own channel.
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Step 6: Review Your SEO
If you are serious about achieving success on YouTube, SEO is not just an option, it’s a necessity. Optimize your video titles, descriptions, and tags with relevant keywords to improve discoverability. Additionally, pay attention to your thumbnails – they are the first impression viewers get. Make them visually appealing and attention-grabbing.
Creating playlists is another fantastic way to keep viewers engaged and invested in your channel. Mastering YouTube SEO is a crucial aspect to ensure you are making the most out of your brand’s YouTube channel. It’s a comprehensive discipline, but understanding it is key to driving growth and visibility.
Checklist for Uploading YouTube Videos
Congratulations on completing your audit and getting your existing videos on the right track! Now, let’s set up a plan to avoid going through this process again in just six months.
Introducing YouTube upload checklists! These comprehensive checklists will guide you through the essential steps to prepare, optimize, and upload your videos for maximum visibility, engagement, and SEO benefits.
Here’s a breakdown of the essentials:
Pre-upload:
1. Content quality and value: Ensure your video offers meaningful content that resonates with your audience, whether it’s educational or entertaining, providing real value to viewers.
2. Video quality: Aim for high-definition (1080p or higher) video quality to present a professional and polished appearance.
3. Editing: Thoroughly review your video for any editing errors and ensure smooth transitions, clear audio, and appropriate pacing to captivate your viewers.
4. Branding: Integrate your brand identity elements, such as your logo and colours, to reinforce your brand’s presence.
By following this checklist before uploading your videos, you’ll ensure that your content is engaging, visually appealing, and aligned with your brand identity, minimizing the need for repetitive audits in the future.
Upload Checklist:
Before Uploading:
1. Title: Craft a catchy and relevant title that prominently features your main keyword.
2. Description: The first two to three lines are crucial; incorporate your keyword early. Elaborate on the video content and include relevant links.
3. Tags: Use appropriate tags, including main keywords and related terms.
4. Custom Thumbnail: Design a visually appealing and compelling thumbnail that complements your video content.
5. End Screens: Utilize end screens to promote other videos, drive subscriptions, or guide viewers to your website.
6. Pinned Comments: Post and pin a comment at the top of the comment section to initiate conversation and prompt engagement.
7. Closed Captions: Include closed captions (CC) for your videos to enhance accessibility and improve SEO through searchable text.
8. Playlists: Add your video to relevant playlists to encourage extended viewing.
9. Scheduling: Determine the optimal time to publish your video for maximum engagement.
10. Visibility Settings: Confirm that your video is set to publish or schedule for a specific time.
After Uploading:
1. Engagement: Engage with your audience by responding to comments and fostering interactions.
2. Promotion: Share your video on other social media platforms to increase its visibility and reach a broader audience.
Double Down on Metrics that Matter to Your Brand
Focusing on the metrics that truly matter to your brand is the key to YouTube’s success. While mastering the platform may initially seem overwhelming, breaking it down and understanding the metrics driving your channel’s performance can make it more manageable.
Building a successful YouTube channel goes beyond simply uploading content. It involves knowing your audience, setting clear objectives, enhancing discoverability and engagement, and consistently analyzing and improving your approach using data.
From assessing your channel’s aesthetics to delving into your video library, it’s a continuous journey rather than a one-time task. Moreover, with the aid of the practical upload checklist, you can consistently set your videos up for success every time you publish.
The secret to brand success on YouTube lies in:
- Ensuring your videos maintain a professional standard
- Optimizing your metadata effectively
- Engaging with your audience actively
- Promoting your content after upload
By using these vital strategies, you can nurture the growth of your YouTube channel and bolster your brand’s visibility on the platform.
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