According to HubSpot, 77% of marketers say their company uses YouTube to host marketing videos.
Few would disagree if we said that the word “video” has become almost synonymous with YouTube.
Also, making videos can be expensive, which is why it is imperative to track the performance of your video marketing campaigns on this platform.
Fortunately, YouTube Analytics can help you get the job done.
But do you really need to track every single metric to achieve your goals? Even those that provide minimal insights? Of course not!
In this post, we’ll tell you about the key YouTube Analytics metrics that make an actual difference.
But before that, let’s find out why YouTube Analytics matters.
Why track YouTube analytics metrics?
Here’s a simple fact about YouTube Analytics: when used correctly, you can monitor your video content performance and accomplish many goals. What goals are we talking about? Here’s the list:
1. Reach targeted viewers
We live in the age of influencers and virtually every good influential marketer has a thriving audience base on YouTube. Many companies collaborate with these YouTubers to produce great content and bring more eyes to their offerings.
But how do you find the right users to join forces with? Enter YouTube Analytics. With the help of YouTube Analytics, you’ll be able to identify users with a wide subscriber base that will potentially engage with your channel as well.
2. Create better content
If you’re looking to attract more and more viewers, you’ll need to create exciting and engaging content. This is the only way to ensure they stick around until the video ends.
YouTube Analytics will help you identify which of your videos are the most engaging. You can then create more videos along those lines or even repurpose some of your existing videos into new content (like blog posts) for your upcoming marketing campaigns.
3. Know your audience
Video content that resonates with your audience is bound to get more engagement and shares, thereby bringing you more subscribers. You don’t need to mine your audience’s personal details to make this work.
For instance, you don’t need to know what perfume Mr. ABC wears, or if they know how to make an invoice, or how much property they own. Instead, stick to your demographic findings.
If you’re new to YouTube marketing, you can leverage YouTube Analytics to learn more about your audience through the data it gathers. This includes their age, location, gender, preferred devices, and more.
4. Familiarize your audience
Apart from selling your brand, your video content should be informative enough to educate and engage your viewers. YouTube Analytics will help you monitor this engagement in real-time. You’ll also be able to try different topic ideas and stories that your audience will relate to.
Read More: Top 5 YouTube Monitoring Tools You Can’t Miss In 2024
YouTube analytics reports key metrics you should know about
With all those benefits, we bet you can’t wait to use YouTube Analytics. But how do you get there?
- Click your profile photo at the upper-right corner of your screen.
- Then, click YouTube Studio. Here, you will see a menu on the left side of the screen.
- Use this menu to access the Dashboard, Content, Playlists, and of course, Analytics. Simply click on Analytics and you’ll be routed to that page.
The great thing about YouTube Analytics is that you can access a whole range of metrics that track the different parameters of your channel’s performance. Here are a few you definitely want to try.
1. Subscriber growth
Your subscribers are the ones who have chosen to be a part of your channel. They’re the ones you do everything for. They’re also important because YouTube sends them notifications as soon as you release a new video or feature them on their homepage. This way, your content gets more views.
You’ll want to check out YouTube’s Subscribers Report to know which videos, locations, and time periods have been gaining and losing subscribers. This information will help you identify the topics that resonate the most with them and where you can find new ones. All you need to do is go to Analytics, click on Audience, and then on Subscribers. All the data you need will be at your fingertips!
It makes sense to prioritize your subscribers’ needs and create the kind of videos they want to watch. Also, never forget that more subscribers mean more watch time (and possibly higher search rankings) for your videos. This brings us to our next point…
2. Watch time
As the name suggests, Watch Time refers to the total amount of time people are spending viewing your videos. This metric will allow you to track your channel’s growth, from the very first video to the most recent one, and even check whether or not the trajectory has been steady.
Tracking this parameter is super important as channels with higher watch rates get featured in YouTube’s search results and recommendations. That’s just how YouTube’s algorithm works: it presumes that videos with high watch times are more engaging than others.
You can see the total amount of watch time your videos have earned through the Watch Time report in YouTube Analytics. On the Google Analytics page, click on Overview and then on Watch Time. It’s that simple!
Tip: You can also bundle your content according to the length and theme to understand what your viewers prefer to watch.
3. Average view duration
Of course, a YouTube video is only as successful as the number of views it gets. But have you ever wondered what makes a “view?” YouTube has this sorted: if your video gets more than 30 seconds of watch time, it is considered a view. So, you must strive for an average view duration of 30 seconds or more.
This point has a direct connection with the above point. The average view duration is the time that people spend watching your videos. While a high watch time is a sign that your content is on-point enough for users to spend time on it, a high bounce rate means that your content isn’t quite cutting it.
Calculating the average view duration boils down to dividing the total watch time by the total number of views. You can check the average view duration for your channel as a whole as well as for individual videos.
For channel-level results, go to Analytics and then Engagement. The result will be displayed in the top left corner. For individual videos, look up the video in the search bar and repeat the same pattern. You’ll see the result on the top left side.
A high average view duration is rewarded with more people watching it till the end (or at least a significant part of it). This, in turn, creates more recommendations for your channel and better rankings on YouTube search results.
A low average view duration indicates less engagement. It could also signify that your content isn’t very engaging or your video introductions are too long.
Check if your video introductions are overly long or if your script reveals everything at the start without building any suspense. Tweaking your videos based on your findings can help improve your average view duration.
4. Unique viewers
While the above two metrics tell you how long your viewers are watching your videos, the Unique Viewers metric reveals the size of your audience.
So, who is a “unique viewer” according to YouTube? One user is considered one unique viewer, no matter how many times they watch your video or the devices they use. For instance, if a user watches a video on their desktop and then on their smartphone for a second time, YouTube will count it as a single unique view.
This makes this metric a reliable parameter for knowing the actual amount of traffic your content is generating. However, it’s crucial to understand the relationship between number of views and number of subscribers. Receiving 10,000 unique views is commendable, but not if you have 100,000 subscribers. It will only show that your remaining 90,000 subscribers do not find the video appealing.
Want to know your count? Once again, go to the Analytics tab in YouTube Studio and click on Audience. Then go to Unique Viewers to know how many of these you’ve amassed.
5. Impressions click-through rate
The Impressions click-through rate tells you how many people have clicked on your video thumbnail while scrolling through the YouTube homepage, the recommended videos, or the trending section.
A high click-through rate is a positive sign and can mean that your audience finds the topic relevant to their interest, the video thumbnail is exciting, and the video’s title is catchy.
Usually, the impression click-through rate witnesses a surge right after a new video is published as subscribers either receive a push notification about it or see the thumbnail at the top of their homepage. Both of these factors help improve the click-through rate. But once your content is past that stage, the rate will likely decline and then stabilize.
You can view the impressions click-through rate for your content by heading over to the Analytics tab and clicking on Reach. Then click on Impressions click-through rate to get your answers.
Sometimes, a high impressions click-through rate may be deceptive as it may come with a high bounce rate as well. This means that your viewers feel your video thumbnail or title is misleading. As a result, your audience might stop trusting your channel. A high click-through rate with a high number of video dislikes doesn’t bode well either.
A low impressions click-through rate with high engagement, on the other hand, means your channel has few, but loyal subscribers. This could be so because they find your content valuable. Although, you might want to work on your thumbnail and title for better search rankings. Adding relevant keywords to the content description or title tags to your videos can help.
6. Traffic sources
Want to boost the views for your videos? Take it beyond your YouTube channel and share it on your social media and website. You can then view the Traffic Sources metric to find out how your viewers find your content in the crowded digital world.
The most common traffic sources include YouTube searches, YouTube suggestions, your channel page, and other external sources. YouTube Analytics can help you make sense of your traffic in terms of watch time, views, average view duration, and impression click-through rate.
This works out great because you not only get to know how viewers land on your content, but also how effective these sources are when it comes to getting views. Accordingly, you can work on a suitable promotional strategy for your videos.
In the Analytics tab, go to Audience, and then Subscribers. Click on See More and then on Traffic Sources to get your information.
If you find a lot of your traffic comes from external sources, know that promoting your content outside YouTube is working. Similarly, if you discover that YouTube search is bringing in negligible traffic, try modifying your thumbnails or titles to make them more appealing.
Read More: 10 Steps To Get Started With YouTube Creator Studio
Wrapping up
YouTube Analytics is a boon for both content creators and businesses trying to measure the performance of their video content.
It’s a helpful tool that empowers users by providing them with valuable insights and enabling them to make data-driven decisions. If you’re looking to maximize your success with videos, make sure you leverage YouTube Analytics without further ado.
Keyhole is your trusted partner when you want to understand how your YouTube video content is performing and how you can increase engagement on your channel. Feel free to reach out to us for more information.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is YouTube Analytics?
YouTube Analytics is a tool that helps you track your YouTube channel’s performance so you can better understand your audience’s behavior, engagement, and growth.
2. Is tracking YouTube Analytics important? If yes, why?
It is absolutely important to track YouTube Analytics metrics. The results can help you understand your audience, optimize your content, and make timely as well as data-driven decisions to grow your channel.
3. Can YouTube help me improve my video content?
Yes, it can. YouTube can equip you with important details about your channel. It can provide insights into your audience’s preferences. This, in turn, will enable you to tailor your content to their liking and improve engagement.
4. Why should I monitor my subscriber’s growth rate?
Tracking your subscriber’s growth rate will tell you about the effectiveness of your content in attracting and retaining your loyal customers. This is crucial to maintain long-term success.
5. How often should I check my YouTube Analytics?
It is a good idea to check your YouTube Analytics on a weekly or monthly basis. This way, you can stay on top of trends and optimize your videos accordingly.
