There are more than 113 million content creators on YouTube according to EarthWeb. Since the competition is that tight, “how to get more views on YouTube” is one of the most common questions that up-and-coming YouTubers have.
Luckily, how to boost YouTube views comes in various ways. In this article, we will walk through a couple of the methods that beginner creators can use. So, read on if you want to grow your viewership.
But before we start with tips on how to get more views on YouTube, let’s understand what YouTube considers as views.
What Counts as A View on YouTube?
Getting a view on YouTube is easy. As of this writing, YouTube considers every playback as a view, as long as it runs for at least 30 seconds. This is to ensure that the playback is genuine and not initiated by a bot or automated computer.
Your video can even receive multiple views from one audience if they replay the video. However, YouTube will only count five views per audience within 24 hours. So, you cannot fool the system by spamming your videos with views.
Why Do You Need to Know How to Get More Views on YouTube?
It is beneficial to gather as many views as possible because it is one of the main factors that YouTube uses to suggest videos. The more views your video has, the more likely it will be recommended to users.
Apart from that, view count is widely considered as a sign of quality. More views indicate that your video is of high quality since it can attract audiences. If your videos generally have a lot of views, people who find your channel will be more likely to watch.
What is more important, learning how to get more views on YouTube helps you to earn on the platform. When your channel is eligible for monetization, you can enable ads to bring revenue. Furthermore, you can turn viewers into paying fans with merchandise sales, membership fees, and more.
We covered YouTube channel monetization on “how much do YouTubers make”. So, make sure you read that article too.
Now that you know the importance of views, let’s take a look at how to increase YouTube views.
How to Get More Views on YouTube?
There are many methods on how to increase views on YouTube. Below are some of the most common options.
1. Be Consistent on Your Niche
All successful YouTube channels have one thing in common, and that is their ability to stay consistent with the topic of their content. But how can that contribute more views?
Keeping your videos’ consistency lets you attract the right type of viewers with ease. Apart from that, viewers will remember your channel for the kinds of content it offers. In other words, you are building your authority on a topic, which is essential to how to get more views on YouTube.
Take gaming YouTuber Markiplier as an example. Having been producing video game content for a decade, he went on to become one of the most famous YouTubers in his industry.
In contrast, YouTube channels that change focus have difficulties keeping audiences. This happens because their established viewers may not be interested in a different topic. On top of that, these creators cannot gather a new set of crowds overnight since they need to rebuild their authority.
Retaining your channel’s consistency will also open possibilities of collaborating with brands or other video creators who serve the same niche. This is another way on how to get more views on YouTube that we will talk about later.
Read more: Most Famous YouTuber in 2023
2. Increase Video Discoverability with YouTube SEO
Not all of your videos will get recommended to potential audiences. Therefore, to receive views, they must at least appear when users search for them using relevant keywords. But how can you help videos show up on the top of search results? This is where YouTube SEO enters.
SEO stands for search engine optimization. As the name implies, it is a practice for optimizing your content’s visibility on search engine results. Even though YouTube is mainly a video platform, SEO principles also apply to the platform’s search algorithm.
How to get more views on YouTube using SEO? Before we take a look at YouTube SEO tips, you should know the factors YouTube uses for ranking videos on search results. Here are some of the main ones:
- Keyword mentions
- Categories
- Engagement
- Watch time
- Click-through rate
Among those factors, we will talk about keyword mentions since it is the most actionable for budding video creators who just started their channel. Not only that, keywords are the staple in SEO because you cannot optimize your videos without them.
The best practice is to insert your target keyword in the video title, description, and file name. Doing this is already a good way on how to get more views on YouTube. Though, if possible, your keywords should be on tags, thumbnail, and script too as it will boost your content’s chance of ranking high on the search result.
So, how do you figure out target keywords? Start by thinking of the next content idea you want to carry out. Once you do so, guess a keyword that is most likely associated with that topic and type it down on YouTube’s search bar.
As you can already expect, YouTube will suggest relevant queries based on what you type. These are terms that people have searched with often, so you can use them as potential keywords to help on how to get more views on YouTube.
If you want to find more search query ideas, however, it is essential to use a keyword research tool like Ahrefs and Google Keyword Planner. These tools are typically used for researching Google Search keywords, but they work for finding YouTube queries too.
As you stumble upon more keyword ideas, you should pick terms or synonyms that are relevant to your content’s topic as secondary keywords. Let’s use the screenshot above for example.
If you want to target the keyword “simple breakfast”, you may mention “simple breakfast recipes”, “simple breakfast recipes with bread”, and “simple breakfast toast” as well. Optimizing your video with related terms like these allows it to rank on relevant search results, thus you have more chances on how to get more views on YouTube.
Not sure which search terms to use as secondary keywords? Do not worry. You can look for inspiration by looking at your competitors’ video keywords. To do so, open a video similar to your idea on a browser, right click on the page, and click View Page Source.
Next, press Ctrl + F and type “keywords”. As you can see on the screenshot below, the video’s keywords are lined up in the page source code.
Nevertheless, do not just use all search terms that your competitor uses. It is best to only choose ones that reflect the topic of your content.
3. Write Inviting Video Titles
Another step on how to get more views on YouTube closely ties with your video title. Afterall, if your headline only contains a keyword, it may not necessarily attract people to click.
So, how do you craft a video title that can bring lots of views? As a rule of thumb, your title has to spark curiosity without lying about the content of your video. There are some approaches to do that.
First, you can simply illustrate your entire video in one sentence. This method is especially effective if you offer information or experiences that people normally do not come across. The three titles below, all of which come from BuzzFeed Videos, are good examples of how to get more views on YouTube.
Secondly, your title should address your target audiences’ pain point or the solution for it. This kind of headline is irresistible for it immediately informs viewers what they can learn from your video. The following example tells the audience up front that the video offers important tips that new bass players must know.
Thirdly, use emotive words if possible. These are terms that can evoke certain feelings, including excitement and curiosity. A few of the examples are:
- Best-selling
- Cheap
- Helpful
- Daring
- Easy
Of course there are many other powerful words that can help you on how to get more views on YouTube. So, the best way to find the effective ones for your target audience is to observe competitors’ headlines. If they use certain emotive words that prove to be inviting, you should take note of them.
Last but not least, you need to keep your video title compact. YouTube’s title character limit is 100, but it is better to stop at 70 to avoid being cut. With the entire headline visible, potential viewers get the information you want to convey and will be more likely to click.
Read more: How Much do YouTubers Make?
4. Grab Attention with Custom Thumbnails
Another crucial factor surrounding how to get more views on YouTube is your video thumbnail. As the human brain processes visuals 60 thousand times faster than texts, your thumbnail must be able to grab the audiences’ attention while they scroll through recommendations.
That is why you always have to upload a custom thumbnail. If you do not, YouTube will take a random screenshot of your clip as the cover image, which is not appealing at all.
So, what makes a thumbnail that drives clicks? Like titles, thumbnails have to represent your content in an honest way. Should they be misleading, viewers will not stay in your video for long enough. That is the opposite of how to get more views on YouTube.
But faithfulness is not the only good characteristic of a cover image. Ideally, a thumbnail should be free of clutter, yet can still inform viewers of the video’s context. The following thumbnail of fitness YouTuber Emi Wong is a good example.
The combination of a simple image and a bold text that contrasts with the background immediately tells viewers that this is a full body stretch tutorial. Without the text, audiences probably would not know what to expect from the video as the picture only shows a woman exercising.
Best practices aside, learning how to get more views on YouTube with video thumbnails involves knowing the right thumbnail size. Your cover images must be 1280 x 720 pixels to look clear.
Now you might ask, “what if I have no design skills?” Fret not because there are easy-to-use graphic design tools on the internet, such as Canva and Fotor. These tools let you drag and drop objects, customize each with sliders, and choose from various fonts.
Read: YouTube Video Size Optimization
5. Optimize Video Descriptions for Humans and The Algorithm
As you can guess, the video description is a space where you briefly explain the topic of your content. However, it also serves as a tool that can contribute to how to get more views on YouTube.
There are two reasons for that. Firstly, the descriptions work alongside thumbnails and titles as a hook in YouTube’s search result. Therefore, it should briefly elaborate why viewers should watch your content.
The example above illustrates that idea. As the title is “Foundation for Oily Skin Tutorial”, the description explains by adding the benefit of watching the video, which is to get a matte look that stays for the entire day.
Nonetheless, pay attention to the description length. YouTube lets you write up to 5,000 characters, but only the first 200 characters will be displayed on search results. So, ensure that you insert the most valuable information within that limitation.
Another reason that video descriptions contribute to how to get more views on YouTube is because it is an opportunity for SEO. Oftentimes titles can only include two keywords max, but you can mention many more keywords and their synonyms in the description in a natural manner.
Even better, the video description may take your content beyond YouTube’s search results. Google sometimes shows YouTube videos in its search results, especially when users enter queries related to reviews, tutorials, and listicles like the example below.
As you can see, the search result includes key moments from the video, which might be helpful for searchers. Thus, if you want to learn how to get more views on YouTube, you should add timestamps to your description when possible.
Doing it is very easy. You can insert timestamps with the format shown in the screenshot below:
Remember to start the timestamp at 0:00, otherwise it will not work. Also, always put each chapter in a separate line to avoid confusing the algorithm.
6. Transcribe Your Videos for Accessibility
Adding subtitles is another method on how to boost YouTube views. Doing so does not only make your videos appeal to viewers with hearing impairment, but also those who prefer to watch without audio. Furthermore, subtitles let you welcome audiences who speak a different language.
So, how to get more views on YouTube with transcribing? It is very easy. You only need to upload your subtitles in an SRT file, which you can create using Notepad or any other text editor programs.
When writing a transcription, make sure you follow the format in the example below:
1
00:00:07,114 –> 00:00:11,834
This is the beginning of the video.
Each line must begin with a number, starting at 1 and continues chronologically. Under the number, add the start and end points of a subtitle using hours:minutes:seconds,milliseconds format. Separate the two using –>. Then, type the subtitle below.
Repeat this method for the rest of the transcription and you have just practiced how to get more views on YouTube by adding subtitles.
Read more: Best Youtube Channel Ideas for Beginner
7. Use Cards and End Screens to Cross-promote Videos
Directing your audiences to watch related content one after another is an effective way in learning how to get lots of views on YouTube. Luckily, the platform provides you with two features to do that: cards and end screens.
Cards are small pop-up links that you can set to appear at a certain time during a video. It shows up at the upper right corner of the player, so it will not decrease the viewing experience too much.
When is the best situation to use cards for how to get more views on YouTube? Typically, you may promote a video with a card when its topic is being mentioned in a different content to let audiences understand it better.
It is important to note that not everyone understands the function of cards. Thus, if you intend on adding a card into a video, you should briefly explain to audiences that they may click the object to watch another footage for more information.
Now let’s talk about end screens. They serve the same purpose as cards, but in the form of clickable thumbnails at the end of a video.
So how do end screens help you on how to get more views on YouTube? They can get viewers invested on your channel and add more watch time to your record. But like cards, it is better to use end screens to promote related videos.
To show an end screen, make sure that you add a couple extra seconds at the end of your video during editing. This is essential because end screens appear at around 5 seconds before a video finishes, which is a very short amount of time.
8. Include Calls to Action
This one may sound trivial, but mentioning a call to action at the end of your videos is one of the easiest ways on how to get more views on YouTube. Particularly, you should remind viewers to subscribe to your channel for more content that they enjoy.
Apart from that, adding a call to action to compel your audiences to like and comment your video will increase the engagement rate. Since engagement is one of the key requirements for YouTube recommendations, receiving a lot of interactions can indirectly contribute more views to your content.
9. Create Playlists for Binge Watching
Content quality and views go hand in hand. In other words, if viewers appreciate one or few of your videos, they will want more and that will boost your view count. That is why creating outstanding content is one of the best methods on how to get more views on YouTube.
However, as you upload more and more videos, viewers may find it difficult to search for particular content within your channel. This is especially true if they are invested in a series of related or similar videos.
To help with that problem, it is a great idea to organize your entire library into playlists. Gibi ASMR’s playlists are an awesome example of how you can categorize videos based on theme.
Educational YouTube channels also benefit from creating playlists. For instance, Scott’s Bass Lessons’ playlists are based on content topics, such as beginner lessons, techniques, and gears.
Nonetheless, that is not the only reason creating playlists is good for how to get more views on YouTube. If you include keywords in playlists’ title and description, they have a chance to show up on YouTube’s search result. So, make sure to optimize your playlists like videos.
Read more: 20 Best Games to Stream on Twitch and Youtube
10. Embed Videos on Your Blog
How to increase YouTube views may require you to expand your reach outside of the platform itself. One of the examples is by embedding your videos on your blog posts.
This is not to say that all video creators must have a blog. But if you run one that deals with the same niche as your YouTube channel, embedding videos is a clever trick to practice how to get more views on YouTube.
Nonetheless, before adding YouTube videos into blog posts, it is important to think about how both media can complement each other.
As a YouTube creator, you probably use videos as the main stage. In that case, you may write a concise blog post to promote each video. Then, at some point in every post, embed your video and persuade readers to watch it to get more information.
The example above is from the blog of Prime Audio Reviews, a YouTube channel that discusses headphones and other audio gears. Their posts only contain a short review of products, while the actual discussion is on their YouTube videos. This is an illustration of how to get more views on YouTube from your blog.
11. Promote Your Channel and Videos on Social Platforms
Social media is another place to get the word out about your YouTube channel and videos. However, promoting your content there is a little different than embedding videos on blog posts.
First of all, you cannot embed videos from YouTube and other video platforms on social media sites. Also, reuploading your content outside of YouTube will not contribute any views since the playbacks do not run on YouTube’s player.
So, how to get more views on YouTube by promoting videos on social media? The solution is to create and upload a teaser clip that hypes up your full-length video.
Wildlife content creator Lindsay Nikole often does that as she produces both short clips for Instagram and TikTok while publishing long-form content on YouTube. In the example below, she teases her Instagram audiences with a snippet of her YouTube video and encourages them to check it out.
If you were to follow what Lindsay does, you may insert the link to your YouTube video inside the social media post. It ensures that people know how to access your offering, which helps with how to get more views on YouTube. Though, it is also viable to ask audiences to tap the YouTube channel link on your bio to check your content.
12. Post Videos at The Right Time
After you try all the previous methods that we discussed, it is also advisable to publish content when target audiences are most likely to be on YouTube. Doing so makes sure that your new videos get the needed traction.
But how does that work? Let’s say your channel already has a couple of subscribers. As you upload during the prime time, many of the subscribers watch your video and engage with it. This gives YouTube a strong signal that your content is worth recommending, which helps with how to get more views on YouTube.
Now that you know why posting time matters, you may ask “when is the best time to post on YouTube?”. There is no definitive answer to this question, but studies conclude that it is best to publish near the end of regular work hours.
For example, the best upload time according to SocialPilot is between 2 to 4 p.m. on weekdays. Meanwhile, Hubspot advises that between 3 to 5 p.m is ideal.
But that is just the average across various niches. Referring to YouTube analytics data is the best way on how to get more views on YouTube by posting at the right time.
You can access the analytics in your YouTube Studio by clicking Analytics > Audience. There, you will see a purple chart under When your viewers are on YouTube.
The chart shows when users who currently watch your videos are online during the last 28 days. The darker the color is, the more users are on the platform.
Do not worry if most of your viewers happen to be online during your off hours. YouTube allows you to schedule your videos, so you can still publish on time.
13. Interact with Your Audiences in The Comment Section
By now you already know that engagement helps with how to get more views on YouTube. Due to that reason, it just makes sense to regularly interact with viewers who comment on your videos.
Catplant ASMR is one of many YouTubers who makes a role model in terms of viewer engagement. As you can see on the screenshot below, she likes and replies to a comment to show her gratitude.
That is not the only example of interaction you can do. In another comment section. Catplant ASMR is also seen to be willing to join a brief discussion that one audience member started.
Whichever act of interaction that you choose, remember that the goal of engagement is not only to practice how to get more views on YouTube. Ultimately, it helps you to build a relationship with audiences, which can turn them into lifelong fans.
14. Run Giveaways
Everyone loves prizes. So, if you were to run a contest, there is a big chance that many members of your audience want to join.
But before planning a giveaway campaign, you need to set a clear goal to make it beneficial. For instance, you may run a contest to look for more engagement in the form of likes and comments. That way, your effort can serve as a method on how to get more views on YouTube.
At the same time, you must pay attention to the prize you are willing to give. It is best to consider something related to your niche to ensure its value among your viewers. For instance, if you are a cooking YouTuber who sells digital recipe books, choosing one of them as a price is going to entice participants.
Once you figure out those two aspects, it is time to design the rules of the contest. We advise you to set simple requirements to further persuade people to enter the giveaway.
Quizzes are a good example to try for learning how to get more views on YouTube. Viewers will be given a question about your brand or topics related to your niche and they leave their question in the comments section. That way, you get a lot of engagement.
Asking for a caption or title is also fun to do. You only need to ask the audiences to suggest a caption or title for one of your recent videos. Then, you pick the best idea as the winner.
After the contest is over, do not forget to announce the winner in your next video, thank the participants, and ask them for their feedback on your giveaway campaign. This will not only spark interactions that contribute to how to get more views on YouTube, but also show subscribers that you are genuine.
15. Strike a Collaboration with Other Creators
As in the physical world, you cannot thrive alone on YouTube. That is why teaming up with other channels is a powerful tactic to learn how to boost YouTube views.
Collaborating with other YouTubers exposes yourself to their audience group and vice versa. In other words, you have the opportunity to welcome their viewers to your crowd.
Though, to make it beneficial for your view count, it is best to partner with creators who share the same target viewers. The gaming scene is a popular example where YouTubers make a guest appearance on their competitor’s clips, such as the one below.
16. Pay Attention to Analytics and Adapt to Audiences’ Behavior
It is worth trying every method that we talked about to know which ones are best for how to get more views on YouTube. To help measure the success of each strategy, you need to be familiar with YouTube Analytics. As a reminder, this feature is in your YouTube Studio page.
As you open YouTube Analytics, you will see various metrics that can affect your view count in one way or another, including:
- Impressions – How often your video thumbnail is shown to users
- Click through rate – How often users click on your thumbnail
- How viewers find your content
- Top videos
- Content and channels your audience watches
- Audience demographics
Read more: What is VOD Streaming?
Now You Know How to Get More Views on YouTube
There are many ways on how to get lots of views on YouTube. Some are as simple as adding subtitles and mentioning calls to action, while others like finding the best time to post and running giveaways may require more effort.
It should be noted that not all tactics will yield results nor work like magic, so you need to practice them with an open mind. What’s more important, you can monitor your content’s performance using analytics to tweak your methods on how to increase YouTube views.
We hope this article helps you to improve as a YouTube creator. If you want more tips around content creation, be sure to subscribe to our blog!
