Watchtime drop tips

YouTube Analytics allows you to dive into metrics to gauge your channel and video performance. If you’ve noticed major changes in your performance, let’s evaluate what could have caused the change and what changes you can make to your channel’s strategy.

YouTube Search & Discovery: 'The Algorithm' and Performance FAQs

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 Check for changes to content strategy

Reflect on any changes you may have recently made to your channel or content. Changes in topic, editing style, thumbnail design, on-screen talent, upload cadence, upload output, or video length can impact audience interest.

Note: If you’ve recently changed your thumbnails and have noticed a viewership drop, study your impression and CTR data to gauge your audience’s reception to the new look.

 Check for topic appeal

Look for changes in audience interest. Just because your content hasn’t changed, doesn’t mean that how it’s consumed and by who also hasn’t. Use Google Trends to see how viewer interest has shifted in the topics or formats your channel covers.

Note: A gaming creator still playing Among Us may be seeing a greater decline than their counterparts playing new releases.

 Check for change in audience appeal

Use the new and returning viewers report to see where this change has been happening. If returning viewers are decreasing, this is a sign that they no longer find the channel’s content appealing. If new viewers are decreasing, this is a sign that the content is no longer attractive to a broad audience.

Note: If you are looking to increase casual viewer interest consider creating broad appeal content based on hot topics or trends while still staying true to your overall brand.

 Be aware of seasonality

Different times of the year often see consumption changes by audiences. Think about your audience, who they are, which country they live in, if they’re in school, if there are any major holidays coming up, and what’s going on in their lives and expect and plan for fluctuations.

Note: Some creators may experience drops when their viewers are going back to school and others might see an uptick in viewers during the “on-season” for topics they engage with such as sports.

We recommend

  • Consider not making too many changes at once. If performance increases or declines you want to be able to attribute the fluctuation to the changes you made.
  • Remember, just because your content hasn’t changed, doesn’t mean viewers' interests haven’t.
  • Expect seasonal fluctuations in YouTube traffic and viewer habits and plan your programming schedule accordingly.

Next: Check out podcast discovery tips

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