If you are the owner of a YouTube channel, it is crucial to know how people interact with your videos and what they do after watching them. This is where YouTube analytics metrics come into play.
We'll show you 15 of the most critical YouTube metrics you can use to get a better insight into how people are using your channel, what kind of videos they like, and how to improve certain aspects of your channel that aren't performing as well.
These metrics allow you to make smarter decisions about your video strategy and content.
YouTube analytics can help you to understand how your content is performing on the platform and identify the big-picture trends.
It also allows you to see if there are any gaps in audience data and find out where they are coming from. Here are some of the reasons why you should measure YouTube analytics-
Whether using YouTube to sell your content or as a marketing tool, you need to know what YouTube analytics metrics are and how to use them. Anyone with a YouTube channel can access Analytics. Here is how you can do it.
In the section below, we have mentioned the top YouTube analytics metrics you should know to improve your channel performance.
The first metric on the list is watch time. Before YouTube updated its algorithm, YouTube views were the only way to measure a video's success.
But then came the Watch Time metric. This is the aggregate amount of time viewers spend on your channel. This metric can be used to determine how long people have watched your videos.
This can be helpful information for optimizing your content and ensuring that it is engaging enough to keep viewers engaged.
The more time viewers spend on your channel, the more YouTube recommends you to its users. So, make sure you boost watch time by retaining viewers.
The average percentage viewed (APV) is the average percentage of views a video receives during a given period.
This metric shows how well your videos perform based on your channel's overall audience size.
Many people confuse the average percentage viewed with the average view duration. But APV is the duration for which a viewer watches the videos.
Whether they watch 10% or 50% of a video shows how well your videos are received.
It means if your video has a higher average percentage of views, like more than 50%, viewers spend more time watching your videos.
And if your viewers are spending more time on your videos, then YouTube will believe it is of high quality and most likely recommend it to users in the Suggested videos section.
Average view duration (AVD) is the average length of time viewers spend watching videos on your channel, assuming they start and finish watching them at full length.
AVD is calculated by dividing the total watch time by the number of views. So, if your watch time is 15k hours and your video has 3k views, your average view duration will be 5 minutes.
If your video is 8-10 minutes long, that's an impressive AVD.
This metric shows how long each viewer stays engaged with your video and how long they watch it per average session length.
In 2021, YouTube made its Audience retention feature a well-rounded tool for creators. It can become a significant weapon in your arsenal if you know how to study it. Here are some key additions to Audience retention that will benefit you:
This improved and detailed feature of YouTube analytics helps creators dive into the depths of the analytics.
You can know what parts of your videos are working and replicate them. Moreover, you can pinpoint which part of the videos your viewers don't find engaging and scrape it from videos altogether.
Rewatches are generally very important as they indicate how many people have watched a video more than once.
Rewatches are the number of times viewers watch your video at certain times. This metric can help you know whether the video is getting enough traction.
If viewers watch a specific part of your video repeatedly, that means they are interested in that part.
Make sure you know what makes them rewatch your videos repeatedly, and you may have a great recipe to make popular videos.
Gone are the days when views made a video successful. YouTube analytics metrics have improved, and you can know whether your video engages the audience. The engagement metrics you need to keep track of are:
These engagement metrics show how users interact with your YouTube videos. The higher the number of likes, shares, and comments, you know your video is making some noise.
The click-through rate is the percentage of times a viewer clicks on your video after seeing it on their feed, recommended, or trending section.
The higher the CTR, the more likely your video will appeal to audiences. But you need to couple it with APV and AVD to know whether viewers are sticking around to watch your videos.
As soon as you upload a new video, there will be a spike in click-through rate, but after your video has reached most of your audience, your CTR will slow down and remain stable after a specific time.
It is natural, so you do not need to worry if your CTR declines after some time.
YouTube cards are interactive cards you see on YouTube videos. It can lead to a website, another video, or even another channel.
You can add any clickable links that are relevant to your video. The card click rate is the number of times a user clicks on one of your cards in a video.
The higher this number is, the more likely people will engage with your videos. It also is a call to action button which means you are guiding viewers to the next step of their journey.
Playlists are a great way to categorize your YouTube videos. It makes your channel look organized and makes it easier for your viewers to watch relevant videos.
The playlist report shows two metrics that can be helpful to you. Views per playlist start and average time in the playlist are two important playlist engagement metrics.
VPP stat shows you the average number of views per playlist, and ATP is the average time viewers watch your playlist.
Publishing videos will help you start your channel but creating a playlist will help you stick to your channel's goal.
If a viewer likes one of your videos, then it is likely that they will want to watch more of your videos. So, ensure you have a list of videos they can binge-watch.
Unique viewers stat appear under the Audience tab in YouTube Studio. It lets you know the estimated number of individuals who watch your videos over a certain period.
Even if they watch over the computer or mobile or watch more than once, it counts as one unique viewer.
Unique viewer numbers help you know how many people watch your video. If your unique viewers are drastically less than your number of subscribers, your videos are getting less attention.
You can ask your subscribers to turn on the notifications. When you upload a new video, YouTube will notify subscribers of it so that they can watch your videos.
Views per unique viewer are the number of times a viewer watches your video. It is an indication of rewatches.
The more views per unique viewer, the better your content. It is a sign that viewers can't get enough of your videos and are rewatching them.
You can identify the videos with high views per unique viewer and create similar content.
Audience demographics shares what your audience is. YouTube audiences are the most important part of YouTube marketing.
You can use these metrics to understand who is watching your videos, what they are watching, and how long they stay on your channel or playlist.
You can also see how your audience trends over time and what content is most popular. You can even see which countries you have viewers in, which languages your audience speaks, and more.
To find the demographics report, go to YouTube Studio> Analytics> See more. You will get all the details on your target audience, from Geography, Traffic sources to gender and age!
YouTube Analytics shows how many new subscribers you have gained over the past week, month, or specific period.
This metric is an excellent place to start if you want to increase your subscriber base.
It will show you what factors (like videos, locations, and periods) contribute to new subscriber growth and how much time each aspect takes up.
You can use this information when planning which videos should be produced next or what types should be produced in general.
YouTube Analytics also provides information on where visitors come from when visiting your channel page.
This can be useful if you want to know where people find your content and which channels they are most likely to watch first.
Traffic sources can include social media or sites that embed your videos and YouTube referrals like search, the recommended section, and the homepage.
This metric can help you if you want to target specific audiences with ads based on where they came from, making your video marketing strategy more effective.
Keywords are the most important and powerful tools to increase your organic traffic. They are the words that people search for when they want to find what you have to offer.
Keywords are the most important and powerful tools to increase your organic traffic. They are the words that people search for when they want to find what you have to offer, and you can use them in any part of your website.
YouTube's Reach Report, which is under the Traffic Sources Report, you can see the most popular keywords guiding viewers to your YouTube videos.
There is a content gap if there is a difference between their queries and your videos.
You can start by updating your video to fill in these discrepancies and add the most searched keywords to your metadata.
YouTube Analytics is a simple way to get a lot of data about your videos.
It's the only place you can see how many people have watched your video, how long they watched it, and how much time they spent watching it.
You can also see if someone is watching your video on a mobile phone or tablet.
You can use this information to plan future videos and improve them and see what kind of content is working and what isn't. You can use YouTube analytics on both your phone and your desktop. Here are the two different ways:
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Even though we have mentioned the critical metrics that any YouTube creator should know, there are a few more you need to consider as well-
Real-time Views
Real-time views are different from views on YouTube. While YouTube views mean the total views of a single video (while YouTube ensures each view is authentic), YouTube real-time views represent the estimated amount of views on your last five videos. It is a great way to gauge your channel's success.
Top Videos
This stat shows which videos among all your content have the most views and are to-ranked. You can replicate the recipe to create similar audience-winning videos if you know why your videos rank on top.
Channel Views
This tab shows the total number of views your channel content has had over a certain period.
Channel Watch Time
This tab shows how much time (minutes/ hours) viewers spend on your channel watching your content.
Top YouTube Search Terms
Under the Research section of channel analytics, you can find the top YouTube search terms. Here you can find the keywords that viewers search for the most and also know whether the search volume is high or low.
Top Playlists
This tab is all about the most viewed playlist on your channel. You can know what type of content is working from this stat.
Card and End Screen Reports
It helps you to learn whether your CTC is working. If the click-through rate on your cards and end screen is high, you know the audience is watching your videos and are interested in learning more.
Returning Viewers
Under the Audience tab, you can find the Returning viewers' metrics compared to Unique viewers. The higher returning viewers, the more loyal your viewers are. You can plan your content strategy accordingly if your videos have more returning viewers.
When Your Viewers Are on YouTube
This report shows when your viewers are online on YouTube in the last 28 days. It can be an appropriate time for you to post your videos.
Watch Time From Subscribers
Under the Audience tab, you can look at the "Watch Time from subscribers." It shows how long your subscribers watch your videos.
Estimated Revenue
This stat calculates the activity of the last six months to know about your revenue generated in the past months.
Estimated Ad Revenue
This metric only measures YouTube ad revenue and impressions.
Transaction Revenue
It calculates the net revenue of your channel by subtracting ads, paid content, Super Chat, and refunds from gross income.
Advanced Mode
It shows a detailed tabular representation of all the YouTube Analytics metrics.
Yes, YouTube has free analytics, which any creator can use.
You must open YouTube Studio, go to the dashboard, and click on "Channel analytics" to get your YouTube analytics report.
Yes, you can see YouTube data in Google analytics.
The most important metrics to track on YouTube are watch time, views, subscribers, average view duration, average percentage viewed, audience retention, rewatches, likes, impressions through click-through rate, card clicks, unique viewers, traffic sources, and demographics.
YouTube analytics gives you an insight into your audience and their choices. It helps you create a video marketing strategy based on the data YouTube provides you about your audience.
Applying YouTube analytics to your videos lets you see which videos perform best and why.
Based on this data, you can determine what works and doesn't. The key is that with so much time, effort, and money spent producing a video, it's critical to see what's working and why.
Knowing your metrics will enable you to make informed decisions about your next video and whether or not it will be worth the time and energy expended.
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