How to make them keep watching? Many creators care about this question because watchtime is the thing that YouTube cares very much about when promoting your videos. The longer people watch, the more you are rewarded. So, how do you turn clicks into views? We’ll show you the best practices for real results.
Why is Watch Time So Important?
Watch time measures how interested your audience is. Likes and comments are also important but these are additional actions that depend on various factors: viewers might not wish to add them, video authors can influence the decision, etc.
But watch time metrics depend solely on the quality of your content and nothing else. That’s why it affects your video ranking more than other metrics. YouTube prioritizes videos with higher watch time metrics in the Suggested section, viewers’ home page, and in the search.
Watch Time vs. View Duration
Although they sound similar, Watch Time and View Duration measure two different things.
YouTube watch time is the total amount of minutes viewers spend watching your videos. Moreover, it’s a big thing for YouTube’s algorithm, because it tells YouTube whether or not your content is worth putting on the recommended page.
At the same time, average view duration tells the algorithm about how long each viewer sticks around per single video. It’s a measure of how captivating your videos are for an average viewer.
So, in short watch time is about total minutes watched and the view duration is how many minutes an average viewer stuck around.
For example: if per 5,000 people, each watched 5 minutes, your watch time is 25,000 minutes, but the view duration is still 5 minutes. The latter is still important, because it contributes to total watch time.
Watch Time Stats in YouTube Analytics
You can check your channel’s watch time hours in the Analytics section.
This number is important for monetization purposes: you need 4000 hours of watch time and 1000 subscribers to access the monetization feature.
But to understand whether your watch time is strong or not to be prioritized by YouTube algorithms, you need to check your channel's Average view duration and Average percentage viewed. These two stats play a vital role in your videos’ promotion by the platform.
You can check these metrics in the Analytics section by specifying the time period; we recommend 90 days or more. It’s important to compare your metrics with average numbers in your niche to understand if your content is doing well in your specific segment.
This data is restricted though, so you’ll need to refer to your partnering company for assistance. If you want a professional SEO Audit done to your channel, however, reach out to us and we will provide the information you need to grow your channel!
Next, you should compare the two average metrics for one of your videos with average metrics of your niche or a channel in your niche.
If the metrics are below or above the average, you should try to understand why. You can use the type of content that better engages your audience in future videos. The view chart shows how your viewers watched the video at every given second.
Pay attention to the ups and downs on the chart and try to figure out what caused them. Maybe you had a mid-roll ad and this caused a decreased interest. Or maybe a fly flew into the scene and you made a funny gesture that your viewers thought was funny and rewatched this moment several times. Conclusion: in your next video, make a shorter ad or no ad at all and send two flies.
Or, maybe your video is too long and viewers lose interest before it ends. Or you change the topic and don’t pay enough attention to the subject. By studying your videos’ average view duration, you can understand what your audience enjoyed in your content and what changes you should make.
But to correctly make changes to your videos to increase performance, you need to have a good understanding of your channel's Analytics. Learn more about important metrics and their meaning in this video guide.
How to Increase Watch Time?
If you want to keep viewers glued to your content and rack up those precious minutes, there are some tried-and-true strategies you can use. Let’s dive into the essentials:
Are You Following the Rules?
Simply put: don’t do anything misleading. Clickbait? Leave it out. Buying engagement? The algorithm cannot be tricked. It rewards those who follow the rules and earn their views honestly instead of looking for shortcuts (because those don’t work in the longrun). Trust the process and don’t cheat.
Is Your Audio Decent?
This might sound simple, but poor audio can be a deal-breaker for viewers. Invest in a decent, but not overly expensive microphone. A video with great visuals but bad sound is likely to lose viewers quickly. A video with crystal-clear audio? Now that keeps people around longer.
Why Do They Stop Watching?
So, how do you find out the exact points of where the viewers leave? Simple, all you need is your YouTube Studio information. Find the Analytics tab, then follow to the Content and Individual Video. Then you can scroll all the way to the Audience Retention to identify the issue.
There are a couple of questions that you might want to be able to answer.
- First of all: are the viewers leaving within the first 30 seconds? If the answer is yes, this means that your intro might be your weak point.
- Secondly: where the viewers skip or overall dip? You might want to check those moments to see whether or not you over-explained, inserted unnecessary details or fluff.
- Lastly: does your video have enough visual queues? You might want to add some before the moments, when the viewer leaves the most.
Do you struggle to pinpoint why the views drop?
Apply for an audit and we will help you find and solve the issue quickly!
Learning From the Best
The best creators in your niche are there for a reason and you should study their work. Analyze what they do, learn from their mistakes and successes, but keep your own original tone of voice.
However, studying shouldn’t be without purpose. Watch how they start their videos, what is their pacing, how do they structure their video. All those little things are important to keep the audience hooked.
The Visuals
From the many channels we saw, static shots work fine with some niches, but they do get very boring very fast. Why not spice it up a little? Even the smallest tweak like switching angles mid-video, doing a well-placed zoom on your face, or even moving the camera can mean all the difference.
Visual variety is important, it turns the video from dull to great even if it’s just a long video-essay.
Pacing and Script
If you want to increase your watch time and viewer retention, mastering your pacing is an essential skill. Too fast or too slow and you have yourself an unwanted drop-off. Find the middle ground that works best for you (you can experiment with it while using YouTube Studio to see the results).
Remember that all the pacing issues start with the script. Plan the video ahead, write a clear script with a strong hook.
Streaming
Before you ask - yes, streaming counts into the overall watch time of your channel. If you find yourself at the issue of not being able to post as often as you’d want, turn your best videos into a continuous live stream.
Not only will you solve the problem of ‘filling the blanks’ in-between each upload, but you will also increase your visibility. It’s like a magic trick.
Playlists and Smart Navigation
Playlists are a tool that every creator needs to implement into their work. First of all, it’s a sure way to lead the viewer along the channel. Secondly, it keeps them watching your channel longer and that in itself increases your watch time by far.
Another playlist trick we have picked up along the journey is making the playlist into ‘chapters’. That way, it makes your content easier to navigate for the average viewer unfamiliar with your channel yet.
You can check your playlist metrics in the Analytics sections. The main thing is to pay attention to the average number of videos watched. Videos with a high watch time on the playlist mean they are well organized and viewers are interested.
The Analytics also shows CTR for card teasers, cards, and end screens.
These recommendations encourage you to approach watch time in a more strategic and proactive way and help you achieve the desired stats. Bottom line, don’t forget about the quality and relevance of your content and video metadata, and have fun interacting with your audience!
