How to Get More Traffic on YouTube

YouTube is one of the most beneficial social media channels that businesses can have. The YouYube benefits include helping people find you on Google, exposing you to a huge audience, and offering higher conversion rates. That’s why having a well-thought YouTube strategy can be a game-changer for your brand. However, with 62% of businesses using YouTube to share video content, it can be challenging to compete for the time and attention of the 1.9 billion users worldwide. To help increase your visibility and get more eyes on your page, here are nine effective tips for how to get more traffic on YouTube.

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Use Your Video Titles Wisely

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Titles are the first thing people see when browsing through YouTube. Thus, it’s essential to choose richly descriptive words that will instantly give them an idea of what your videos are about. These should illustrate your videos’ value and purpose to the potential viewers to encourage people to click and watch your content.

BMW does this very well with their "How To" titles:

Titles should be concise and made up of relevant key phrases and keywords to help people find your content when they’re searching for videos. You can utilize YouTube’s Keyword Suggestion Tool to know how much traffic a particular term receives and to see which ones are applicable to your videos. Get as specific as possible; but of course, don’t overdo it as you might spam your own posts and turn off your potential viewers.

Remember: When you title your videos correctly and wisely, you’ll get your content in front of the right audiences and drive more traffic to your channel.

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Maximize Your Videos’ Description

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The description is where you can explain what your videos are about. Aim to have at least a 250-word narrative using similar key phrases and keywords to the ones in your title. This is a key concept in learning  how to optimize youtube videos. Keep in mind that some people might not read through the entire description, so include the most important terms in the first few sentences. This will help them understand what your video is about even without finishing the explanation.

If your videos have a lot of talking, transcribe them and post the whole script in the description space to accurately capture and increase your video rankings. This will make your content easier to consume, as the audience can read through the transcript while watching the videos. Not only will this help viewers better understand your videos, but it will also significantly boost your ratings.  

The description field is also where people can know more about you. Whether it’s your website, social media channels, or shop page, include relevant URL links to encourage people to learn more about your brand or the information you discussed in the videos. This will also give them the opportunity to check out your products and services and potentially make a purchase.

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Add Relevant Tags to Your Videos

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Video tags help you become more discoverable. That’s why it’s vital you use words and phrases appropriate for your videos. The more of these you include in your content, the higher the chances for people to find you. Likewise, adding a network of related or specific terms allows potential viewers and customers to see your videos, even if they were just scrolling through the platform. Take advantage of the space YouTube allows for tags but again, these should always be relevant to your videos.

Keep People Hooked With Quality Content

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The kind of content you share will determine whether or not people will watch your videos and subscribe to your channel. So, to drive and keep traffic on your channel, you must provide the audience with content that matters to them.

High-quality and interesting content will not only capture your viewers’ attention, but it'll also encourage them to stay and watch the whole video. Create videos that discuss topics relevant and valuable to your audience — something they can connect with and relate to.

To do this effectively, clearly define your goals for using YouTube, the purpose of your videos, and what your channel is all about. Also, identify who your intended viewers are and what they care about so you can craft videos that they will appreciate.

Check out how Google perfects step this with their annual Year in Search videos.

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Utilize the Comments Section

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Take advantage of the comments section by finding a popular video with substantial views (ideally something related to your business) and post your own video as a reply. This way, people can see your content just because you posted it as a comment. However, YouTube only allows this feature on certain videos and it can only be done once, so you have to choose wisely.

You can also engage with your audience in the comments sections. If there are positive messages, hit that heart button or give them a simple “Thank you!” If there is negative feedback, you can apologize and direct them to your support team who can help resolve the issue. Either way, the person who left the comment will be notified once you respond and this will make you more visible. It'll also establish your authority and show that you genuinely care for your viewers.

Lastly, you can connect with other brands by commenting on their videos. If you feel like your content is related to theirs, you can add a link to your video into the comment. This will help widen your reach as more people will see you and potentially visit your channel. A word of warning: Do this with thought and only when it makes sense, otherwise you're going to look incredibly spammy!

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Use Descriptive Playlists

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Playlists organize your videos and make it convenient for viewers to find similar content within your channel. Videos on playlists automatically start when the previous one ends. So, there’s a big chance that more than one video is played.

To maximize this opportunity, group the videos with similar topics into one playlist. This will drive more traffic across the videos because of usability and YouTube’s algorithm. This also facilitates more views as users often watch videos with the same subject and consume more content in one sitting.

Keep your playlist titles short, descriptive, and keyword-focused so your videos rank higher on Google’s and YouTube’s search algorithms. Make the playlist description as accurate as possible so users know and understand the common theme at a glance.

Essentially, playlists drive increased traffic through related videos and open more opportunities for people to discover your other content.

See how well-organized ViralHog’s videos are with their keyword-centric playlists:

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Close Out Strong

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Make the most out of your viewers who made it to the end of your video! Insert footage of other related videos and lead them to your network of content. This will make it easier for people to stay on your videos instead of going to other pages.

Also, encourage people to interact with your content by ending with effective calls-to-action. Whether it’s to subscribe to your channel, watch more videos, leave a comment, follow your social media accounts, or check out your website, increase audience engagement by leading them to complete certain tasks. Adding interactive elements to your content is an effective way to grow your following, gain greater visibility, and drive more traffic.

Influencer and YouTube expert Sunny Lenarduzzi maximizes her end screen with a combination of her other videos, a subscribe button, a sign-up link for her online training, and icons of her social media accounts.

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Own Your Channel

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Your channel says a lot about you, so this is the best place to show off your brand’s personality. Upload a customized background and banner to showcase your official YouTube page. At the top right space of the dashboard, add icons to the links of your website, blog, and social media accounts so viewers can conveniently access your other channels. Make sure you also highlight your most important videos or playlists and include your featured channels on your channel’s home page.

All of these elements will show that you’re a legitimate brand, help offer a consistent viewer experience, and make it easy for the audience to connect with you.

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Embed Your Videos on Your Website, Blog, and Social Channels

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Linking your channel or any choice of video to your website, blog, or social media accounts is an easy and effective way to get more traffic on YouTube. People who visit your pages will get access to your channel and videos. In turn, this will increase the visibility and rankings of your content.

Internet personality James Charles makes sure he uses his other channels to promote and link to his YouTube page.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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How do I check Traffic on YouTube?

In order to check the traffic on your YouTube channel, you can use YouTube's Channel Analytics tool. Channel Analytics provides valuable insights about the performance of your channel. It gives you a detailed look at your audience members and their behavior on your channel.

What is the best Traffic source for YouTube?

The best traffic source for YouTube has to be ‘Suggested Videos’. You can get a great number of views through this feature and it helps create long-term, viral traffic. Suggested videos are generated automatically by the algorithm after viewers watch your main video and provides your content with more visibility and reach potential new fans.

What is YouTube channel Traffic?

YouTube channel Traffic is an important metric for gauging the success of a particular YouTube channel. It allows you to track how many people are viewing your videos and engaging with your content. You can also use it to measure overall engagement as well as trends in viewership, which can be useful if you're looking to grow your channel or just want to make sure that it's reaching its potential.

Does YouTube count your own views?

Yes, YouTube does count your own views. When you watch a video on your channel, it will appear in the video analytics as one view. However, YouTube has mechanisms in place to identify and filter out fraudulent views from its platform.

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Get More YouTube Traffic Today

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So, there you have it – nine tips for how to get more traffic on YouTube. Whether you’re just starting out or have been on the platform for a while, you can easily implement these tips and start seeing a significant boost.