I suppose this can be a part 2 to the suggested video post I made last year. After all, it is related. Anyway, I’ve been experiencing a steady decrease in impressions on YouTube throughout 2021. And worse yet, I have very little idea as to why.
I get a lot of conflicting and contradictory information about what can cause something like this to occur.
At first, I thought, perhaps, it had to do with adding the creative videos alongside informational ones. Even after putting those videos on their own channel, I’m still seeing a significant decline.
One of the upsetting bits, though, is how most of my videos are well above the average click-through rate that YouTube says is “successful” while holding an acceptable view duration.
This tells me that people want to watch my videos. That content is just not being displayed on the platform. In fact, I am getting more views from external sources than I am from the Suggested Video section.
Getting More Impressions on YouTube
I have a gut feeling this is going to take me the entire span of 2022 to fix my channel. But everything I learn here will only benefit everything else I do in the long run, so, it’s worthwhile to explore this topic.
Especially if I want to generate enough of a revenue to pay for the warehouse I want to set up.
Finding the Right Topics
This is actually something I am a bit guilty of, for both YouTube and the blogs. I often create content that is informative for what I think the viewer needs to know. Instead, I should be more focused on what they want to know.
I do this for GreenGeeks on a daily basis, finding topics people want to read. So, why haven’t I done it for myself? To be honest, I have no idea.
Lately, I’ve been creating more videos centric to search. But apparently, it’s just not enough for YouTube’s algorithm.
Long Live Streams
I’ve seen a few videos and blog posts about how long live streams can lead to decreased impressions on YouTube.
The way it was explained is that YouTube’s algorithm judges the channel as a whole. And since the majority of the viewers on the platform want shorter content, YouTube will decrease how often every video is displayed.
Most notably, when people add podcasts to their line-up, which is essentially what I did in 2021.
Pigeon Holed Into a Topic
One of my biggest issues is how I’ve been somewhat forced into a specific topic. The vast majority of my views and subscribers are all related to Textbroker videos. Since I don’t use Textbroker today, I can’t really “double-down” on it.
Now, I’m in the process of trying to train the algorithm that I want to be recognized for something different. And this doesn’t bode well for YouTube impressions.
Steps to Fix YouTube Impressions
Keep in mind, this is entirely experimental. If I have to change the strategy later on, I’ll update this post.
So, take it with a grain of salt. I cannot guarantee any of this will work.
1. High-Search Topics in YouTube
First, let’s tackle the elephant in the room. I need better content if I want the channel to grow. The search volume of the target keyphrase needs to be at a certain level.
It’s essentially the same thing I do for my clients.
In this experiment, I’ll use long-tail keyphrases that have a search volume of 1,000 or greater. This means phrases that are at least three words long.
I know, not very high. However, there are several things I want to make for specific viewers in the coming months.
To find the best keyphrases for YouTube, I’ll be using the vidIQ tools. I pay yearly for the PRO version, so I might as well use it to the fullest. This includes the nifty Daily Ideas add-on that seems to produce some good titles.
How Does This Help Impressions?
By providing better videos, perhaps I can squeeze in more watch time. More watch time equals an increased likelihood the algorithm will share the channel’s videos.
2. Reduce Live Stream Length
Because some bigger creators on YouTube pointed out how impressions are affected by live stream length, I’m going to start cutting them down.
I mean, seriously, who’s gonna wanna watch a 3-hour live stream of me just talking with the viewers.
Apparently, seven. That’s how many people will sit and watch the entirety because they are superfans. This is great, but three hours is quite a long time to YouTube’s algorithm.
To do this, I’ll start limiting the shows to one to one and a half hours, instead of the two and a half to three hours they run normally.
It’s either reduce the time or move the live streams to their own channel, which I’m still carefully debating.
I’m also going to start editing the Friday podcasts down to their 20 to 30-minute bulk. The rest of the show is just me talking with the audience. So if the video shows up in search, it’s not the two-hour live stream.
Another thing is that I am going to set the Monday live streams to private after Tuesdays. Since Mondays are essentially just me hanging out with the fans, they really don’t offer solid content.
Unless someone asks me a question about writing. At which point, I need to cut those bits out and turn them into standalone vidoes.
How Does This Help Impressions?
To be perfectly honest, I’m not sure if this will help impressions or not. Some YouTubers state that live streams play a significant role on impressions while others state it’s a blessing to do them.
I guess we’ll find out soon.
3. Add Video Links in Descriptions
I wonder if YouTube uses video connections much like a blog uses internal links for higher search ranking? It would make sense, seeing how YouTube is owned by Google and its primary concern is keeping people on the platform.
In retrospect, I don’t really add a lot of cards or links to other videos. I’ve been adding them lately as they become relevant, but I don’t know if it’s enough.
Perhaps that’s one of the keys to making videos successful on YouTube and getting more impressions. Creating similar content that can link logically often helps blogs grow faster. Maybe YouTube does something similar?
How Does This Help Impressions?
Again, I’m not sure if this will. This is just an idea I was mulling over last night, and it makes logical sense that YouTube would use video links as a ranking factor as Google does.
4. Consistent Video Uploading
I haven’t been the most consistent creator on YouTube. Sure, I maintain the Monday and Friday live streams with no problems. But, I haven’t really been consistent with the video-on-demand schedule of Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
Well, aside from this past week, anyway.
That’s one of my goals for 2022, actually. I want to see if I can stick to my upload schedule for more than a handful of weeks.
How Does This Help Impressions?
Having consistency is perhaps one of the most common tips every YouTuber shares. And since I haven’t been all that consistent in 2021, it only makes sense that my channel would decrease a bit in popularity with the algorithm.
I mean, it certainly helps when creating a successful blog. So, why not a YouTube channel?
5. Set Length of Experiment: 90 Days
Because YouTube’s algorithm is a slow learner, I’m going to run this experiment for three months. In reality, I should probably run it for six.
Even Google will take four to six months to rank the best-written articles.
Still, perhaps I’ll get lucky and see a change after 90 days. The best part is that I can run a side-by-side comparison of the 90-day stretch in YouTube analytics quite easily.
How Does This Help Impressions?
In reality, any time you can collect actionable data is beneficial. Whether you’re testing a type of content or trying to find the best thumbnail designs, it all comes down to analyzing the numbers.
Never underestimate the value of analytical tools.
How Likely Will This Help With YouTube Impressions?
I’m not 100% sure if this is going to work or not. That’s why it’s called an “experiment.” I’ll start this plan with Monday’s video and then track it for the next 3 months.
At that point, I will update this article with the results from the test run. Regardless, I need to find a viable way to improve impressions on YouTube. Otherwise, the channel will never grow.