If you’re a YouTube content creator, you know that Watch Time is now the #1 ranking factor, beating Views. The good news is that there are a number of things you can do to increase your watch hours, from improving the quality of your videos to adding chapters. The bad news is that this takes time and effort, and not everyone can do it overnight. In this article, we’ll show you the best ways to increase your video’s watch time, so you can improve your rank and attract more viewers.
Start With A Strong Introduction
Your first 15 seconds are the most important part of your video. This is when you’ll catch the attention of your audience, and hook them into watching more. Nail this first section by creating a compelling title and intriguing description, as well as adding a relevant image that will stand out in the Suggested Videos sidebar.
Tell A Story
Every video you create should have a clear narrative and structure. This will keep viewers engaged, and make it easier for them to understand your point of view. You should also try to include emotional scenes in your videos to further keep the viewer interested and increase the likelihood of them sticking around. Lastly, avoid using boring or repetitive images or music in your videos.
Use Chapters
Add chapters to your longer videos to increase their watch time on youtube. This is a great way to keep viewers engaged, and it can even help with SEO. Chapters are especially useful for tutorial videos, as it allows the viewer to skip to the exact part of the video that they’re interested in.
Try a Live Stream
Live streams are a great way to engage with your viewers in real-time, but they don’t count towards your total watch time. However, when you publish the finished stream as a video, all of the comments, questions and engagement will still count. This is a great way to connect with your viewers, and it’s an easy way to boost your watch time on youtube.
Use Keywords
The key to increasing your YouTube watch time is targeting long-tail keywords, which are specific to the type of content you’re creating. These keywords are more likely to be clicked on by people who are specifically looking for what you’re producing, which will result in a higher engagement rate.
Analyze Your YouTube Analytics
Keeping an eye on your YouTube Analytics is the best way to see how your strategies are working. You can learn a lot about what works and what doesn’t by analyzing your YouTube data, and making adjustments accordingly. YouTube provides detailed analytics reports that will give you insights into your audience, including their interests, demographics, and where they’re spending most of their time on your videos.
Now that you know how to increase watch hours on youtube, it’s time to get started! With a bit of hard work, you’ll soon be seeing results on your YouTube dashboard.
