The main mistake that small YouTube channels make is not understanding the YouTube algorithm. Many creators think that the YouTube algorithm is a random AI system that randomly gives some creators views while not giving others views. However, this is the wrong way of looking at it. The YouTube algorithm is a reflection of real viewers who watch YouTube. One of the biggest keys to growing a small YouTube channel into a big one is to understand the importance of watch history. Every time someone watches a video on YouTube, that action is stored in their watch history. This makes it more likely for that given viewer to see that channel more often appearing in their suggested video tab, YouTube homepage, and other browse features.
To get into someone’s watch history from scratch, one technique is to use the searching and searching technique. This involves diversifying the content strategy by compiling a list of 30 to 60 different video ideas. Half of them should be focused on trying to get search traffic because it is typically easier to get as a small channel, and the other half should be modeled after already popular videos so that you can hopefully siphon some views from them. The reason for trying to get into search results specifically when just starting out is that YouTube has no idea what your channel is about, and so if you produce videos on keywords with a low amount of competition and a high amount of search volume, you can tell YouTube who to promote your videos to.
To find great keywords with low competition and high search volume, you can use a tool called VidIQ, which has a keyword tool to search for queries related to the type of content you want to generate videos on. You can then sort this content by the highest overall score, which is the competition weighed against the search volume automatically for you. You should make sure the volume is at least over 10,000 searches per month if you’re creating a channel that the main monetization source is going to be just ad revenue, but it’s okay to use keywords with even a lower search volume if you’re creating a channel where you’re going to sell courses or sell an affiliate product.
To use these keywords effectively, you should try to say some of these keywords directly within your video by actually speaking them, put these keywords in the title, description, tags section, and choose a niche that isn’t already being served by a million other creators and has the potential for good monetization.
