Achieving 1 Million YouTube Views: What I Learned on the Way

Reaching 1.1 million views on my YouTube channel was a major milestone for me, and in this article, I want to share what I learned along the way. Although I am not a YouTube expert, I still managed to grow my channel to this level. In this article, I will discuss the biggest mistakes I have made and how they can be applied to both Google and YouTube.

The Importance of SEO Diversity

The name of the game in SEO is diversity. With generative search experience evolving on Google, there's a high chance that more YouTube videos will be included in search results. Having an extra channel like YouTube to promote your business will protect your site and provide powerful social proof, which can lead to more traffic, conversions, customers, and income. Therefore, it's highly recommended to create YouTube videos to get more organic traffic at no cost, and they can often appear on the first page of Google.

The 80/20 Rule of YouTube SEO

While SEO comprises keywords, content, and backlinks, YouTube boils down to click-through rates and watch time. Essentially, your YouTube success depends on these two factors. To get more views, it's best to avoid making the following mistakes:

• Using talking head videos: While you can use these types of videos to explain concepts, they don't feel authentic and aren't likely to perform as well.
• Taking too long to get to the point: As a content creator, it's essential to get straight to the value and avoid filler or silence to improve watch time.
• Telling viewers what to do instead of showing them: Focus on showing what you're doing and how it's working, as the best SEOs out there are always busy and have zero time to talk about it on YouTube.

Prepare for the Long, Hard Road

Creating a successful YouTube channel takes patience, and it's vital to be prepared to play the waiting game. Although YouTube can be more challenging than any SEO project for a website, it's worth it in the end. However, if you're only in it for the ad revenue, it's not worthwhile unless you're getting millions of views, as the money you make doesn't necessarily equate to the time spent creating videos. One way to monetize your YouTube channel is by using it to market your services and products.

Mastering YouTube SEO: Lessons Learned from Mistakes

YouTube SEO is a constantly evolving field, and it's essential to stay abreast of the latest trends to succeed. The YouTube landscape has undergone a seismic shift in recent years, with video creators vying for millions of views and loyal subscribers. As a content creator, it's crucial to know what works and what doesn't in the ever-changing world of YouTube SEO. Here are some of the insights and lessons learned by a successful video creator.

Focus on High-Leverage Tasks

The most successful video creators know how to focus their efforts on high-leverage tasks that move the needle. High-leverage tasks are activities that offer substantial benefits with relatively little effort. In contrast, low-leverage tasks don't offer much impact but consume a lot of time and resources. To find your high-leverage tasks, you need to identify which activities are critical to your YouTube SEO success.

For example, the "Show, Don't Tell" method, case studies, and stories work well on YouTube. They can capture the audience's attention and keep them engaged, increasing your watch time and CTRs. Conversely, worrying about equipment, fancy lighting, and production value is not a high-leverage task on YouTube. It's more important to create quality content that resonates with your audience than to spend endless hours trying to perfect every aspect of your video.

Don't Mistake Opinions for Facts

As a content creator, one of the most significant mistakes you can make is to mistake opinions for facts. You'll encounter many people who will offer you advice on what you should or shouldn't do. However, you are the chief editor of your content and business, and you need to decide what works best based on the data.

Take, for example, the advice of improving your thumbnails. If you look at the data and see that your CTR and watch time are already at an all-time high, then there is no need to change your thumbnails. Always make decisions based on facts and data, not emotional opinions, which can often be misleading.

Have an Exit Point

Success on YouTube isn't just about working hard, it's also about knowing when to walk away. Every project and business needs an exit point to ensure you're not wasting your time pursuing a doomed strategy. For YouTube, this exit point could be based on the number of views your videos get within a specified timeframe.

For instance, if you produce videos daily, you can set an exit point that you'll only continue producing videos as long as they receive at least 1000 views. Having an exit point ensures that you focus on tasks that produce results and don't fall victim to sunk-cost fallacy.

There's no magic formula to achieve success on youtube. it's a long, hard road that requires patience, persistence, and keeping up with the latest trends and improvements. by following the tips above, you can start growing your youtube audience and reap the rewards it offers.

YouTube SEO is a challenging and rewarding journey for content creators. The key is to focus on high-leverage tasks, distinguish between opinions and facts, and know when to walk away. To succeed in the competitive world of YouTube, you need to stay abreast of the latest trends, experiment with different strategies, and be willing to learn from your mistakes. Start implementing these lessons today, and you'll be on the right path to YouTube SEO success.