How To Get More Views on YouTube: 6 Tips & Tricks

With the competition growing, YouTube still maintains one of the largest video sharing platforms. With an enormous audience, YouTube offers creators millions of potential viewers for their content. The downside —-- it also means there are countless other creators to compete with.

To stand out in this crowded space, it’s not only about creating high-quality and great content, but also about getting views. Here are six simple tips for how to get more views on YouTube. 

How Does YouTube View Count Work?

The view count tracks how many times users intentionally play a video to the 30-second mark and beyond, including rewatches from the same account. View count also increases when someone watches a YouTube video embedded or posted on other sites. 

YouTube doesn’t count automatic or accidental plays, which happen when the user starts a video by mistake and then quickly navigates to another. It aims to track only authentic activity.

Does Your View Count Matter?

Yes, views do matter. They affect how often the algorithm shows a video to new viewers and your existing subscribers. 

That’s because the YouTube algorithm considers views a sign of quality content. If a video gets lots of views, the platform considers it a success and suggests it to even bigger audiences in search results, the “Up Next” section, and users’ homepages. These higher view counts lead to increased visibility and channel exposure, bringing you more subscribers.

Plus, if you want to qualify for YouTube’s Partner Program (YPP) — which lets you earn revenue through YouTube ads — you need to accumulate at least 4,000 watch hours within 12 months. More views help you reach that milestone faster. 

6 Tips To Get More Views on YouTube

Some apps and websites promise free YouTube views — but these are bots that go against the platform’s policies, and it could flag or remove inauthentic content. Here are some ways to increase your viewership and promote YouTube videos the right way:

1. Optimize for Search Results

YouTube is the second largest search engine after Google. Think about a topic like knitting. Most people prefer a how-to video to an article describing the steps. They might even go to YouTube before Google to search “How to start knitting.”

To help your videos appear in search results, focus on YouTube SEO (search engine optimization). Including relevant keywords — terms related to the content — in titles and descriptions tells the algorithm what a video is about, which is how it knows which content to show in the results. 

You might have a whole series of videos on how to start knitting, breaking down the materials you need to get started, the main types of stitches, and common beginner mistakes. Including “How to knit” or something similar in every title and description helps searchers find your videos and learn from your expertise. 

2. Focus on Search Intent

Once you have a list of relevant keywords, think about why people would be searching these terms, also known as the search intent. If someone searches “how to change the oil in your car,” they’re likely looking for a tutorial. A video about “why cars need oil” wouldn’t match their intent, since that topic is educational, not instructional. 

The goal of search intent is to think about what a viewer wants to see and match their expectations. To do this, you’d only include keywords that describe what your video is about. This attracts more viewers who watch all the way through because it answers their questions, increasing your view count. 

3. Use the Chapters Feature 

Chapters is a feature that automatically divides your videos into segments — each labeled with a title — so viewers can easily skip to the parts they want to see. This means they can find what they’re looking for faster and rewatch sections they like later.

YouTube also includes chapter titles and time stamps to see if parts of the video match the user's search. If you’re making a video about general car maintenance and have a section titled “how to change your oil,” and someone searches “how to change your oil,” your video could appear. Optimizing chapter titles and time stamps offers more opportunities for the algorithm to boost your content. 

To add YouTube Chapters, start at the scripting stage. Take note of what sections you’ll want to make later. This helps you stay on track while filming and editing and create a final product that’s easier to split up. Then, when you upload your video, add time stamps and titles for each chapter in the video description — for example, “1:15 how to remove your oil cap,” and so on. YouTube automatically detects chapters based on those time-stamped sections, so that’s all you have to do. 

4. Create Eye-Catching Thumbnails

YouTube autogenerates thumbnails by choosing random frames from the content — but those frames might not show an accurate depiction of what your video’s about. Instead, create a custom thumbnail to make a good first impression on potential viewers. This grabs viewers' attention, makes them curious about the content, and motivates them to click on your video. 

Here are some tips for creating thumbnails:

• Make them visually appealing — Use vibrant or contrasting colors and clear images to make thumbnails that stand out. 
• Choose the right font — If you’re adding text, choose a font that's easy to read in a small size, and pick a color that stands out from the background. This is easier for people to read so it can catch their attention. 
• Fit YouTube’s thumbnail size requirements — Your thumbnail size should be 1280 pixels by 720 pixels to ensure it’s clear and sharp on every device. 

5. Repurpose Long Videos Into Shorts

YouTube Shorts are short-form vertical videos that last 60 seconds or less and play on a loop. Like Reels on Instagram, Shorts has a dedicated section on the YouTube app where it recommends videos to non-subscribers. It’s also easier to watch videos all the way through if they’re shorter. Posting on Shorts could expose your content to a broader audience and increase your view count.

You don't have to spend as much time creating Shorts as you do shooting and editing long-form content. Use Captions’ AI Shorts to automatically extract snippets from your existing long-form videos, saving you hours of recording and video editing time. All you have to do is paste your published video’s URL and let Captions find the best clips. The app generates up to five Shorts from a single long-form video, significantly increasing your visibility and generating views without filming anything from scratch.

6. Partner With Other Creators

Posting a collaboration with another creator leads to views from an entirely new audience — and those new viewers are more likely to subscribe to your YouTube channel if you're working with a creator they follow and trust.

The trick to successful collaboration is finding the right creators to partner with. Reach out to YouTubers with similar interests, content themes, and styles so their audience will also enjoy your content. Then, clearly discuss any goals, expectations, and logistics with your partner beforehand. 

Get More Views with Captions

If you want more views without having to put in hours of extra work, try Captions. With features like trimming, automatic captions, and background noise reduction, you can make studio-grade videos in less time. While you’re at it, maximize the potential of your content by repurposing longer videos into YouTube Shorts to post more often, boost your channel’s visibility, and get more views.