What Are YouTube Impressions and Why Are They Important?
YouTube has come a long way since it launched in 2005, now boasting over 2.2 monthly billion users. Unsurprisingly, YouTube is the go-to platform for online entertainment and content creation, and brands are using YouTube’s reach and exposure to connect with their audiences.
Focusing on reach won’t get you very far on YouTube. You need to increase your impressions to help your videos get the attention they deserve. This article will examine how YouTube impressions work and why they matter to your business.
YouTube impressions are the total data on how many viewers have seen your video thumbnail within the platform. But what does this mean for you and your videos? Every impression is crucial to lead viewers to click and watch your videos.
In other words, YouTube impressions are a great place to start when you want to know whether your video thumbnails can land you good click-through rates.
It’s important to track your impressions because it shows how often your video appears on the platform for existing and potential subscribers. Posting during peak times is one way to earn views, but getting great impressions can give you an idea of the content that resonates with viewers.
To measure how well your impressions are doing, go to YouTube Studio and verify your YouTube Studio account. Then, look for the Analytics tab on the left-hand sidebar. The Analytics tab will lead you to the Overview of your YouTube analytics dashboard. From the Overview tab, go to Reach to see your Impressions.
How Are YouTube Impressions Counted?
YouTube impressions are based on how often your viewers see at least 50% of your video thumbnail for more than one second.
What Counts as an Impression
YouTube impressions are counted from the thumbnail views recorded within the platform. These include YouTube search results, user homepage, subscription list, playlist, or even in suggested videos.
What is not counted as an Impression
Certain features on YouTube don’t appear in your impression stats. Here are some examples:
- YouTube on mobile browser
- YouTube Kids app
- YouTube Music app
- In-app notifications
- Emails linked on YouTube
- Background videos
YouTube Impressions from External Traffic Sources
You’ll need to stick to using YouTube if you want to get accurate results of your impressions. Traffic from third-party websites or apps won’t be tracked in your overall impressions. These can include traffic sources that are:
- Direct or unknown
- External
- YouTube Shorts feed
To get an accurate measure of how many people are watching your YouTube videos, you’ll have to rely on views from direct or external traffic sources like social media, email, or other websites.
Key Takeaways
If you want more clicks and views for your YouTube videos, impressions are a great starting point. Think of them as the beginning of the user’s journey, eventually leading them to become subscribers or customers.
Each time you upload a new video, aim to get as many impressions and clicks as possible. This way, YouTube will see that people engage with your content and rank you higher in search results.
YouTube impressions can help your account grow in many ways:
- Increase video clicks and views
- Gain potential subscribers
- Keep existing subscribers engaged
- Expand content reach across YouTube’s features
- Determine best-performing content based on the impression click-through rate
Did you find this article useful in understanding metrics on YouTube? Let us know what you think in the comments.
Ervin Kalemi
