How to Get More Views on YouTube
Every YouTuber asks themselves: “How can I increase my view count on YouTube?” or “How do I grow my reach on YouTube?”
View count is the fuel for your channel—and for me, it’s real money. It’s where I promote my WordPress course and gain most of my web design clients.
If you want to know why you should run your own YouTube channel when you sell products or services, check out my other blog post on that topic.
Today I’ll show you how I grew Poland’s largest WordPress-tutorial channel in under two years by using these maxims to skyrocket my YouTube views.
1. Nail Your Video Thumbnails
If you’re wondering how to get more views on YouTube, start with your thumbnails. The thumbnail is the first thing viewers see, so it must grab attention—ideally by using a color that stands out both against other videos and against YouTube’s own red/white/black UI.
On my channel, I’ve used pink backgrounds with white text on black overlays. If I were launching a new channel today, though, I’d pick one of these standout colors instead:
- Green
- Yellow
- Orange
- Blue
These hues contrast strongly with YouTube’s native palette. (Note: blue blends into Facebook’s UI, so avoid it for Facebook promotions.)
2. Use a Proven Description Template
YouTube confirms that your video descriptions help “tell YouTube’s algorithms what your videos are about,” directly impacting your SEO and rankings.
- Lead with your target keyword. Place it in the first one or two sentences—YouTube gives extra weight to early keywords.
- “Sell” your video in those opening lines. Remember, users see those first few lines in search results without clicking “Show more.”
- Write at least 150 words. Outline exactly what viewers will learn. Don’t fear detail—it’s time-consuming, but it pays off.
- Include relevant links. I always put a link to my WordPress course website at the top of the description to drive traffic directly from YouTube.
3. Lift Your Title’s CTR
Your video’s click-through rate (CTR) is the percentage of impressions that turn into clicks—and a higher CTR tells YouTube your video deserves a top spot.
Maxims for click-magnetic titles:
- Use brackets. A HubSpot study found that adding brackets to titles increased clicks by 33%.
- Include numbers. Whether it’s “15 Ways to Lift Your YouTube Views,” “WordPress Tutorial 2025,” or “7-Step SEO Guide,” numbers catch the eye.
- Keep it under 50 characters. Justin Briggs’ research shows that shorter titles rank higher in YouTube search.
Example:
15 Ways to Get More YouTube Views
4. Exploit with finesse “Suggested Videos”
Successful channels get massive traffic from the sidebar “Suggested Videos” section—often more than from search.
How to appear there:
Use the same tags your competitors use. YouTube’s own docs say it relies on metadata (title, description, tags) to power recommended-video algorithms. Matching popular videos’ tags gives you a shot at appearing alongside them.
5. Tag Your Videos Strategically
Tags help YouTube understand your content’s context. Here’s my tag hierarchy:
- Primary keyword (as first tag)
- Keyword variations
- Related categories
6. Share Your Video on Social Media
Social media like Facebook and LinkedIn are prime places to promote your YouTube content—your video may answer burning questions in those communities. Link to every new upload wherever your audience hangs out.
7. Rank Your Videos in Google Search
High Google rankings send substantial traffic back to YouTube. For the keyword “Elementor,” Google shows three YouTube results—two of which are mine—driving over 7,200 monthly views to my channel.
Maxims for Google SEO:
- Speak your keyword out loud in the video, especially early on—aim for 4–5 mentions.
- Upload a full transcript/subtitles so Google can index 100% of your content.
8. Fine-tune for Comments, Likes & Subscriptions
YouTube’s algorithm favors videos that drive engagement. To lift this:
- Ask viewers to comment, like, and subscribe.
- Prompt early. I often request a subscription and like at the start of my videos.
9. Improve Your Session Time
Session time—or total time viewers spend on YouTube after watching your video—is arguably even more important than watch time alone. YouTube’s core aim is long-term engagement across the platform.
How to extend session time:
Have your best videos and playlists on your channel’s homepage so that after one video ends, viewers naturally move on to the next. I pin my top-performing tutorials in a playlist at the top of my channel page.
10. Fine-tune Your End Screen for More Views
Your end screen is prime real estate. Here’s my process:
- Identify your most popular recent video in YouTube Studio (last 90 days).
- Add an end-screen link to another video you want viewers to watch next.
11. Master YouTube SEO Fundamentals
To consistently earn more views, become an expert in:
- Keyword research for video topics
- Optimizing titles, descriptions, and tags
- Maximizing viewer retention and watch time
- Generating strong engagement signals
12. Make Eye-Catching Playlist Titles
Just like video titles, playlist titles should be compelling and keyword-rich—another way to capture search and suggestion traffic.
13. Embed Your Videos on Your Blog
Research shows top-ranked YouTube videos have 78% more embeds and links than lower-ranked ones. Embedding your videos on your website or blog sends high-quality views back to YouTube and also aids SEO.
14. Publish When Your Viewers Are Online
The best time to post is when your subskrypcje YouTube are most active. Since YouTube doesn’t reveal that directly, experiment with different days and hours, or use tools like VidIQ to analyze your channel’s engagement patterns.
15. Use the “Card Bridge” Technique
This clever hack extends session time and view counts:
- Open your Audience Retention report in YouTube Analytics.
- Spot the moment where viewers drop off (e.g., 5:50).
- Insert a card at exactly that timestamp, linking to another video.
This “card bridge” entices viewers who might otherwise click away to stay on your channel and keep watching. There you have it—15 actionable strategies to explode your YouTube views. These tactics take time and effort, but the payoff is well worth it. Let me know in the comments what topic you’d like me to cover next on my blog!
