YouTube utilizes watch-time as a modus operandi in which it uses algorithms for proposing videos, especially in terms of ranking. YT has grown tremendously and is the most visited video platform site in the world. It has become an imperative source of income for advertisers, influencers, marketers and other business-related figures.

Millions upon millions of content is available on the YouTube platform. Everyone dreams to have at least one viral video can propel their YouTube channel to the elite level. Everyone wants to achieve a higher ranking to receive the most clicks and viewership.

Only the ones who have upgraded their ranking obtain that privilege. However, this is not an easy challenge. It requires work and strategy. And therein lies the question, how can a content creator increase watch time to elevate their YouTube ranking. We are going to discuss that in detail in the following.

What Is YouTube Watch Time?

YT watch time is basically the amount of time a viewer has viewed the video. It gives you an hint as to what viewers like and what attracts them. It also gives you an insight into what they are not like if they ever refuse to click on your content again.

Increase YouTube Watch Time

In the first place, do you have a YouTube channel? Do you hope to obtain a source of income from YouTube? Your prospects can materialize when your YouTube channel acquires at least 4,000 watch hours in one year with 1,000 subscribers. Passing this standard will enable you to apply for the YT Partner Program or YPP. This paves the way for you to obtain monetary support from ads.

Now the main question remains, how can YouTube watch time be increased in 2024?

You will surely find the answers to your question below.

Create Quality Content Videos

YouTube was created on 14th February in 2005. Now YouTube is the second most trafficked website in the world. 400 hours of video are uploaded on its platform every minute. The competition is naturally merciless and fierce. To crease watch time, you must upload videos that focus on quality and standard.

Content makes all the difference in this aspect. You need to envision yourself according to their question and lens what kind of content would make you want to stay and watch the entire video.

The content needs to be charged, effective, and visually appealing. Once you obtain an idea as to how you want to portray your videos, you will create a platform that will get you viewer traffic at a quick pace. You can also gather the knowledge from veteran YouTubers who have ample knowledge of what makes the YouTube community tick.

First 15 Seconds are Crucial

There are endless amounts of YouTube content being recommended and streamed. The average YouTube watcher can only give a couple of seconds to a video that passes his page. If he happens to come across a new video from your YouTube page.

Remember that he will ask himself the following questions.

Should I look into this video?

He thinks that if I click on it, should I continue watching it?

These answers lie in the first 20 seconds of your video.

If your 20 seconds do not have the effect of piquing your viewer’s curiosity? He will immediately lose his interest and move on to another content. The result will be them leaving your video platform and this only serves to drive down your watch time dramatically.

This is why you need to make sure that you make the initial seconds of your video interesting and engaging to the point it captures the viewer’s interest. If you can pull off this strategy, you will obtain more viewers to your page, eventually rendering you with a healthy watch time.

Expand Your Subscriber Base

Building upon your subscriber count is the most important thing you can do once you establish your own YouTube presence. The more watchers you receive, the more the subscriptions climb to your page. This growth in viewership directly propels the watch time of your content the moment you upload them.

Growing your subscriber count can be tricky. So, you can use the following tactics to grow your subscriber base:

Optimize your YouTube Channel; promote your videos on social media accounts like Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. You will cater to a specific viwers that will provide you with organic subscriber growth.

You need to prduce social proof. The social proof is similar to the scale of popularity your channel has amassed. When watchers enter your channel, they will realize that you have an impressive number of subscribers so they will subscribe as well, and through that, subscribe — and these people will become your content watchers, thereby increasing your YouTube Watch time.

Select Clickbait Titles & Thumbnails

YouTube thumbnails and Titles represent what the viewer will perceive as your content. When people are searching for content about a specific subject matter, they will see a long list of thumbnails and titles, which will be the deciding term if they want to view the video.

If your title is well designed, then you will get the benefits of attracting more viewers to your channel. The same titles and thumbnail will be recommended to other viewers who are searching for the same content. This will render your content appealing to many advertisers who hope to capitalize on a growing YouTube channel.

Focus on Audience Retention

Audience retention basically is the average percentage of a YouTube video watched by audience. Once you upload your video, you need to keep a close eye on the viewer’s retention report. This will lead you to increase the watch hours on YouTube. Keep focusing on the viewer’s retention of every video you upload on your YouTube Page.

The viewer’s Retention report will give you an insight as to where your viewership is dropping and where it is peaking. This knowledge allows you to make the necessary modifications to retain your audience and increase traffic.

Increasing your video’s retention rate will enable you to obtain more viewers attracted to your content, thereby elevating YouTube Watch Time.

Use Long-Tail YouTube Keywords

The usage of long-tail YT Keywords can benefit your subscription. The target viewers will be able to drive more traffic through its usage and increase your watch time in the process. This will help you to beat out your competitors.

There are a myriad of methods for creating long-tail keywords for content usage but you can acquire them in a simplistic manner which is through YouTube’s suggestion feature. Use the YouTube search bar to type in the work you know your viewer is interested in. There, you will get a list of long-tail keyword plans that you could incorporate for your own content.

You can use any form of content you want pertaining to ads, entertainment, information, etc. You will get an abundance of long-tail keyword plans that can prove useful for the YouTube content you have built for yourself. This will lead to an increase in YouTube Watch Time for your platform.

Create Video Playlist

What if it comes to your information that there is a way to increase Watch time on YouTube in more hours even though people have not watched your videos?

To elaborate further, if a person starts watching your video and continues to the next one on the playlist, you will still get credit for an increase in watch time. It also doesn’t matter if the videos in the playlist belong to other creator, you will receive credit regardless.

Playlists usher audience to a more gradual viewing experience which has the potential to increase your YouTube watch time. You can create multiple YouTube video playlists to encapsulate all your videos.

Ensure your playlist is organized in sequences. Make sure that the videos are based on relevant content. Playlists that are effective in obtaining viewership have the ability to attract viewers to more of your videos in one viewing session. This enhances your visibility and advances your YouTube watch time.

If you are an enthusiastic YouTube user, you may have gotten a clear picture of how you can use watch time as a crucial metric measuring success on YouTube. The main expectation for any would-be YouTube influencer is to gain capital or income. YouTube has become a source of livelihood for many enterprises and individuals alike.

Making revenue has allowed different generations of people to do what they love and create the content they like. The challenges connected with increasing the watch time may seem daunting. But in the end, it’s all the more worth it.