The best way to get more views on YouTube is to optimize your videos so they show up in search and recommendations
— and keep viewers engaged once they click. That means mastering clickable thumbnails, compelling titles, and content that delivers on its promise.


With 10+ billion views tracked through coaching and tools, vidIQ provides data-backed insights into what drives video discovery.


In this section, we will break down strategies, examples, and case studies so you can consistently grow your views.

More Views

How To Get More Views on YouTube

The fastest way to get more YouTube subscribers is to publish videos that keep viewers watching and make it easy for them to subscribe.
That means using strong titles and thumbnails, clear calls to action, and building content around topics people are already searching for.


At vidIQ, we analyze millions of channels to see what actually drives subscriber growth, from doubling down on high-retention videos
to packaging content in ways that hook new audiences. Explore our guides and case studies to learn proven tactics that will
help you grow your subscribers faster.

Get Subscribers

How to Get More YouTube Subscribers

To make money on YouTube, creators start by qualifying for the YouTube Partner Program and enabling ads, but that’s just the beginning. Real income comes from combining multiple streams: sponsorships, channel memberships, affiliate marketing, and selling your own products or services. 

At vidIQ, we’ve studied how creators unlock monetization
milestones and scale beyond ad revenue. Here you will learn practical strategies to diversify income and build
a sustainable business from your YouTube channel.

Make Money

How To Make Money on YouTube

YouTube Analytics reveal which videos are working and why, but not all metrics matter equally. Watch time, retention, CTR, and revenue are the numbers that drive real growth. 

At vidIQ, we break down these metrics with examples so you can spot trends, identify weak points, and make smarter decisions for your channel. Here you’ll learn how to use analytics as a growth engine, not just a dashboard.

Data Insights

YouTube Analytics Explained: Metrics That Matter

Watch Time is arguably THE most important metric on YouTube right now, and creators won’t be able to monetize their content without 4000 hours of it. But what is it and how can creators increase the amount of Watch Time their videos attract? We keep you updated on the best practices around Watch Time, and how you can increase how much your video content generates.

Watch Time

YouTube Watch Time

YouTube Shorts are one of the fastest ways to reach new viewers and grow your channel.


With millions of Shorts analyzed, vidIQ has tracked the formats and strategies that help creators break through. Here you’ll learn how to make Shorts that stand out, and how to use them to boost your long-form videos.

YouTube Shorts

YouTube Shorts: Tips and Strategies

The best YouTube tips save time and make your videos perform better. From thumbnail tweaks to hidden features in YouTube Studio, small changes can drive big results. 

At vidIQ, we’ve tested countless tactics across millions of videos to see what really works. Here you’ll find quick wins and practical shortcuts you can use right now to grow faster and work smarter.

Quick Tips

YouTube Tips for Creators

The fastest way to grow on YouTube is to create content around trending topics while viewers are searching for them. 

With vidIQ’s data, we track the keywords, niches, and formats that are taking off across millions of channels. Here you’ll find insights into what’s working now, including creator case studies and examples, so you can publish videos that ride the wave of demand and stay ahead of competitors.

Trending Now

YouTube Trends and Insights

Your In-Depth Guide to Building a Successful YouTube Channel

 has one primary goal: to get their videos recommended to more people. They want YouTube to (finally) notice their content, identify the subject matter, and suggest it to thousands of like-minded viewers.

Your best plan of action, especially as a small creator, is to understand how YouTube recommends videos. You'll want to figure out why the algorithm promotes some content and, well...basically ignores others.

In truth, it's not that the algorithm doesn't favor you or is biased against your channel. 

YouTube doesn't hate small creators. It just doesn't know whom to recommend you to yet. 

In this blog, we'll learn how to fix that.

YouTube Recommendations Are Based on Viewer Behavior

Here's the first mindshift you need to make:

Every single video you upload is treated as a new test. 

YouTube doesn't care if you have 5 subscribers or 5 million. What it cares about is whether people are clicking on your video, sticking around to watch it, and coming back for more.

So even if your last 10 videos flopped, the next one still gets a shot. That's actually good news for small creators. But to pass the test, you've got to send YouTube the right signals about your content and your audience.

Graph showing typical video performance on YouTube

When someone watches your video and has a positive experience, YouTube starts looking for other people with similar viewing patterns and interests. The more positive signals you generate, the wider your reach becomes. This is why you'll sometimes see a small channel with 100 subscribers get a video that hits 50,000 views seemingly overnight.

YouTube’s 3-Tiered Recommendation System

Think of YouTube’s recommendation process like leveling up in a game. Every video is tested in a sequence of audiences:

Your subscribers and repeat viewers. This is your home base. If they enjoy the video, it moves to the next stage.

People in your niche who watch similar videos—maybe they follow your competitors or recently searched for the topic.

Complete strangers. If your video performs well in the first two groups, it “graduates” here and has a shot at virality.

The beauty of this system is that it rewards creators who truly serve their audience, not just those who game the algorithm. When you consistently deliver value to your core viewers, YouTube becomes more confident in recommending you to similar people.

Small creators often treat their channel like a digital diary. One day it's gaming, the next it's cooking, then it's a vlog with your dog. Creative freedom is great, but to the algorithm, it's pretty confusing.

Spoiler: If you make content for everyone, YouTube won't know who to recommend you to.

Think about it from YouTube's perspective. The platform serves billions of hours of content every day. Its job is to keep people watching by showing them exactly what they want to see. When your channel jumps between wildly different topics, YouTube can't build a 

clear picture of who your ideal viewer is.

This doesn't mean you can never evolve or try new things, but especially in your first 50-100 videos, consistency is your best friend.

Keep your thumbnails and titles visually consistent

Develop a recognizable content format or style

You're not just building videos. You're building a brand that YouTube can confidently recommend to the right people.

The biggest point of affirmation for the algorithm to determine whether your videos can be recommended or not is watch time. And the best way to do that is to improve the 

If someone watches your video and then watches another video (yours or someone else's), YouTube rewards you. If your video ends their session (they close the app or tab), that's a negative signal to YouTube recommendations. That's called 

5 Ways to Increase YouTube Watch Time on Any Video

Session time is arguably more important than individual video performance because it shows YouTube that your content fits into the broader viewing experience people want. 

When viewers stay on the platform after watching your video, you're contributing to YouTube's core business model. Here's how you can improve your session time:

Reference your other videos inside your current one

Use verbal handoffs: "Next, watch this…"

Create content series that naturally lead into each other

Use the "Hook – Hold – Handoff" Framework

This framework is used by some of the fastest-growing creators on YouTube. It's how you keep people watching—and signal to YouTube that your content is binge-worthy.

Grab attention in the first 5–10 seconds.

 "I cooked gourmet food for the most dangerous animals on Earth..."

The hook isn't just about being loud or shocking. It's about immediately communicating the value and intrigue of your video. Your hook should make viewers think: "I need to see how this plays out."

Progressive revelations, bigger stakes, deeper insights—whatever your video promises, you need to deliver it in a way that builds momentum rather than plateaus.

This is where pacing becomes crucial. Plan your content like a story with rising action. Each segment should feel more valuable or interesting than the last.

 "If you liked this one, just wait till you see what I did next…"

The result? Binge behavior. And binge behavior is the algorithm's rocket fuel.

A lot of small creators kill their videos with bad titles that are vague, boring, and generic. 

Your title is competing with hundreds of other videos for attention. Generic titles get ignored because they don't create any emotional investment. Specific titles with clear benefits cut through the noise.

Consider the psychology of your viewer when they're scrolling. They're asking themselves: "Is this worth my time?" Your title needs to answer that question with a clear "yes" and a compelling reason why.

In case of thumbnails, make sure to focus on clarity. If your thumbnails look like a chaotic Canva explosion... It's time to clean up. 

Expression that matches the video's emotion

You get 2 seconds on the homepage. Make them count. Your thumbnail needs to generate curiosity and be readable at the size of a postage stamp. If you can't tell what your thumbnail is about when it's tiny, neither can your potential viewers.

How To Create Scroll-Stopping YouTube Thumbnails Faster with AI

Here's a fatal mistake a lot of creators make: You have an awesome title and a killer thumbnail… but your video intro is a snooze fest.

"Hey guys, welcome back to the channel! So glad you're here…"

…you've already lost half your audience. Instead, do this:

Reinforce the promise of the video immediately

If the title is "How YouTube Deleted My Channel," say it right away in the video: "Three days ago, YouTube deleted my channel, and here's exactly what happened…"

The first 15 seconds of your video are crucial for YouTube recommendations. This is where the algorithm decides whether your content is engaging enough to show to more people. A slow start signals that viewers might click away, which hurts your recommendation potential.

This one's sneaky. YouTube transcribes your entire video. Every word.

So, if your video is about YouTube recommendations but you never actually say "YouTube recommendations," the algorithm may not be confident in what your video is about.

Say your main keyword early and naturally

 ("YouTube algorithm," "getting recommended," etc.)

YouTube's automatic captions and transcription feed directly into their understanding of your content. This semantic understanding helps the algorithm match your video with relevant searches and recommend it alongside similar content.

Don't stuff keywords awkwardly, but make sure you're naturally using the language your audience uses when searching for your type of content.

YouTube favors videos that are relevant right now. This is called 

. Your chances of getting recommended skyrocket if you time your video with:

A phone showing the youtube logo next to the youtube homepage on a desktop computer

How does the YouTube algorithm work — specifically, the recommendation engine that promotes videos to billions of viewers? Keep reading to find out and grow your channel!

YouTube's 'Suggested Videos' Algorithm: How to Crack It

If you’re building a YouTube channel, it’s natural to wonder: “

How many subscribers is good on YouTube?”. 

When you see creators with tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands or millions of subscribers, it’s easy to feel like your progress is too slow.

But here’s the real story: even “small” milestones put you ahead of most creators. We analyzed 65 million YouTube channels with at least 1 subscriber (as of September 2025), and the numbers prove that every step forward matters more than you think. These aren’t just numbers, they’re YouTube channel growth statistics that reveal the true shape of the creator journey.

Small Audiences, Big Impact: Compare YouTube Channels by Growth

Most people underestimate how rare subscriber growth really is. The truth? The majority of channels never cross a few hundred subs. That means even what feels like a “small” audience may actually put you ahead of millions of other creators.

When you compare your YouTube channel with this dataset, you’ll see how every milestone shifts your position on the global leaderboard. Passing 100 subscribers moves you into the top 63%! Reaching 500 subs pushes you ahead of 58% of all creators! And from there, each rung of the ladder gets even rarer.

small audiences matter more than most creators realize

. Every milestone is a sign you’re climbing into exclusive territory.

bar graph showing the percentage of of youtube accounts that have a particular subscriber count including channels that have 100 or more subscribers are doing better than 37% of all youtube accounts.

Subscriber Milestones: Where You Stand and What to Do Next

Infographic showing “100 Subscribers = Top 63% of All YouTube Channels” with an upward cyan line graph on a dark blue background.

100 Subscribers: Your First Real Audience

Hitting 100 subscribers might not feel huge, but it’s a turning point most creators never reach. At this milestone, you’re already doing better than 

, which means you’re in the top 63%. That’s proof that strangers (not just family and friends) believe in your content.

. Don’t worry about fancy gear or overcomplicating your strategy, what matters most is consistency. Publish regularly, refine your process, and get comfortable asking viewers to subscribe. Keep in mind, a benefit of being new is you are still experimenting with your formula. Try new things and continue learning about YouTube channel 

If you’re looking into how to get 100 subscribers on YouTube, it’s about giving people a reason to join your journey. We recommend checking out our guide: 

How to Get More YouTube Subscribers for a Small Channel

Infographic displaying “500 Subscribers = Top 42% of All YouTube Channels” with a rising cyan arrow and red YouTube icon on a deep blue gradient background.

. You’re starting to build real speed in your channel.

Now you’ve got enough of an audience to start seeing patterns: which videos bring in new subs, which formats keep people watching, and which topics your audience cares about most.

. Use your analytics to spot the videos driving the most subscribers, and make variations or follow-ups. Experiment with stronger thumbnails and curiosity-driven titles to pull in more clicks.

If you’re at the stage of looking into how to get 500 subscribers on YouTube, the key is refining what you already know works.

At this stage you are ready to push toward your first 1,000. To help you get there, we recommend reading: 

How to Get Your First 1,000 YouTube Subscribers

1,000 Subscribers: The Monetization Milestone

Congratulations! Crossing 1,000 subscribers is a major turning point. You’re now ahead of 

. And more importantly: you’ve unlocked monetization eligibility! You might now start to be considering turning your channel into a real business.

At this level, it’s not about luck, it’s about systems. By now, you should have a sense of what works on your channel, and your goal is to 

: Build a reliable upload schedule viewers can count on.

: Use proven formats that attract clicks without clickbait.

: Reply to comments, create community posts, and build stronger connections.

At the stage of 1,000 subscribers, you are bigger than two-thirds of all channels. That’s a massive achievement. From here, you’ll want to make your channel bigger and faster by pushing your proven content ideas forward. Look at your analytics, identify videos that consistently bring in new subscribers, and create more around those topics.

Curious how long it takes to get to 1,000 subscribers? Learn exactly how many uploads creators typically need: 

How Many Videos Does It Take to Get 1,000 Subscribers?

infographic reading “10,000 Subscribers = Top 6% of All YouTube Channels” with cyan-highlighted text, a curved growth line, and YouTube logo on a dark blue background.

At 10,000 subscribers, you’ve outpaced 

of YouTube Channels. You’re no longer a “small channel.” You are now a recognized player in your niche, starting to attract attention outside of YouTube, and creating real opportunities.

transitioning from hobbyist to entrepreneur.

 At 10K, your channel has decent revenue potential. That means new responsibilities and new possibilities:

 AdSense revenue becomes noticeable, and sponsorships or affiliate marketing start making sense.

 Your channel needs a recognizable look and feel, thumbnails, banner art, and tone all need consistency.

 You can’t just wing it anymore. Build repeatable workflows for scripting, filming, editing, and publishing so you can scale output. Tools like

 can help streamline this by suggesting optimized titles, descriptions, and even video ideas.

 Partnering with other creators in your niche is one of the fastest ways to expand reach and credibility.

 Explore Shorts, livestreams, or even merchandise to expand revenue streams.

 This is when you start thinking about budgets (gear, tools, maybe even a freelancer), reinvesting earnings, and treating your channel like an asset you’re building for the long term.

infographic showing “100,000 Subscribers = Top 1% of All YouTube Channels” with a glowing cyan upward line and silver YouTube Play Button on a navy gradient background.

. This milestone is a signal to viewers, brands, and other creators that you are a serious player.

This is also the moment when you get to join the coveted 

YouTube will award you the silver Play Button once you hit 100K subscribers.

being a full-time creator and long-term sustainability

 With an audience of this size, brands start taking you seriously. This is where inbound sponsorship requests often arrive, but the best creators are 

: pitch collaborations, negotiate fair rates, and build multi-video partnerships.

 Consistently producing content at scale often requires help. Many creators bring on editors, thumbnail designers, or channel managers to free up creative energy.

, podcasts, or even off-platform products (like courses or merch) can deepen audience connection and expand revenue streams.

 With 100K subs, you’re not just part of the conversation, you help 

 That means solidifying your niche, refining your unique voice, and positioning yourself as a trusted expert or entertainer.

The 100K milestone is more than a number. It’s the threshold where your YouTube channel evolves into a 

infographic reading “1 Million Subscribers = Top 0.1% of All YouTube Channels” with a gold-accented upward curve and a large gold YouTube Play Button on a dark blue background.

Wow, hitting one million subscribers places you in the 

 of all YouTube channels. Only one in a thousand creators ever get here. This is also when YouTube awards the 

, one of the rarest recognitions in the Creator Economy.

. Build a long-term content system, strengthen your brand presence across platforms, and invest in collaborations that elevate your reach even further.

What changes most at this stage is the scale of your influence. You’re not just running a channel, you’re running a 

 That means protecting your time, building a team around you, and thinking like a CEO. Negotiations become larger, partnerships more strategic, and your content choices can influence entire niches or industries. The challenges at this stage are big, but so are the rewards.


Subscriber milestones aren’t just numbers, they’re proof of persistence. Every rung of the ladder is rarer than the one before. Wherever you are right now, you may be further along than most. Every new subscriber moves you into rarer territory, and every milestone is worth celebrating.

So don’t get lost comparing yourself to creators with millions. The truth is, you’re already climbing a ladder where most never make it past the first few rungs. The question is: 

illustration showing a path up a mountain with flags at different levels depicting increasing thresholds of top percentage of youtube channels

To view another channel’s subscriber count, visit their channel page on YouTube. The subscriber number is shown below the channel name. Some large creators hide their counts, but you can still estimate their size using tools like 

or by checking engagement patterns on recent uploads.

See how your subscriber count stacks up. vidIQ’s YouTube growth statistics reveal where you rank among 65M creators.

See How You Compare: YouTube Subscriber Growth Statistics Revealed

Creators grow with two things: people who actually watch, and a system that surfaces honest metrics so new audiences can find you. Viewbotting (and the viewbots that drive it) break both. 

When fake views distort algorithms and ads, legitimate small creators lose visibility, partners stop trusting metrics, and platforms start tightening rules that can punish honest channels, too. So, let's talk about what viewbotting is, how viewbots typically behave, how to check for viewbot activity in your analytics, and most importantly, what you can do about it as a small creator.

How to Get More Views on YouTube: 12 Powerful Tips

Viewbotting is the practice of using automated systems (bots, scripts, headless browsers, or click farms) to artificially inflate view counts, concurrent viewers, likes, subscribers, or other engagement metrics. Platforms explicitly forbid this kind of fake engagement. For example, YouTube's fake engagement policy bans artificially inflating views, likes, comments, or other metrics, and can remove or terminate content and channels that violate it.

graphic representation of viewbots attacking your channel

The problem has escalated dramatically in 2025. Recent platform crackdowns reveal just how widespread the issue has become, with some 

streaming platforms confirming that one in six channels with moderate viewership are using viewbots.

YouTube has largely remained clean compared to other platforms, with the invalid traffic rate being roughly ten times lower. But that does not mean we are immune to viewbots.

You don’t need a technical deep dive to understand the typical mechanics of viewbots. Most viewbots or viewbot services:

Generate automated HTTP requests or run headless browser sessions to “play” videos or join live streams.

Use networks of throwaway accounts, proxies, or bot farms to mask the origin and try to appear like different users.

Target metrics platforms use, such as initial views, concurrent viewers, likes, or superficial comments, to fool algorithms that reward early momentum.

Platforms keep improving detection (fingerprinting, rate-pattern analysis, account behavior signals). YouTube's AI-driven systems now analyze unnatural patterns automatically, while machine learning algorithms evaluate IP addresses, account creation patterns, and behavioral similarities to identify bot networks.

 activity, don't rely on one metric. Look for patterns across analytics and community signals. Below are practical red flags; the more of these you see, the more likely something dishonest is happening.

 — Huge one-off jumps in concurrent viewers or views without a raid, host, social post, or viral clip. A genuine spike usually has an external source you can point to. If your video jumps from almost no views to thousands overnight with no clear catalyst, that's a major warning sign.

 — Lots of views but very little watch time, few likes, and almost no meaningful comments. Real audiences leave traces; bot audiences vanish without engagement.

 — High viewer counts with low, or zero chat activity are suspicious for live streams. Authentic viewers interact, ask questions, and respond to prompts.

Generic or repeated usernames in chat/comments

 — Similar handles, repeated phrases, or bot-like messages. Watch for patterns like sequential numbers or nonsensical character combinations.

 — Views that start and end in a few seconds; real viewers usually stay longer. Check your audience retention graphs for unnatural drop-off patterns.

 — A sudden flood of views from strange countries inconsistent with your usual audience. Check YouTube Analytics or your platform's analytics dashboard for unusual traffic sources.

 — Lots of "direct" or "unknown" traffic, or views attributed to odd referral sources that don't align with your content distribution strategy.

Subscriber jumps without correlated watch time

 — Subscriber count climbs, but watch time doesn't; that's a clue bot subscribing without actually consuming content.

Multiple accounts with overlapping patterns

 — Accounts that follow the same playlist sequence or join streams at identical intervals, suggesting coordinated automated behavior.

 — If bot-detection or analytics tools show abnormal bot scores, take it seriously. There are commercial bot-detection products and public trackers that can help identify suspicious patterns.

If you see any of these issues on your end, make sure that you take the necessary actions. Set up additional measures, ban, and block suspicious activities. Use third-party tools to detect them if need be and educate your community in the event.

Viewbots are destroying fair discovery for creators. Learn how to detect viewbot activity, report fraud, and defend your metrics.

Your In-Depth Guide to Building a Successful YouTube Channel

YouTube's 'Suggested Videos' Algorithm: How to Crack It

See How You Compare: YouTube Subscriber Growth Statistics Revealed

Are Viewbots Ruining Fair Discovery on YouTube?

How to Remove Copyright Claims on YouTube

6 Places to Find YouTube Trending Topics for Your Videos in 2025

YouTube Shorts Ratio and Size: The 2025 Guide to Perfect Vertical Videos

YouTube Shorts Monetization Requirements (Updated for 2025)

How to Start a Gaming YouTube Channel in 2025

How to Start a YouTube Channel in 2025: Step-by-step guide

54 YouTube Niches for 2025: How to Pick the Best Niche for YouTube Success

YouTube's 'Suggested Videos' Algorithm: How to Crack It

The Beginner's Guide to the YouTube Studio

How to Use YouTube Clips