Ask any YouTuber and they will tell you that generating significant views and subscribers isn't easy. But with the right strategy and tools, any video creator can build an engaged subscriber base when they understand what those subscribers want to watch.

Appealing to an audience to watch content you are passionate about making is just the first step, you need to know how to reach them and get your videos discovered. Our guides to how to guide more views on YouTube will give you the best tips to succeed on the platform.

Getting Views

How To Get More Views on YouTube

Getting thousands or even millions of YouTube subscribers is a dream for most creators. In the articles below, we'll show you how to turn casual viewers into long-term fans. 

Subscribers

YouTube Subscribers

Do you want to make money on YouTube? Millions of creators are earning a very good living from monetizing the platform and uploading content that drives huge views and engagements. Whether that YouTube income is from advertising revenue, merchandise sales, or brand deals, or subscriptions, we keep you updated with best practices and ideas.

Monetization

How To Make Money on YouTube

Want to see how your channel is performing? Read these YouTube analytics articles to discover what's working and what isn't. You'll learn how to identify which videos have the most Watch Time, clicks, audience retention, revenue, and more.

Analytics

YouTube Analytics

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 content is set to explode! 

All the latest tips, tricks, and rock-solid advice you need for this new feature.

YouTube Shorts

Do you know how to do keyword research so you understand what videos people are actually searching for on YouTube? Do you know how to create a custom YouTube thumbnail? Do you know how to create a Playlist on YouTube?

vidIQ has a ton of tips that will help every creator maximise their video content. We publish content every week to keep you up to date with all the best practices.

Tips & Tricks

YouTube Tips & Tricks

At vidIQ we have incredible insights into what viewers are searching for on YouTube. Not only can we confirm the top keywords being searched for, we can also show you how you can leverage that interest to create content around trending topics and tentpole events. That's going to give you a clear edge over other creators!

Insights

YouTube Insights

Your In-Depth Guide to Building a Successful YouTube Channel

We’ve been hard at work refining our tools that help creators grow, and this summer’s drop is proof that vidIQ today isn’t what it was even three months ago.

a brand-new feature and other major updates

 - all built to help you stop the scroll, boost engagement, and turn casual viewers into loyal fans.

 you’ll want to experience the new power we’ve packed in.

One of the biggest struggles for creators is getting viewers to click on their content. With millions of videos out there, you need to stand out in a pool of endless scrolling.

Stopping the scroll is more of a science than an art. And like all sciences, you need tools to accomplish your goals. You haven’t seen vidIQ tools like this. Smarter AI. Faster workflows. Real results.

. This tool is like your own personal AI-powered design studio.

If you’ve been in the YouTube game for more than five minutes, you understand that 

 and best way to stop the scroll. A great thumbnail is clear, compelling, and makes viewers think, “I need to click this.”

Now it’s easier than ever to make thumbnails that 

. Whether you start with a prompt or upload your own assets, our AI builds out designs that look pro — without you needing any Photoshop skills.

 (we’ll remove backgrounds automatically)

 to match a visual style you love. Upload your own or choose from our library of top-performing YouTube templates. 

 to influence your thumbnail’s aesthetic

 with easy prompt tweaks, image edits, or by dropping in text

Thumbnails aren’t just art - they’re strategy. They’re decision points. The better your thumbnail, the higher your click-through rate. And a higher CTR means the algorithm actually works for you.

, you’re not just making something that 

 good — you’re making something that 

You stopped the scroll with killer thumbnails. Now keep them watching.

 helps you write stronger YouTube scripts in a fraction of the time, backed by real YouTube psychology.

: Continuously trained on what’s working 

: Include callback cues, pacing variations, and cliffhangers

: Adjust your scripts’ tone, add keywords, sound more like your favorite creator. All with one click.

 Automated research provides accurate and relevant information and stats.

 helps keep your message clear, your viewers hooked, and your content performing. And now, it doesn’t have to take days. With 

, you can go from idea to polished script in just 3 minutes - making it easier to publish consistently and keep your channel growing.

“I used to spend an hour and a half scripting videos that came out wordy and boring. Someone even commented saying my videos were 'so wordy' — that really stung. But vidIQ's Script Writer changed everything. Now I get organized, concise scripts in just 10–15 minutes.”

“When I used it for my next tutorial, I was so impressed I printed it out to study it. For creators like me who tend to over-explain on camera, this tool does wonders.”

Shorts are still one of the fastest paths to YouTube growth - but understanding why one takes off while another flops? That used to be a mystery.

We built our Shorts tools to tell you exactly what’s working, what’s not, and how to make your next one blow up.

Think of it as your personal highlight reel, performance breakdown, and growth strategist all in one. Now you can discover when a video truly gained popularity and understand what made them successful. 

All of these statistics can be seen directly in-line without having to exit the Shorts view:

including views & views per hour, engagement rate, views history graph, and outlier score.

including channel subscriber count, monthly & total uploads, and subscriber and view growth graphs. 

 now supports YouTube Shorts, giving you even more insight into what’s trending and outperforming expectations across the platform. 

Instead of just surfacing the most-viewed content, Outliers identifies videos that are gaining momentum relative to the creator’s usual performance. That means you’re seeing videos that are beating the odds, not just riding on big subscriber counts. 

Now that this includes Shorts, it’s an incredibly powerful way to discover smart video ideas, fresh angles, and unexpected winners across any niche.

Let’s say you search for a keyword like “budget travel.” Outliers might surface a Short from a smaller creator that’s getting unusually high engagement and rapid growth, even outperforming videos from much larger channels. That’s your signal: something in that format, topic, or style is connecting. Use it to guide your next idea, ride the wave, and post with confidence.

 now works with YouTube Shorts, giving short-form creators the same data-backed recommendations long-form creators have used to increase views and visibility.

Optimize analyzes your video and delivers clear, actionable recommendations for improving your title and adding the right tags to your description. You’ll also get an overall optimization score, so you can instantly see how well your content is aligned with what’s working — and where there’s room to improve.

Most Shorts get lost in a sea of swipes. To rise to the top you need smart packaging. Optimize helps ensure your content gets the visibility it deserves, boosting your chances of landing on the Shorts feed, reaching new audiences, and turning quick views into long-term growth.

 can now submit a video for personalized feedback from one of our expert creator coaches.

A coach will watch your video and record a response, pausing at key moments to explain what’s working, what’s not, and what changes could help you get more views and subscribers. You’ll see the exact moment-by-moment breakdown behind every suggestion. No vague advice, just direct, actionable advice.


Our initial rollout supports Boost users in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Australia, and New Zealand, for English language videos only.

__________________________________________________________________

If you’re looking for more than just one video review, you can work directly with a 

 who will take a deep dive into your entire channel and build a custom-tailored growth plan designed to break through the roadblocks holding you back. 

These aren’t cookie-cutter tips, they’re real, personalized strategies you can start applying immediately to unlock quick wins and build lasting momentum.

Want to see what’s possible with coaching?

. After joining vidIQ Coaching, they refined their content, followed their tailored plan, and watched their channel take off.

TL;DR: This Summer, You Grow or You Ghost

Here’s the latest features you get with the vidIQ Summer 2025 Drop:

 - Create high-impact, click-worthy thumbnails with AI and proven templates

 - Hook viewers and keep them watching with YouTube-optimized storytelling

 - Instantly spot top-performing Shorts and track breakout metrics

 - Discover overperforming videos across YouTube to inspire your next big hit

 - Find the best title and keywords to get your Shorts discovered

The Summer 2025 Drop is here: scroll-stopping science, smarter tools, and real coaching to help you grow on YouTube.

☀️ Welcome to the vidIQ Summer 2025 Drop!

Did you know you can restrict certain ads so they don't run against your videos if you have monetized your channel? Many creators aren’t aware of this feature, but it comes in handy when you want to keep your channel controversy-free.

Right now, political campaigns and religious beliefs are two of the most heavily debated topics on the internet. There’s a 2020 presidential election approaching in the U.S., and year-round, religious debates float from one corner of the internet to the next. By blocking such ads, you can stop awkward, sometimes off-putting messages from reaching your viewers.

Want to restrict these ads right now? Here’s what you need to do.

How to Block Unwanted Ads on Your YouTube Videos

 account.
2. Once you’re in, select ‘Blocking Controls’ from the left menu.
3. In the expanded menu below ‘Blocking Controls’, click ‘YouTube Host’.
4. In the new page that opens, click the ‘Sensitive Categories’ block in the middle of the screen.
5. Next, you'll see a list of ad topics. Disable the ones you don’t want to see by switching the toggle button from ‘Allowed’ to ‘Blocked’.

Want a visual rundown of these instructions? Watch our video tutorial for helpful screenshots highlighting exactly where to click:

From drugs and supplements to get rich quick schemes, the list of ads you can block or allow is pretty long. Scroll to the bottom, and you’ll even see which ads may appear on YouTube videos that are already ad-restricted, such as alcohol and gambling.

If you want, you get really granular and block specific websites from advertising on your channel. To do that, return to the previous page and click ‘Advertiser URLs’ in the middle of the screen. From here, you can type in any URL and block ads that lead to those websites.

Lastly, you can restrict entire advertising categories on your channel. Simply return to the previous page, click ‘General Categories’, and explore all the topics you’d like to block. There are layers upon layers to choose from, so you have tons of customization options here. For example, you can click ‘Beauty & Personal Care’, and that brings up another list of topics to consider. You could end up disabling ads about deodorant, shaving cream, toothpaste, or whatever you’d like to eliminate, as shown below:

What to Consider Before Blocking YouTube Advertisers

As you explore your AdSense account, keep in mind that restricting or allowing certain ads is a balancing act. Of course, it makes sense to restrict advertisers when you don't like what they’re promoting. But at the same time, you don't want to under-monetize your videos to keep one advertiser away. Just remember to handle your selections with care!

In addition to that, here are some extra things to know:

- If you’ve joined a multichannel network (MCN), you may not be able to block ads via AdSense. Instead, contact the network directly.
- Be careful when blocking entire ad categories. You may accidentally restrict ads you’re perfectly happy with.
- If you decide to block an ad category, bookmark the AdSense website, and set a reminder to check those categories in a few months. You don’t want to lose tons of money by accident!

Placing ads on your videos may seem like an easy, innocent thing. However, we sometimes forget the consequences of this practice. We know ads can earn creators money, but in the long run, no one knows which ads will play. If you have strong ethical beliefs and don’t want to see these ads, do what you feel is right - even if that means turning them off.

If you want to take your YouTube channel to the next level and get more views on YouTube then make sure to 

. Join over 1 million other users and use vidIQ to help you research YouTube, analyze videos, audit your own channel, and take actionable steps to succeed.  ​ ​ ​

And if you’re really serious about growing your YouTube views and subscribers, sign up for exclusive access to the 

 and learn how to launch a successful YouTube Channel.

Joe Biden and Donald Trump with red blocked symbol and text "BLOCKED!"

Tired of seeing cringey political messages and other sensitive ads on your videos? Block them from your channel in five easy steps.

How to Block Unwanted Ads on Your YouTube Content

Creators think they have to always be in front of the camera to be successful on YouTube, but that's not always the case. On this week's episode, I chat with Jessica Hatch, the CEO of Gone To The Snow Dogs, a phenomenal channel where the main "stars" are her dogs!

 so clearly Jessica has figured out what her audience wants and how to use the YouTube algorithm in her favor. On today's episode you will learn:

Can you share too much with your audience?

The Analytics that you should be focused on

Recreating content that already works is a great strategy

 to listen to Jessica's advice, and don't forget to give her social channels a follow!

What to do When You're Feeling Stressed as a YouTuber

Creator Burnout is a very real thing, and on this 

, four YouTubers will be discussing their journey and what happens when its time to take a break.

TubeTalk has been informing video creators and marketers since 2014, and is one of the most respected and listened to podcasts in the online video industry. Don't forget to 

 to TubeTalk on your favorite podcast app so you never miss an episode!

You can also find the complete list of all the 

Two Siberian Huskies standing on snow beside a blue TubeTalk logo background

Did you know? You don't even have to appear in front of the camera to be a successful YouTube creator. Find out more in this week's episode of vidIQ's TubeTalk podcast.

Why You Don't Need to Be On Camera to Be a YouTube Sensation

Given the mass appeal of Roblox, it's no wonder so many YouTubers want to make this content their bread and butter. But how do you grow a Roblox channel, especially when there are already so many YouTubers covering this game? Take a read of the steps you should take, or watch the following video for advice:

How to Grow a Roblox YouTube Channel: Content Ideas

Step one for growing a Roblox channel is to think really hard about your strategy. Sadly, just you alone playing Roblox and uploading that footage to YouTube probably won't cut it if you're just starting out. Instead, you need to be focused on the Roblox community at large, and how you can bring some extra value to it.

This could be a short video about your top five Roblox games, or you could do some in-depth reviews of Roblox games that are currently trending. Better yet, you could review brand new games that nobody's quite discovered yet. Now, these new games might not always trend, but if they do, you'll be one of the first to the party. And it's still a win-win because if they don't trend, you’ll still build some good faith within the community.

The person who made that game is going to be pretty excited that somebody liked it enough to take the time to make some videos around it, and this could be a great way to make some new connections and some new friends, which is always important.

Of course, Roblox also offers a very unique opportunity around how-to videos, because if you know how to create a game in Roblox, then you could create an entire channel around that to benefit others. Just like top Roblox creator 

Once you've determined the type of content you're going to make to help get discovered, it's time to do that general YouTube research. For example, what type of thumbnails generally play well for the Roblox audience? What kind of content is getting views?

As a creator, you'll always need to be on the lookout for specific games and challenges as you look to test different types of content on your channel. This is a natural next step when trying to come up with new ideas.

Learn From (But Don’t Copy) Your Competitors

Because Roblox is a hugely popular game on YouTube, you’re going to have some competition. Step two is to determine who your competitors are and what they’re covering in the world of Roblox right now. Handily, vidIQ’s ‘

’ is a great resource for doing just that.

If you have vidIQ installed, you can find the ‘Competitor’ tool n the left-hand column of YouTube Studio. Once you've chosen your competitors, and I would recommend you choose competitors that are closer to your channel in size, you can determine how their content is doing. You can filter by content that was uploaded within a certain timeframe, and also by view count. 

 on how to get the most out of our ‘Competitor’ tool.

Double Down on the Roblox Content That’s Actually Working For You

Step three for growing your Roblox channel is going to be to double down on the content that's working and not to be afraid to move on from the content that's not. For a new channel playing something as massive as Roblox, we recommend making 80% of your videos those high-value videos - the how-tos, the reviews, the tutorials - and the other 20% spending time testing out new ideas.

Perhaps those new ideas could include a let's-play of you and your favorite Roblox game, or you could even schedule a Roblox livestream. Whatever the case may be, you should always set aside some time in your upload schedule to test out new ideas, because one of those could really take off for you.

Let's not forget another important aspect to all of this is going to be to keep your eye on the prize. Roblox is by no means a small gaming niche, 

so if you're going to be playing Roblox on your Roblox channel, it is super critical that you only play Roblox on your Roblox channel.

 But since Roblox is a game full of games, that shouldn't be too difficult.

We’d also advise that if you have a favorite Roblox game that itself has its own very large community, you can apply all the strategies we've discussed today to that one game as a way to start your channel. This would be a best-case scenario for growing a new Roblox channel if in fact, that game has enough content and a big enough community to keep you busy for a long time.

Then, eventually, as you grow, it will be possible to niche out a little bit and explore different types of Roblox games within the community. Remember, Dead Zone got so big that it eventually spun off into its own standalone game. And their community has gotten so active that they're creating mods and maps and all kinds of stuff and sharing it with one another.

Want To Get More Views on YouTube as a Gaming Channel?

If you want to take your YouTube gaming channel to the next level and 

 then make sure to download vidIQ. Join over 1 million other users and use vidIQ to help you research YouTube, analyze videos, audit your own channel, and take actionable steps to success. 

 and learn how to launch a successful YouTube Channel in just 30 days.

Roblox YouTube tips graphic with avatar wearing sunglasses and vidIQ branding.

Everyone and their dog might be playing Roblox on YouTube, but it's not too late to start your own successful channel about the game.

How to Grow Your Roblox Channel on YouTube

But before we talk about short videos of 60 seconds or less and how that could change YouTube forever, let’s do a quick test. To see if you have YouTube’s latest short-video feature, follow these steps:

Take out your phone and go to the YouTube app.

Watch any video, perhaps the first one you see.

Scroll down past the video description, comments, advertisements, and suggested videos. What do you notice?

Here at vidIQ, we’re seeing something we’ve never seen before on YouTube, and it looks something like this:

’, is YouTube’s way of testing short video on its app. Back in 2019, the platform announced the test on its support page, claiming it was “running an experiment to display vertical videos, under 30 seconds, alongside YouTube Stories on mobile.” And of course, YouTube would be “looking forward to feedback” about this new feature.

Well, we’ve had some time to test this new shelf, and yes, we do have some feedback! The feature is still new, but our early assessment is that it could drive video discovery. We’ve got tons of questions swirling around in our heads about this, such as, “

Can you get a million views if your short video appears on this shelf?

What’s the future of short video on YouTube?

Now that we’ve tested the feature, we have some answers and predictions to share. But before we do that, watch our latest video explaining YouTube’s short video shelf:’

First of all, let us explain why this new feature interests the experts at vidIQ. Typically, successful channels get most of their views from YouTube’s recommendation algorithm. This means the viewer doesn’t do any work to find new videos. Instead, YouTube is actively promoting more content to watch. As a creator, this is exactly what you want because it’s essentially free advertising.

Now, here’s where things get interesting. As we’ve always understood, having a high click-through rate and 

 on your video increases the chance of YouTube suggesting it to viewers. That’s the Playbook creators have lived by for over 15 years: make compelling, click-worthy thumbnails, and once users reach the video watch page, encourage them to stay for as long as possible.

But how do short videos factor into the equation? If YouTube is displaying those in a place where they get watched over and over again, does that translate to viral content? We don’t know the answer for sure, but already we’re seeing short videos with hundreds of thousands of views sitting on YouTube’s new shelf.

Shockingly, the channels posting these videos aren’t always large YouTube powerhouses. Some have less than 5,000 subscribers, which is interesting to say the least.

How Short Video Currently Works on YouTube

OK, let’s dive into the short video shelf itself. To quickly summarize, here’s what you can expect when it comes to short video on YouTube:

The 'Short Videos and Stories' shelf appears on Watch pages in the YouTube mobile app - usually after the first suggested video, which is prime real estate for suggested content.

Each video is vertical and 60 seconds or less in length.

The videos don’t have custom thumbnails and instead use a random freeze frame.

When you watch a short video, you're funneled into a TikTok-style play format that keeps moving onto the next video.

You can't rewind or fast forward, but you can scroll to the next video.

You can engage with short videos via comments, likes, and shares.

Any video can potentially appear on the shelf and earn a channel hundreds of thousands, if not millions of views.

Now, let’s clarify a few of these points. First of all, any video on the shelf displaying a video length is a full YouTube video, not a YouTube Story. You can tell the difference between the two by looking at the control icons. 

 will always have less buttons to tap than a full YouTube video.

So that's the first piece of good news: YouTube videos and Stories will appear on the shelf together. You don't need to be eligible to post YouTube Stories, which require tens of thousands of subscribers, to have your videos appear on the shelf.

Lastly, instead of testing videos under 30 seconds, YouTube has expanded the limit to 60 seconds.

Some Short Videos Are Getting Massive Views on YouTube

Is it true you can get millions of views on a short video? Let’s do an experiment using one of the most popular YouTubers on the planet, 

. His videos typically get 30 million views in their first week, so let's peruse the suggested videos below his content.

The first thing we noticed was an advertisement - fair enough. Then a MrBeast gaming video, which is to be expected. And then, we finally reached the short video shelf to find this:

Underneath one of MrBeast’s videos, the first short video suggestion is “

”. This video belongs to Matematike Fizike, a channel with 1.96K subscribers. And guess what? Despite this channel’s size, its short video is doing extremely well. It has more than 14,000 likes, 1,500 comments, and over a quarter of a million views, thanks to some exposure from MrBeast’s fanbase.

Now just think about that for a second. A channel with 1,900 subscribers is being suggested on MrBeast videos that get tens of millions of views. That’s an insane opportunity to grow a channel. And as we kept investigating the random short videos on YouTube’s new shelf, we started to notice some patterns:

Channel size was irrelevant. A video from a channel with one subscriber was just as likely to appear on the shelf as a video from a million-subscriber fanbase.

Videos on the shelf always ended up being the most popular video on the creator's channel.

To sum things up, we don't think previously popular videos are ending up on the shelf. I think they’re popular now simply because they’re on the shelf, which YouTube seems to populate at random.

Short Videos vs. Longer Videos on YouTube

All this information around short videos leaves us, and likely some creators, with a big question: Should YouTubers forget everything they’ve learned about the platform? Instead of making longer videos with amazing thumbnails, should they make short videos with no thumbnails to target this highly discoverable shelf and get more views? To be honest, we don’t know the answer.

On the one hand, it seems like a lucrative opportunity for creators when it comes to video competition. Up until now, it didn't matter how long your video was or what aspect ratio it was filmed in. Each video had the same chance of finding itself in the suggested videos section.

On the other hand, few creators are making content like this on YouTube. Therefore, if you wanted to, you’d have a nice shot at dominating - or at least appearing on - the short video shelf. There’s less competition because a tiny fraction of YouTube videos meet the vertical, 60-second requirement.

We thought that might change or at least even out when YouTube introduced vertical video in 2018. Heck, we made a video about it and everything:

OK, back to short videos. Imagine this for a moment: Suppose we at vidIQ made a video about how to get 

 (which we have). If we made a regular landscape video, we'd be competing against every other video on that topic - potentially millions. But what if we made our video less than 60 seconds, in vertical format? How many videos do you think we'd compete against then? Thousands, maybe even hundreds? Doesn't that sound really tempting?

Let’s dig deeper. As an example, vidIQ is currently on the Watch page of a video titled "How to Get Your First 1,000 Subscribers." And all the suggested videos are what you’d expect - more YouTube growth videos from a familiar set of creators. But consider this: Wouldn't it be fantastic if videos with similar topics appeared on the short video shelf too?

Unfortunately, this is where our confusion begins. Underneath the "How to Get Your First 1,000 Subscribers" video, we noticed some things that make the short video shelf hard to tame, predict, or understand:

The shelf has YouTube Stories about literally anything. In one pass, we saw a video about the Samsung Galaxy Note, Jeff Bezos, and babies. Nothing related to getting 1,000 subscribers.

YouTube Stories don’t make use of titles, descriptions, video tags, or other metadata to help you get discovered.

The short video shelf, at least in my case, suggests the same videos over and over again.

So, there it is: With such a spotty selection process, we’re not seeing many ways for creators to strategically get a video on the shelf.

Have you seen anything new on YouTube lately? Perhaps a brand new shelf for short videos under 60 seconds? We definitely have, so... let’s investigate!

Your In-Depth Guide to Building a Successful YouTube Channel

☀️ Welcome to the vidIQ Summer 2025 Drop!

How to Block Unwanted Ads on Your YouTube Content

Why You Don't Need to Be On Camera to Be a YouTube Sensation

How to Grow Your Roblox Channel on YouTube

Can You Get 1 Million YouTube Views By Making Short Videos?

What to do When You're Feeling Stressed as a YouTuber

YouTube Kids App: 6 Things Creators Should Know

How to Make Money as a 'Made For Kids' YouTube Channel

How This Skateboarding Channel Kickflipped its Way to 5M YouTube Subscribers

Make More Money on YouTube With Channel Memberships

How YouTube Can Unlock Back to School Success

How YouTube Can Help You Tackle Harassment and Bullying

How to Kickstart Your YouTube Channel Right Now