A Simple Explanation of How YouTube Counts Views

Posted 3 years ago by Max Komonov

At this point, you probably understand the benefits of having a YouTube channel for your online store and know how to promote your products on the platform. However, if you aren’t at that point yet, don’t worry! You can check out our other Ecwid blog post on how to sell your products on YouTube to get up to speed.

But if you’re already pretty comfortable using YouTube for your business, you might be interested in how well your efforts are doing. Naturally, the first thing that comes to mind is your view count, and you may have some questions about that. You could also be wondering how to get views for the content you worked so hard to create.

How Do YouTube Views Work?

Simply put, a view on YouTube counts if:

A user has physically clicked the play button to view the video.
The video has been played for 30 seconds or more.

That’s all there is to what counts as a view on YouTube. But because there are ways to artificially inflate the number of views, such as reloading the video repeatedly or watching the video multiple times from different IP addresses, YouTube has a few checks in place to prevent this.

For example, YouTube can detect and weed out views from automated software or scripts. The system can also tell when a video is auto-played in an embedded player on another website or blog, and it won’t count those views in the total.

In terms of how long a video has to be watched for the view to be counted, YouTube has said that a view must be significant, meaning it should last for at least 30 seconds or more. This prevents people from artificially increasing view counts by clicking on a video and immediately exiting it.

Are YouTube Views Unique?

No, because replays are part of the total view count.

Note that if you constantly reload the page to replay the video and increase the view count, YouTube considers this spamming, and the artificial views will not count.

Does Rewatching a YouTube Video Count as a View?

Yes, replaying a YouTube video counts as a view.

However, after a certain point, if the video is replayed more than four or five times in 24 hours, YouTube stops counting those views. But if you replay the video again after the 24-hour window, the view will be counted again.

Does YouTube Count Your Own Views?

Yes, it does.

YouTube counts your views since it doesn’t see you as different from any other viewer who might click on your video to watch it.

How Can I Get Views on YouTube?

Promoting your online store on YouTube is brilliant, so congratulate yourself on making that wise decision! You’ve made the first step towards taking advantage of the opportunity to get your online business in front of the 2.5 billion (and counting) YouTube viewers globally.

Now that you’ve got your account set up and you’re How to Create YouTube Video Ads for Your Business, how do you get views on YouTube? YouTube views are a valuable metric to track for your business. Now that you have some basic understanding of how YouTube counts views, you can take some simple steps to attract more viewers to your content.

The following are just a few tips on how to get views on YouTube. They’re simple, effective, and you can start working on them today.

1. Make sure your YouTube channel is well-designed

There are many ways you can get views on YouTube, but you need to start with the basics first. One of the most important is having an attractive and well-designed channel. This means using high-quality images, a catchy header, and fonts that are easy to read.

It also helps if you customize your video thumbnails. The thumbnail is what appears on your video when it’s shared on social media or displayed in a YouTube search. Like the cover of a book is the first thing people see when looking for books, it’s the first thing people see of your video when browsing.

So, make sure your thumbnail is attractive and catches people’s attention. The style and layout should be consistent across your videos so that when people see it, they know that it’s your brand. Make sure to use high-quality images and texts that are easy to read.

2. Be consistent in uploading videos

If you want to keep your viewers coming back for more, being consistent in uploading videos is an excellent way to do that. This doesn’t mean uploading a video every day, but it does mean that you should have a regular schedule and stick to it.

3. Figure out what your audience wants

If you want to get views on YouTube, you need to create content that your audience would be interested in watching. One of the best ways to figure out what your audience wants is to imagine yourself as someone in your target audience. If you were a member of your target audience, what would your interests be? What might you be looking for, and how can your online store help?

4. Share your videos on social media

Another great way to get views on YouTube is to share your videos on social media. This will help you reach a larger audience and get more people interested in your content. Make sure to post your videos on all of your social media channels, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

5. Create playlists to keep people watching

Creating playlists keeps your channel organized and makes it easier for your audience to find what they’re looking for, resulting in a pleasant navigating experience. You can group your videos based on a common theme or topic. This makes it easier for your viewers to find the content they’re interested in and keeps them engaged and watching more of your videos.

6. Engage with your community

Replying to comments, responding to questions, and creating discussions around your content helps you build relationships with your viewers. This tells your viewers that you care about what they have to say and are interested in getting to know them. This encourages them to keep watching your videos because they know that you’re interested in creating content that resonates with them.

Growing Your Online Presence

After taking in everything above, you now have a basic understanding of how YouTube counts views and how to attract viewers. Keep in mind that YouTube is constantly updating its algorithm, so it’s essential to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and best practices.

When you’re ready to start an online business of your own, Ecwid has a sustainable, open platform created so that entrepreneurs can thrive. You can set up a shop in no time at all, and it’s completely free to get started on your eCommerce journey.

Properly utilizing Youtube is a great way to grow your online presence and increase awareness of your business. Remember, as long as you produce valuable content and use some of the tips we’ve mentioned in this article, you should see a steady increase in viewership over time!

About The Author

Max has been working in the ecommerce industry for the last six years helping brands to establish and level-up content marketing and SEO. Despite that, he has experience with entrepreneurship. He is a fiction writer in his free time.