Google Creator Playbook Version 4 - Manual (Page 56)

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YouTube Analytics
3. Know What Makes Viewers Come and Go
Understanding how audiences interact with your
content can help uncover invaluable patterns, and
empower you to create more engaging content.
Videos with low audience retention rates are far less
likely to be surfaced in Search and Suggested
placements on YouTube, so create a viewing
experience that causes audiences to watch as much
of your video as possible. Do you know why
audiences watch certain videos to the end, while
abandoning others within the first few seconds?
Key Reports:
• Absolute Retention - Shows which parts of your
video people are watching and/or abandoning.
• Relative Retention - Shows audience engagement
compared to other videos of similar length.
Sample Report Uses:
• A rise in the Absolute Retention graph means
viewers are re-watching that part of the video; a dip
signifies that viewers are skipping forward or
abandoning the video altogether.
• Significant dips in Absolute Retention within the
first 5-10 seconds can indicate unmet audience
expectations. Make sure your thumbnails and titles
accurately represent the actual content.
• Use audience retention patterns to inform possible
changes to future content topics, styles, pace,
length, and/or packaging.
• Assess “Average View Through” and “Average
Viewing Time” for specific videos to identify which
content types are most likely to drive high
watchtime.