Intermediate · 30-60 minutes
YouTube Analytics Deep Dive
Read your channel analytics like a pro and turn the data into specific next videos.
Channels with 90+ days of dataGrowth-focused YouTubersChannel managers
Workflow steps
- 1Set up advanced modeOpen YouTube Studio Analytics and switch to advanced mode for full filters.Most growth signal lives in advanced mode.
- 2Find your hits and missesSort last 28 days by views per hour to spot rising videos.Views per hour beats raw views for trend detection.
- 3Analyze top retention curvesCompare retention curves across your top 5 videos.Pattern-match the hook style of high-retention winners.
- 4Identify traffic source winnersSpot which traffic sources convert best to watch time.Browse and suggested are algorithm love; search is intent.
- 5Find content gapsUse TubeBuddy or VidIQ to find rising keywords your channel is not covering.Underserved long tail beats fighting for broad keywords.
- 6Set 90 day targetsSet a single 90-day target metric: watch time, subs, or RPM.One metric beats five; pick what compounds.
Publish-ready checklist
- Advanced mode enabled
- Top 5 retention curves compared
- Views per hour tracked
- Traffic sources analyzed
- Keyword gaps identified
- 90-day target chosen
- Weekly review scheduled
Suggested output
Commit to a single format and publish 3 clips before iterating.
Recommended tools
Stack to execute this guide
YouTube Studio
Google's free all-in-one dashboard for managing, analyzing, and growing your YouTube channel.
View tool profile →