FREE YouTube Audit

If your YouTube channel isn’t growing and you need to audit your analytics to pinpoint what’s holding you back, start by examining recent trends in views, subscriber growth, and average watch time. Compare these metrics against past periods to spot any slowdowns or plateaus. Explore which video topics, titles, or formats draw in new viewers and which struggle to hold attention—if engagement or retention drops early in a video, it likely means the opening or content hook isn’t resonating enough to keep people watching.

Look at your click-through rates on thumbnails and titles, since weak first impressions often limit discovery. Review publishing frequency and timing, even if you haven’t changed them, because shifts in audience behavior or YouTube’s algorithm can suddenly affect visibility. Dive into traffic sources as well—check whether your channel is relying too much on subscribers rather than surfacing in search, suggested, or browse features, which are critical for organic growth.

A social media analytics tool like Socialinsider can make this work easier and more insightful, presenting historical data in an accessible dashboard so you can visualize long-term trends and quickly compare your results to competitors. Additionally, by benchmarking performance, you can see if your channel’s growth pattern is unique or reflects industry-wide shifts.

To audit whether your YouTube channel’s niche or content topics may be too broad, begin by reviewing your channel analytics for which topics or video series consistently drive the highest views, engagement, and subscriber growth. Look closely at how your audience retention and watch time vary between different content themes; significant drops or inconsistent results can signal that your viewers aren’t clear on what to expect or aren’t consistently finding what interests them.

Go deeper by analyzing your traffic sources and suggested video performance. If your content isn’t showing up together in YouTube’s recommendations or if there’s little overlap in audiences across different videos, it’s often a sign that the algorithm struggles to categorize your channel. Consider whether your uploads jump between unrelated topics or styles—this variety may seem positive, but it can dilute your authority and make it harder for both the algorithm and viewers to understand your core value.

Additionally, a social media analytics tool like Socialinsider can help you segment and benchmark performance data by topic, making it clear which themes build loyal viewership and which create confusion or fail to attract repeat viewers.

To audit whether irregular upload consistency is affecting your YouTube channel’s performance, begin by mapping out your publishing schedule over the past several months. Compare each period of consistent uploads with stretches where you missed your usual cadence or paused posting entirely. Look closely at trends in views, watch time, and subscriber growth before, during, and after these changes. Notice if there’s a dip in engagement or momentum each time posting frequency drops or becomes unpredictable—this pattern often reflects the algorithm favoring channels that keep viewers coming back on a reliable schedule.

To audit whether publishing YouTube Shorts might be negatively impacting your channel compared to long-form videos, start by segmenting your analytics—track Shorts and long-form content separately across views, watch time, subscriber gains, and engagement. Notice if there are abrupt changes in channel growth direction, overall watch time, or returning viewer metrics after ramping up your Shorts output. A drop in average view duration or retention on long-form videos might signal that a flood of Shorts is attracting a different audience, or diluting your core viewership’s interest in in-depth content.

Compare traffic sources for each format: if Shorts are generating most of their views from the Shorts feed but bringing minimal crossover to your main videos, they may be building an audience disconnected from your long-form content. Also, look at whether new subscribers gained from Shorts are sticking around for regular uploads, or if they largely stay disengaged. Patterns like declining performance, lower engagement rates, or reduced algorithmic placement of long-form videos after Shorts uploads are signs that your channel’s focus or algorithmic authority might be blurring.

Comparing your output with the strategies of similar successful channels lets you see if balanced approaches yield stronger, more sustainable growth. This deeper, segmented view reveals whether you should adjust your posting strategy, better connect Shorts viewers to your main library, or refine your overall channel focus so both formats drive engagement and growth without cannibalizing each other.