Does Changing YouTube Title Affect Views?
Nov 21, 2020Have you ever wondered- does changing the title of a YouTube video affect views? After all, sometimes we rush the process of titling our YouTube videos. Is it better to leave the title of a video as it was? Or, can changing the title of a video help it rank higher in the search results and get more views?
Changing YouTube titles can affect views in positive and negative ways. If a video was poorly optimized initially, re-optimizing the video and changing the title can help it rank higher in the search results and get more views. Along with this, however, changing video titles can also cause videos to get fewer views.
Modifying the title of a YouTube video can be a great way to help the video get more views. With this said, it's important to identify which videos should and shouldn't have their titles changed. By changing the title of a video, you can cause the video to lose its rankings in the search results, leading to fewer views. Don't change titles at random- it could cost you!
Can Changing a YouTube Video Title Lead to More Views
Can changing the title of a YouTube video lead to more views? Well, as I touched on above, yes! By re-optimizing the title of a video by using better keywords, for example, you can help the video rank higher in the search results. This will help the video gain more organic views over time.
As I just mentioned, the key when changing a YouTube title is to make sure the title is optimized using good keywords. When you include good keywords in the titles of your videos, you position your videos to gain more organic views. You should not change a video title if it is not your intention to include good keywords.
Some large channels change video titles if they do not perform well after being published. For small channels, however, this is not something that should be done. As a small channel, you will not be able to determine how a video is going to perform within the first hour after being published.
Keep in mind that judging the results of a title change will take time. After changing the title of a video, it will not automatically begin to get views. Results must be judged over weeks or months depending on the size of your channel. Remember, the objective when changing the title of a video is to position it to gain more organic views over time.
When Should You Change the Title of a YouTube Video
So, when should you change the title of a YouTube video? The title of a video should be changed when it is poorly optimized. Meaning, when poor keywords are used in the title that causes the video to rank low in the search results. At the end of the day, if a video is ranking low in the search results, it will struggle to get views.
If you published a video and it performed poorly, it can be a good idea to modify the video title. Again, you must not change the title of a video too quickly. It is recommended that you wait for at least a week before changing video titles. You don't want to change the title of a video when it shouldn't be changed.
Something important to remember is that thumbnails also play a huge role in the number of views a video gets. So, before changing your video titles, it is a good idea to evaluate your thumbnails as well. Even if your video ranks high in the search results after the title is changed, low clicks due to a poor thumbnail will lead to low views.
In certain circumstances, it can be better not to adjust the title of a video. For example, if a video is getting 20 views every single day, changing the title might cause the video to stop getting any views. Small channels should not adjust titles of videos that get views daily, as this could slow future audience and channel growth.
When Shouldn't You Change the Title of a YouTube Video
Knowing when you should change the title of a YouTube video is important. However, knowing when you shouldn't change the title of a video is equally as important. Changing the title of a video at the wrong time can result in serious consequences regarding how the video performs. But when is the wrong time to change the title of a video?
You should never change the title of a YouTube video when it is gaining a significant number of views daily. Doing so can cause the video to lose its rankings in the search results and get promoted less often by YouTube, leading to a decrease in views. Videos that are performing well should always be left alone.
When a video is getting a few views daily, this is when the title can be changed. Often, poorly optimized videos struggle to gain views, so the new title of a video must always be properly optimized using good keywords. Changing the title of a video but not improving the selected keywords will not result in more views for the video.
Something important to recognize is that not every video that you change the title of will end up getting more views. Some videos simply do not perform well enough to benefit from a title change. With this said, it never hurts to change the titles of poor performing YouTube videos, as you never know when a video will take off.
Conclusion
One of the best ways to help a video perform better is to change its title. By changing the titles of videos, you can help them rank higher in the search results and get more views. Just remember, not every video should have its title changed. When a video is getting views daily, changing its title can cause it to lose momentum.