YouTube Question How much does a good thumbnail affect a video's performance?

[AlgoMarbler]

Theoretically, the view difference between a 5% click-through rate video and a 10% click-through rate video (assuming same everything else) should be double, but that's not the case. How much is the ratio, or what does the YouTube algorithm define it as?
sorry for bad english

 

[jawadsoomro]

For example, user searches on youtube 'How to be Happy'
There will be 1000s of results:
1. How to be Happy all the time?
2. How to be Happy in life in Urdu/Hindi
3. How to be happy 24/7
4. 8 Scientific tricks to become perfectly Happy
5. How to always be Happy and Blissful

The titles are first thing users notice. Now the second thing they notice is the thumbnail.
I am sure you made a catchy title, but if your thumbnail isn't graphically accurate to what users are looking for, then they won't click on your video. As a result, your video will rank down.
As user scrolls down, they are leaving bunch of videos behind. When they click on the video, that video ranks up. This is how YouTube algorithm works. Telling this after watching 1000s of videos from successful youtubers.

 

[AlgoMarbler]

For example, user searches on youtube 'How to be Happy'
There will be 1000s of results:
1. How to be Happy all the time?
2. How to be Happy in life in Urdu/Hindi
3. How to be happy 24/7
4. 8 Scientific tricks to become perfectly Happy
5. How to always be Happy and Blissful

The titles are first thing users notice. Now the second thing they notice is the thumbnail.
I am sure you made a catchy title, but if your thumbnail isn't graphically accurate to what users are looking for, then they won't click on your video. As a result, your video will rank down.
As user scrolls down, they are leaving bunch of videos behind. When they click on the video, that video ranks up. This is how YouTube algorithm works. Telling this after watching 1000s of videos from successful youtubers.

Alright, thanks!
I assume it will have a big impact on the impressions then.

 

[on a dark night]

I've toyed around with my thumbnails and it's not as easy as it looks .
I've had close to 200 views at time of writing on one of my true horror story vids in a short space of time and for my channel this is decent going off my average views.
Although I cannot be 100% sure I think the thumbnail has been very helpful in this case as it's one of my more enticing ones.
As as been noted a attention grabbing title is a catalyst too but I do believe the following thumbnail is then incredibly important should somebody click on your page .
I thought my thumbnails were decent until I looked once again at others people with similar subject channels have done so it's a learning curve .

 

[HealthyTiffany]

How much is the ratio, or what does the YouTube algorithm define it as

To answer your question directly, YouTube defines the ratio as impressions of the video in comparison to people that actually click it.

To add on to what's already been said, impressions are what Jawad mentioned, but also videos that pop up on a person's YouTube homepage count as an impression, and suggested videos on the end-screen count as impressions. So, if your videos are clicked 5% of the time in comparison to similar videos, your CTR is 5%.

To answer the question in the title of this post, a good thumbnail definitely affects a video's performance because that will lead to a higher CTR based on the impressions mentioned above. Hope that helps.

 

[Lindam]

I have a number of videos that do not perform well. When you talk about changing the thumbnail is it a good policy to change the title and re optimise the video.as well.

 

[Xavier De Buck]

I have a number of videos that do not perform well. When you talk about changing the thumbnail is it a good policy to change the title and re optimise the video.as well.

We all know Mr Beast - I read somewhere that he spends $10,000 on finding the right thumbnail. If that doesn't tell the importance of it...

IMO - I would start off by focusing on the content that your audience has already rewarded you with (views-wise), and A/B TEST different thumbnails there first.... who knows, those videos might do even better once you've updated the thumbnails! After which, you can adjust the titles and do A/B TESTS between different titles...

I've been playing doing exactly that and it's amazing to see the feedback from TubeBuddy....

Here under ONE TITLE vs ANOTHER... and the variation (new title) is doing 25% better in the tests!?

And here is the test of one THUMBNAIL vs another... here I thought my original pic was great...yet it was beaten by 35% by the test thumbnail! Tell me again that these A/B TESTS aren't worth their weight in gold! AND that everyone should be doing pic vs pic and title vs title.

 

[Lindam]

Thank you Xavier, that’s so interesting. I never bothered upgrading TubeBuddy from Pro, as I felt it wasn’t worth it. However, after hearing your results, it’s definitely worth a rethink. Linda

 

[Xavier De Buck]

Thank you Xavier, that’s so interesting. I never bothered upgrading TubeBuddy from Pro, as I felt it wasn’t worth it. However, after hearing your results, it’s definitely worth a rethink. Linda

Just go month-to-month until you see its true potential. I went straight for the higher packages as I CANNOT believe what a value that A/B TEST alone is...(you've heard me mention that one 'ad nauseam' in comments as I can't get over it)

 

[Aialaden]

I think a good thumbnail can get new viewers to click on the video! Doesn't necessarily mean the video performance will do better. You could have a great thumbnail and a bad video. You will get clicks, but over time, the views will decline because of performance.

I guess the point is this; a good thumbnail helps performance of a good video. And at the end of the day a good video will outperform a bad video. The thumbnail helps a good video get recommended more often and faster than other good videos with worse thumbnails.

Good thumbnails help a video gain the initial testing data faster; which tells youtube if the video is worth pushing. A bad video with a good thumbnail will go in the trash can faster than a bad video with a bad thumbnail.

Then on the flipside a good video with a bad thumbnail could take a while to go off. But a good video and good thumbnail is the ticket to fast growth.

 

[Xavier De Buck]

I think a good thumbnail can get new viewers to click on the video! Doesn't necessarily mean the video performance will do better. You could have a great thumbnail and a bad video. You will get clicks, but over time, the views will decline because of performance.

I guess the point is this; a good thumbnail helps performance of a good video. And at the end of the day a good video will outperform a bad video. The thumbnail helps a good video get recommended more often and faster than other good videos with worse thumbnails.

Good thumbnails help a video gain the initial testing data faster; which tells youtube if the video is worth pushing. A bad video with a good thumbnail will go in the trash can faster than a bad video with a bad thumbnail.

Then on the flipside a good video with a bad thumbnail could take a while to go off. But a good video and good thumbnail is the ticket to fast growth.

100% - but you don't know what you don't know, which was my point above.

Who says that 'perfect thumbnail' you put together is any good? Just because your newest video is taking off as it's offering great value to your audience - per your point - doesn't mean the thumbnail is therefore the cause. Why not test new thumbnail variations and see if that great video of yours can do even better, just by adjusting the thumbnail to a different version?

 

[Aialaden]

100% - but you don't know what you don't know, which was my point above.

Who says that 'perfect thumbnail' you put together is any good? Just because your newest video is taking off as it's offering great value to your audience - per your point - doesn't mean the thumbnail is therefore the cause. Why not test new thumbnail variations and see if that great video of yours can do even better, just by adjusting the thumbnail to a different version?

We seem to be on the same page. The point I was conveying is that a thumbnail won't affect video performance. But a thumbnail can lead someone new to click on a video.

Maybe I was a bit vague. But I see "performance" as what happens after they click to watch. I don't think a good thumbnail will keep anybody clicking off a bad video after they get there.