YouTube Help Average view duration/retention rate, which one is more important?

[zhugelianges]

Average view duration/retention rate, which one is more important?

Say, for example, a 30-minutes video with 33% retention rate (10 minutes in total) and a 10-minutes video with 70% retention rate (7 minutes in total)

Which one will rank higher and get algorithm favor?

Thanks guys!

 

[Stanley | Team TB]

Man this is a fantastic question, and very well laid out. I am afraid it is a difficult one to answer. YouTube values watch time... so inherently you are going to think that it is the 30 minute video with the 33% AVD that wins out. It gained 10 minutes of watch time on average versus the shorter video's 7 minutes.

What complicates things is that the shorter video is likely showing more end screens and suggested videos. If more viewers are seeing the end screens of the shorter video and then moving on and watching other videos as a result then it is garnering more Studio watch time. This is the time that someone spends watching videos in YouTube as a result of a video and although it is not something that we are shown analytics for it definitely is something that comes into play when YouTube is considering sharing a video out.

So while your 10 minutes of AVD by the longer video is a good number and likely to push that video, you can make a 10 minute video more successful by focusing on keeping your viewers until the end screens and utilizing the view machine (end screen elements, pinned comments, cards and video links in the description).

 

[zhugelianges]

Man this is a fantastic question, and very well laid out. I am afraid it is a difficult one to answer. YouTube values watch time... so inherently you are going to think that it is the 30 minute video with the 33% AVD that wins out. It gained 10 minutes of watch time on average versus the shorter video's 7 minutes.

What complicates things is that the shorter video is likely showing more end screens and suggested videos. If more viewers are seeing the end screens of the shorter video and then moving on and watching other videos as a result then it is garnering more Studio watch time. This is the time that someone spends watching videos in YouTube as a result of a video and although it is not something that we are shown analytics for it definitely is something that comes into play when YouTube is considering sharing a video out.

So while your 10 minutes of AVD by the longer video is a good number and likely to push that video, you can make a 10 minute video more successful by focusing on keeping your viewers until the end screens and utilizing the view machine (end screen elements, pinned comments, cards and video links in the description).

Thanks, now I know more about the algorithm!

Really appreciate that, bro!

 

[KS Moto Cafe]

I would say 70% of 10min video has more value since most likely it indicates that viewers were interested watching majority of the video and more likely to come ba to watch similar videos from the channel. The 30min with less % retention is still pulling longer view minutes but I don't think it is as effective to bring returning viewers.

With that said, my way of judging a success of a video is as long as my view hrs of the video is greater than my hrs put in to making the video, I consider it a success. For example, if I put in 15hrs of production/editing and the video receives 15+ hrs of viewing after few days or weeks, I consider it a success.

 

[Technical Hardik]

I am loving this... please keep us updated. I want to see how this goes