Jason Lee 유튜브 채널 분석 팁: Retention Graph / Declining CTRs Can Be Good News / Browse vs. Suggested / Returning vs. New Viewers
I spent my first year on YouTube obsessing over every single metric in my analytics dashboard.
Impressions, watch time, likes, shares—I tracked it all meticulously in a spreadsheet that grew more complex by the week.
But I was wrong.
Here's the truth. 80% of your analytics don't deserve your attention. Let's focus on the 20% that will actually move the needle for your channel.
Retention Graph
Last month I scrapped an entire video series after studying this single metric.
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The audience retention graph—specifically the "Key moments" section—is your content's report card. It shows exactly when:
- Viewers get bored (dips)
- Something captivates them (spikes)
- You're delivering consistent value (top moments)
One creator I work with noticed massive spikes whenever he used his iPad to visually present ideas. He immediately incorporated this technique into his next videos and saw his average view duration jump by 34%.
Action step: Find your most-watched video and identify the exact timestamp of its highest retention point (the spikes). What were you doing at that moment? Was it a unique presentation style or when you used great examples - replicate that exact technique or content style in your next videos.
Declining CTRs Can Be Good News
A declining CTR is not always bad news.
CTR measures how many people click your thumbnail after seeing it in their feed. It sounds simple - higher is better, right?
Not always. I've seen creators with sky-high CTRs that barely crack 1,000 views on their videos.
High CTR may mean that your video is only reaching your core audience but failing to spread wider.
When videos perform exceptionally well, CTR typically drops as they reach new audiences unfamiliar with your content, and this is actually healthy.
The pattern I've seen repeatedly:
My videos that reach 100K+ views almost always show declining CTR over time—and that's actually good news because I'm reaching new audiences.
Browse vs. Suggested
YouTube shows you exactly where your viewers come from. Here's what the main sources mean:
Browse features: This is when your video appears on the YouTube homepage or in the "Recommended" section. YouTube is suggesting your content to random viewers.
Suggested videos: This happens when your video appears in the "Up Next" section beside another video. Someone is watching content similar to yours, and YouTube recommends your video next.
To grow through Browse traffic:
- Study channels in your niche with 10x your subscriber count
- Update your thumbnail style to match current trends (bright colors, clear text, emotional faces, etc)
- Test different thumbnail styles over 5-10 videos and double down on what works
To grow through Suggested traffic:
- Find the 3-5 biggest channels in your niche
- Watch their most popular recent videos
- Create response videos or complementary content that naturally follows theirs
- Use similar keywords in your title and description
I've seen a finance creator grow from 8K to 25K subscribers in 90 days by creating "Part 2" style videos that perfectly complemented viral videos from larger creators.
Returning vs. New Viewers
Your YouTube Analytics shows two essential viewer types: returning (who've watched your videos before) and unique (first-time viewers).
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Too many creators focus solely on attracting new viewers, but this is a dangerous trap.
Why this matters: Returning viewers watch longer, comment more, and are 4x more likely to subscribe. They're your true fans.
Two specific techniques to build viewer loyalty:
- Create callback moments: Reference specific
points from previous videos. Example: "Remember last week when we
discovered that Excel shortcut? Today we're building on that with..."
- Respond to comments in your videos: Literally show comments on screen and address them. This creates a feedback loop that makes viewers feel invested in your content.
Action step: Look at your last 10 videos. If returning viewers are below 30%, implement all three loyalty techniques in your next video. If above 50%, create a "beginner's guide" video that introduces your channel's core concepts to newcomers.
Beyond Ad Revenue
Let me save you years of frustration: YouTube ad revenue alone won't pay your bills early on.
Even with a decent $5 CPM, a video with 10K views only earns you $50. Do the math – you'd need 600K monthly views just to make $3,000.
The creators thriving financially build multiple income streams:
Email list: Start capturing emails immediately. Beehiiv lets you build a newsletter with up to 2,500 subscribers completely free – I've seen creators monetize these lists at $2-5 per subscriber per month.
Digital products: Create something that solves a specific problem for your audience. One productivity creator I follow makes more from a $37 Notion template than from his YouTube ads on videos with 100K+ views.
Coaching/consulting: Even with just 1,000 subscribers, you likely know more about your topic than 95% of people. A single 1-hour coaching call at $150 can equal the ad revenue from 30,000 views.
Action step: This week, identify one skill or knowledge area from your content that could become a digital product. Create a simple landing page with a Beehiiv signup form and mention it in your next video. Even if you only capture 10 emails, you've started building your independent platform.
Remember
What's the one metric you're going to focus on this week? What are you struggling at the moment?
Hit reply and let me know—I personally read every response and might answer your question in a future issue.
Until next time,
- Jason
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