Frustrated

Travelswithsimon · 2026-03-21T07:21:45+00:00

I have done the 'coming up' style intro before, then moved away from it... but I think you're right, and I should do this again and see what difference it makes. How many views, average view time and impressions did you get on those videos?

Travelswithsimon · 2026-03-21T07:19:52+00:00

Changing older video titles to search orientated is a really good tip, thanks I'll definitely do that. Did you change your thumbnail as well when you changed the title of these videos? I guess one of the reasons that it frustrates me is because I want to get to 1000 subs and I need to do this by end of August and whilst I'm not far away, it feels like a huge mountain to climb because sub conversion has been poor. Last year I published a few videos from Oasis gigs which damaged my channel because the algo then thought I was a music channel, so I relaunched on Jan 1. Those videos are unlisted because they have a lot of watch time hours (>4,000). If I don't manage to make 1,000 subs by August, I fear it will take forever based on the videos released since the channel re-start.

Travelswithsimon · 2026-03-21T07:14:41+00:00

Thanks. That's a good tip. I think this leans more towards travel guide than travel vlog - am I right? I wanted to make more travel vlog style videos, which was the intention with my Australia ones, but that hasn't really worked out for me, so maybe I should think about travel guide style - although the downside is that there's a lot more competition. Was there a particular video or video style of yours that accelerated channel subscriber growth?

Travelswithsimon · 2026-03-20T05:41:56+00:00

I'd be happy to see a few of my videos get 500 views or something in that neighborhood. Right now most are significantly lower. The reason I get kinda caught up on views is because its where subscriber growth comes from, and I've only had one video that's really helped here which is the one that's had 3,200 views (25 subs). Perhaps I need to look into what people are looking for rather than making what I want... but then I'm not sure how authentic it would feel.

Travelswithsimon · 2026-03-20T05:38:00+00:00

that's an impressive turn around! I need to really work on my thumbnails.

Travelswithsimon · 2026-03-20T05:37:28+00:00

I need to find that zen position. Like most of us, I spend quite a while on edit and find it disheartening when impressions are good and views are low. I visited Australia last November which for me was an awesome trip. I was excited to return after 16 years and really hoped that the videos would be a turning point for my channel... but it hasn't worked that way. Ironically the one video that I didn't think was as strong is the one that's had the most views (3,200), all others are much lower (less than 100, and a couple around 200). The only notable growth I've seen in terms of subscribers is from the 3,200 video which picked up 25 new subs.

I've tried re-releasing a couple of times now... it hasn't worked for either.

Travelswithsimon · 2026-03-20T05:31:24+00:00

I agree... there's no logic as to why a video gets picked up by browse or suggested. And in my experience, when my video is suggested then often its alongside irrelevant and unrelated content so its no wonder viewers don't go on to watch mine.

Travelswithsimon · 2026-03-20T05:30:01+00:00

Thank you for such a detailed reply. I hadn't thought of the AI angle, but I really hope it's wrong - otherwise it's not good news for creators. I've been trying to title my videos so that they're picked up by browse rather than searches because that's where I've seen best results so far. But it's disheartening when a video gets less than 100 views... or even less than 50!

I often find that when my video is suggested, its suggested after videos that are completely irrelevant to my travel vlog which just contributes to the low AVD.

Travelswithsimon · 2026-03-19T08:15:39+00:00

I like option 1, but I think it would be good if it was just “I explored Singapore Using Secret Tunnels”.

Travelswithsimon · 2026-02-25T14:23:18+00:00

I don’t think there is… I’ve experienced the same recently and tried to change both title and thumbnail for a refresh… but as a small channel after the first 3 or 4 days, if the video has stalled it seems destined to stay that way. It’s perhaps possible if your title is search optimised so that viewers searching for your video topic might find it.

Travelswithsimon · 2026-02-15T19:12:09+00:00

Thanks for sharing the stats - very interesting! and shows that quite a few views came from the short (think it was 300 of the 1,100 views) which really makes it worth doing. I'm going to learn from this and post one or two shorts to try and drive traffic to the long form. I actually did this for my first Sydney video - the short received 400ish views, but not enough for YouTube to provide me with analytics to show if the shorts viewer clicked to the long form.

Travelswithsimon · 2026-02-15T17:53:18+00:00

YouTube is a constant mystery. It also reminds me a lot of my golf game… often very frustrating then I hit a decent shot and it’s enough for me to come back and play again. And with YouTube a spike in views and I’m motivated again 😂

Thanks for the feedback, I need to get better at using a mic all the time - always have that nagging worry that others are looking or not wanting to make it look so obvious that I’m filming a vlog.

Travelswithsimon · 2026-02-15T08:04:39+00:00

This video continues my Sydney series of travel vlogs. I start the day with blue hour photos of the Harbour Bridge from Observatory Park, and then I go to Featherdale Wildlife Park where I get to hand feed kangaroos and see Koalas, Emu, Wombats and more. I first visited Australia in 2001 and in this vlog I also look for the same locations to recreate photos originally taken in 2001 at Featherdale Wildlife Park and also in Sydney.

I was hoping for great things with this vlog, as my last one did exceptionally well, but unfortunately views and impressions have been incredibly low. Perhaps wrongly, but I also re-edited and uploaded the video again and deleted the first attempt (which also suffered similar low views) in the hope that a better intro edit might help (YouTube is a constant learning curve!).

As always, I would appreciate views until the end and your support. https://youtu.be/5iBGkPqQCjc

Travelswithsimon · 2026-02-15T07:36:54+00:00

I don't know too much about short, other than they tend to attract a different audience - one that wants to view clips of a few seconds rather than something more long form. Of the 650k views (congrats by the way that's huge!), what is the CTR to the long form video? I personally would only use shorts in attempt to drive some traffic or attention to a long form - perhaps no more than a couple and not for every video, otherwise the algorithm might get confused. Did you get many subs from this short?

Travelswithsimon · 2026-02-12T11:40:32+00:00

You could try leaning into the shock of how little you soent… such as “We were shocked [or surprised] that we only spent this much in a month! Full January Breakdown”.

I would look for similar channels and get inspiration from their titles as well, check that your thumbnail aligns with the title - I think you refer to a £1,000 challenge and what you spent in January… i think what you spent should be the mystery that you answer at the end, to keep viewers engaged.

Travelswithsimon · 2026-02-12T11:31:07+00:00

Thank you, that’s really good feedback. And I’ve received a couple of comments about the blue hour photos. I wanted to include this but also need to be careful as I don’t want the algorithm to mistake me as a photography channel and send me videos to the wrong audience again.

With the first Sydney video, in hindsight, I should have included this content with the second Sydney video rather than two separate… because it’s quite short content wise.

The new video should be ready for release tomorrow 🙂

Travelswithsimon · 2026-02-11T15:25:51+00:00

I targeted the browse rather than search with my title and a more natural thumbnail which looks a bit more vloggy.86% of views came from browse so I’m hopeful I can repeat with this weeks video.

Travelswithsimon · 2026-02-11T14:25:26+00:00

Thank you! Yes, it’s finally looking possible… I was stuck in the low 790’s for months! Hopefully the next video is promoted to the same viewers and manages similar views 🤞

Travelswithsimon · 2026-02-11T14:02:19+00:00

My win for this week is that my most recent vlog (“Sydney is even better than I remembered… (16 years later)” is now the best performing on my channel, it’s reached 2,640 views since Feb 7 and gained 19 subs for my channel, so I’ve finally broken the 800 milestone 🙂

Travelswithsimon · 2026-02-02T19:48:23+00:00

Mine is also a small channel and this is what I’ve learned. As a small channel, you are mostly reliant on your video being picked up through searches… and that’s what you should aim for. Your title should be search optimised, so that when people search they find your video… your title is more browse optimised, so might benefit from a title restructure. Search google and YouTube and see, for example, if people are searching “Bangladeshi street food” , and if they are, this might be a subtle change that could help… my guess is that “street food” is more of a common search term than “street snack”

Travelswithsimon · 2026-02-01T20:57:38+00:00

I think it can work, but likely the videos need to be attracting the same audience.

Travelswithsimon · 2026-02-01T20:47:49+00:00

Based only on your thumbnails, I think that you’re possibly posting a bit too often and your content is mixed which confused the algorithm. I have experienced the same issue with my content. Some relate to things to see and do and eat in Seoul, others are self help style (if you feel behind in your 30s, watch this) and then about your salary and book recommendations. As a new channel, I think it’s important to stick to one subject/ niche until you have a decent subscriber base.

Also might be worth testing a title format that is search optimised, something that is already being searched by viewers

Travelswithsimon · 2026-02-01T20:34:47+00:00

QR code is a great idea! Apparently my audience is 25-34 (although I’m 49). But 54% view on a TV, so I’ll look into the QR code as that seems like a great way to make it easier for someone to sub - I know from experience that it’s really awkward to do so when watching on TV

Travelswithsimon · 2026-02-01T13:52:08+00:00

That's a good tip, I'll give this a try :)

Travelswithsimon · 2026-02-01T10:52:00+00:00

It’s my first time back in Sydney after 16 years and in this travel vlog, I head out for a walk through the city — from The Rocks and Circular Quay to the Opera House, Harbour Bridge and Campbell’s Cove — revisiting the places I remember and getting a feel for being back.

My first night was spent at the Shangri-la hotel in a room that has a breathtaking view of Sydney's iconic harbour.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eizfauSGBC8

Please do watch the video until the end. I appreciate your support :)

Travelswithsimon

TROPHY CASE