How to Get More Views on YouTube Shorts

Getting your YouTube Shorts noticed doesn't have to feel like a guessing game. While the algorithm can seem mysterious, its goal is simple: to keep viewers watching. This guide breaks down the simple, actionable strategies you can use to create Shorts that captivate your audience, satisfy the algorithm, and seriously boost your views.

Hook Viewers in the First Two Seconds (or Lose Them)

On the Shorts feed, attention is the only currency that matters. You have roughly two seconds to convince a viewer not to swipe away. A strong hook is non-negotiable, it’s the difference between a video that gets seen and one that’s instantly forgotten. Viewer retention is the single most important metric for Shorts, and it all starts with the first frame.

How to Craft an Unskippable Hook:

• Start with a Controversial Statement or a Question: Kick things off with a statement that makes people stop and think. For a finance channel, it might be, "You're saving for retirement all wrong." For a cooking channel, "Is this the most overrated dessert?" Questions immediately engage the viewer's brain and make them wait for the answer.
• Show the Payoff First: Don't make viewers wait for the good stuff. If you're doing a DIY project, show the incredible finished product before showing how you did it. If you're sharing a productivity hack, show the impressive result (like a perfectly organized calendar or an empty inbox) before explaining the steps. This creates a suspense loop - they've seen where it ends, but now they need to know how you got there.
• Use On-Screen Text as a Promise: Your first frame should have bold, clear text that tells the viewer exactly what they will get by watching.
  • "3 Canva Hacks You've Never Seen Before"
  • "How I Gained 10k Followers in 30 Days"
  • "The Only Cleaning Tip You'll Ever Need"
• Begin with Peak Action: Start your video in the middle of the most visually interesting moment. Instead of a slow pan over your ingredients for a recipe, start with the final, satisfying cheese pull. Instead of talking to the camera to introduce a workout, start with the most difficult part of the exercise.

Master the Art of the Seamless Loop

The YouTube Shorts algorithm loves when viewers re-watch a video. It signals high engagement and tells YouTube that your content is holding attention - so it shows your Short to more people. Creating a "perfect loop," where the end seamlessly transitions back to the beginning, is one of the most powerful ways to rack up watch time without the viewer even noticing.

A video that loops well can turn a 15-second watch into a 30- or 45-second watch, drastically increasing your average view duration and putting your Short into hyperdrive on the feed.

Techniques for the Perfect Loop:

• The "Gotcha" Loop: End your video with on-screen text like "...here's the secret," then cut immediately as the video restarts. The viewer, expecting a reveal, re-watches it to catch what they thought they missed, only to be caught in the loop again.
• The Audio Bridge: Use a continuous background track and cut the video so a distinct sound at the end perfectly matches one at the beginning. This creates an auditory loop that feels natural and encourages re-watches.
• The Repetitive Motion Loop: Film an action that is naturally cyclical. Think of someone stirring a pot, shuffling cards, or flipping an object. Trim the clip so the starting frame is almost identical to the ending frame, making the transition nearly invisible.

Ride the Wave of Trending Audio

Trending audio isn't just for viral dances. On YouTube Shorts, sounds and songs act as their own discovery engine. When a sound is popular, YouTube's algorithm is actively looking for more videos using that audio to serve up to interested viewers.

Using a trending sound is like tapping into a pre-existing conversation. Your job is to add your own unique spin to it that fits your niche.

How to Find and Use Trending Sounds:

1. Browse the Shorts Feed: The easiest way to spot a trend is to spend 15 minutes a day scrolling through your Shorts feed. When you hear the same audio two or three times within a few dozen videos, you've found a trend. Tap the sound at the bottom of the screen to see how many Shorts have been made with it.
2. Check the YouTube Audio Library: When creating a Short in the YouTube app, tap "Add sound." This will take you to the audio library, where YouTube often features popular and trending tracks right at the top.
3. Adapt, Don't Just Copy: The most successful creators don't just replicate a trend - they adapt it to their content.
   • Example: A car mechanic uses a trending "story time" audio to point out three common mistakes people make with their vehicles.
   • Example: A real estate agent uses a popular funny sound clip for a "before and after" reveal of a renovated home.
   • Example: A chef uses an upbeat, trending song for a fast-paced tutorial on making a simple dish.

By framing your content within a trending sound, you make it discoverable to a much broader audience than your subscribers alone.

Optimize Your Shorts with SEO (Yes, It Matters)

YouTube is, at its heart, a search engine. And while the Shorts feed is the primary driver of views, many Shorts also get discovered through YouTube search, suggested videos, and browse features. Having a basic SEO strategy in place ensures you're not leaving any potential views on the table.

Simple SEO for YouTube Shorts:

• Titles: Your title should be catchy, concise, and contain your primary keyword. Think about what a viewer would type into the search bar to find your content. Most importantly, always include #shorts in your title. While YouTube automatically categorizes vertical videos under a minute as Shorts, this hashtag is a strong, recognized signal that reinforces the format.
  • Good: Quickest Pasta Recipe Ever! #shorts
  • Better: 15-Minute Garlic Butter Pasta Recipe #shorts
• Descriptions: The description doesn't need to be long, but it should contain a few sentences that elaborate on the video's topic using relevant keywords. You can also add links to your website, social profiles, or related long-form videos. Think of it as providing extra context for both viewers and the algorithm.
• Tags: This is where you can cover all your bases. Use a mix of broad and specific tags that are relevant to your video. If you made a Short about building a gaming PC, your tags might include:
  • Broad Tags: #PCGaming, #Tech, #Computers
  • Specific Tags: #PCBuildGuide, #RyzenCPU, #NvidiaGPU, #GamingSetup
  • Conceptual Tags: #DIYTech, #HowToBuildaPC, #TechTips

Create a Binge-Worthy Content Experience

Getting a million views on a single Short is great, but the ultimate goal is to convert those viewers into subscribers. The best way to do that is by creating content that encourages binge-watching. When a viewer discovers one of your Shorts they love, their next action should be to watch another one... and then another.

Strategies for Encouraging a Binge-Session:

• Create a Series: Hook viewers and get them to visit your channel by creating multi-part Shorts. Label them clearly in the title or on-screen text (e.g., "Rating My Subscribers' Setups, Part 4" or "Organizing My Kitchen, Day 2: The Pantry"). This format directly incentivizes viewers to find the other parts.
• Develop a Consistent Identity: Make your Shorts instantly recognizable. This can be through a unique editing style, a consistent graphical look, a recurring character, or a signature opening line. When a user sees your Shorts on their feed, they should immediately know it's yours. This familiarity builds loyalty and encourages them to stick around.
• Niche Down: Having a clear, focused niche is your biggest advantage. If someone discovers your video on a specific dog training tip, they're highly likely to watch more videos on that same topic. If your channel is a random assortment of vlogs, comedy bits, and dog training tutorials, it's harder for the viewer to get hooked on what you offer.

Pay Attention to Your Analytics

Your YouTube Studio analytics are your free roadmap to getting more views. Don't guess what's working - look at the data. Pay close attention to these two metrics for your Shorts:

1. Viewed vs. Swiped Away

This is arguably the most important metric. Found under the "Content" tab for each individual Short, this percentage tells you exactly how effective your hook is. If a high number of people are swiping away before reaching the 2-second mark, you know your opening needs to be stronger. A successful Short often has 70% or more "Viewed" rather than "Swiped Away."

2. Audience Retention

This graph shows you the exact moment viewers lose interest. Do you see a huge drop-off at the 5-second mark? Go back and look at your video. What happened there? Was your opening too slow? Was the joke not landing? Use this information to avoid making the same mistakes in future Shorts. A strong Short will often have an average view duration over 100%, indicating that people are re-watching it.

Find your top 3-5 performing Shorts and analyze them. What was the topic? What sound did you use? What was the hook? Your past successes are the best blueprint for your future content.

Final Thoughts

Getting more views on YouTube Shorts comes down to mastering the fundamentals: a compelling hook, smart use of trends and audio, and clear optimization so your content can find its audience. Remember that consistency and paying attention to your analytics are what transform short-term wins into the foundation for real, sustainable channel growth.

Here at Postbase, we built our tool specifically for this modern, fast-paced content landscape. Managing a consistent posting schedule for Shorts right alongside your Reels and TikToks can be a lot to handle, which is why we focused on a simple, visual calendar that strips out the complexity. Having the ability to plan, schedule, and see our entire multi-platform strategy in one place means we spend way more time creating good content and way less time fighting with our tools. Plan your Shorts and all your other social posts with Postbase.