You get more YouTube views for free when YouTube shows your video to more people, and it does that when people click on your video and keep watching. So more views start with your title, your thumbnail and the first minute of your video. Below you’ll find how to work out why a video gets few views, what to do about it, and why sites offering free views won’t help you.
The short answer
- Views come from three places: search, recommendations (the home page and suggested videos) and links from outside YouTube.
- For search traffic, make videos about what people look up. For recommendations, you need a thumbnail people click on and a video they keep watching.
- Sites offering free YouTube views use bots or view exchanges. YouTube filters those views and often takes them off the count again.
- Buying views raises the number, but doesn’t bring you viewers who comment or come back.
Why is your video getting few views?
Open the analytics of a video in YouTube Studio and look at these three figures:
- Impressions: how often your thumbnail was shown to people. If there are few, hardly anyone is searching for your topic, or YouTube doesn’t know yet who to show your video to.
- Click-through rate: the share of those people who clicked on it. If it is low compared with your other videos, the title or thumbnail is the problem.
- Average view duration: how long people kept watching. If a large share leaves in the first 30 seconds, the start of your video doesn’t match what the title promises.
The analytics also show the traffic sources your views come from. That tells you whether your video is found mainly through search or through recommendations, and so where you have the most to gain.
Why sites with free YouTube views don’t help you
Sites and apps that promise free YouTube views usually run on view exchanges (you watch other people’s videos, they watch yours) or on bots. Viewers like that stay for a few seconds, don’t react and have no interest in your topic. YouTube checks views and removes the ones it doesn’t trust from the count. And never log in to a site like that with your Google account: that gives a stranger access to your channel.
10 tips for more free YouTube views
1. Make videos about what people search for
Type your topic into the YouTube search bar and see which suggestions appear. A video that answers a specific question, such as “fix a bike puncture without tyre levers”, often keeps getting views for years, because people keep searching for it. YouTube videos also show up in Google, so a clear title helps in two places.
2. Write a title people want to click
Put the topic at the front, make clear what the viewer gets, and keep the title short enough to read in full on a phone. Don’t promise anything the video doesn’t deliver: people will click, but they’ll leave again quickly.
3. Make a thumbnail that stands out on a phone
Choose one clear image, strong contrast and three or four words at most that add to the title rather than repeat it. Make it 1280 x 720 pixels and look at it at stamp size next to other videos on your topic. If your channel has access to advanced features, you can test up to three thumbnails or titles against each other in YouTube Studio.
4. Hook viewers in the first 30 seconds
Start with the result or the question, not with “hi everyone” and an intro. Show straight away that the title is true, and save the explanation about yourself for later. A video that holds people for longer gets shown more often.
5. Keep viewers watching
Use end screens and cards that point to your next video, and put videos on the same topic in a playlist. Someone who watches three videos in a row gives you three views instead of one.
6. Use Shorts as a teaser
Turn the best moment of a long video into a Short and link it to the long video. That way you reach people who don’t know your channel yet, and they can click straight through to the whole video.
7. Upload when your viewers are online
Under Audience in YouTube Studio’s analytics you can see on which days and at what times your viewers are on YouTube, once your channel has enough data for it. Publish your video a few hours before that peak, so your regular viewers see it quickly.
8. Share your video outside YouTube
Put the link in your newsletter, on your website and in groups where your topic fits (read the rules on self-promotion first). Post a short clip on TikTok or Instagram that points to the full video.
9. Team up with other creators
A video made together with a channel on the same topic puts you in front of viewers who are already interested. Pick someone whose audience resembles yours. Otherwise the new viewers click away quickly, and that does little for you.
10. Give old videos a second chance
If an older video gets lots of impressions but few clicks, try a new title or thumbnail. Add chapters and subtitles, and link from new videos to older ones that are still accurate. How to turn viewers into subscribers is covered in free YouTube likes and subscribers.
What about buying YouTube views?
You can, and it isn’t against the law for your own channel. But be aware of what you get:
- Your view count goes up, and a video with more views looks more interesting to new viewers.
- Our standard views come from real-looking, high-quality profiles. They are not active viewers who comment, like or subscribe.
- If you are after viewers from the Netherlands, we also have Dutch YouTube views: these come from 100% real and active Dutch profiles.
- Nobody can promise you more reach. YouTube decides for itself which videos it recommends.
- YouTube doesn’t allow buying in its terms and can remove part of the views again. Whatever drops off within 90 days, we refill free of charge.
- We never need your password, only the link to your video.
We have delivered over 6.4 million YouTube views so far. Using YouTube for a business or as an influencer? Then read whether buying likes is legal first: stricter rules apply to commercial use.
Frequently asked questions about more YouTube views
Can you get free YouTube views and likes without installing anything?
Yes, and it is the only way that works: every view that comes in through search or recommendations is free. You get those with videos about what people search for, a title and thumbnail they click on, and a start that holds them. Likes follow when viewers feel the video was worth their time. Apps and sites offering free views only deliver short views that YouTube often removes again.
How does YouTube count a view?
YouTube doesn’t say exactly when a view counts, but it does check views and removes the ones it doesn’t trust. For Shorts, at the time of writing, YouTube counts every time a Short starts playing or replays (since 31 March 2025). The old, stricter figure is now called engaged views and remains the basis for the YouTube Partner Program.
Why are my views stuck or going down?
The count can update a little later while YouTube checks the views, and views that YouTube doesn’t see as real watching are removed again. If a video stalls, look at impressions and click-through rate: often YouTube is simply showing it to fewer people.
How much do you earn from 1,000 YouTube views?
That varies enormously by topic, by your viewers’ country and by type of video, and you only earn anything once your channel is in the YouTube Partner Program. With Shorts it is usually much less than with long videos. There is a worked example in how to make money with YouTube.
Can I get more views with ads?
Yes. Through Google Ads you can show your video as an ad to an audience you choose yourself. You pay per view or click, but these are people who actually get to see your video. Start with a small budget and a video that already does well without ads.
Need help with your order?
Mazie and Jane from our customer service team help you through the live chat (Monday to Friday 9:00 to 20:00, Saturday 9:00 to 16:00) or by email at support@likes-kopen.nl. We usually reply within an hour, in Dutch, English, German or French. Meet our team.
