How to Get More Views on YouTube Using vidIQ: A Practical Tutorial

Growing a YouTube channel takes more than uploading videos and hoping for the best. One of the smartest moves a creator can make is using a dedicated keyword and analytics tool to find out what people are actually searching for. That is exactly what vidIQ (vidIQ.com) aims to help with. This tutorial walks through how you can connect the tool to your channel, discover high-demand keywords, spy on competitor strategies, and turn those insights into videos that attract more views.

What Is vidIQ and Why Does It Matter?

vidIQ is a YouTube growth platform that gives creators visibility into search trends, keyword demand, and channel performance. Instead of guessing which topics might perform well, you get data-backed suggestions right from your dashboard. The service offers both a web dashboard and a browser extension, though you can get started simply by signing up at vidIQ.com and linking your YouTube channel.

Once your channel is connected, the dashboard opens up a range of features designed to help you make smarter content decisions: tracking your channel’s health, spotting keyword opportunities, comparing yourself to competitors, and finding the search terms that are already bringing visitors to your videos.

Getting Started: Connect Your Channel to the Dashboard

The first step is straightforward. Head over to vidIQ.com, create an account, and sign in. From there, link your YouTube channel so the tool can pull in your data. After the connection is live, you will land in the dashboard where you can see an overview of your channel’s status at a glance. This central hub is where most of the day-to-day growth work begins.

From the top menu, you can navigate to different areas such as the keyword explorer, daily ideas, and competitive analysis. Each section serves a specific purpose in the broader goal of getting more eyes on your content.

Use Daily Ideas to Find Video Topics That Rank Well

One of the handiest features for creators who struggle with the blank-page problem is the Daily Ideas section. Found under the top menu, this tool serves up topic suggestions that are already ranked by their potential. Each idea comes with a ranking indicator such as “very high,” “high,” or “medium,” which tells you roughly how many people are searching for that topic.

Here is how to make the most of it:

Look for ideas marked “very high” or “high” — these are the ones with strong search volume.
Save any idea you want to come back to, so you can build it into your content calendar later.
If an idea does not feel like a fit for your channel, request another one. The tool can generate fresh suggestions on demand.

The goal is simple: instead of starting from zero, you begin with topics that already have an audience. That alone can give your videos a much stronger foundation.

Keyword Search: The Core of the Strategy

The keyword search tool is where vidIQ really earns its keep. This is the feature most creators will use on a regular basis, because it directly answers the question: “Should I make a video about this topic?”

Here is the basic workflow:

Type a keyword or phrase into the search bar.
Press enter and wait for the score to appear.
Read the results to understand search volume and competition.

The score tells the story. A low score usually means one of two things: either the search volume is low (not many people are looking for that term) or the competition is very high (too many existing videos are already targeting it). Neither scenario is ideal if your goal is to get discovered.

What you want instead is a keyword with low competition and high search volume. That combination is the sweet spot — an audience that is actively searching, and fewer competing videos standing in your way. In the tutorial video, a keyword with a score of 76 is highlighted as a strong example: a score like that signals a topic likely to bring in visitors if you build a video around it.

Dig Deeper Into Related Keywords

Once you land on a promising keyword, do not stop there. vidIQ also surfaces related keywords, and those can be even more valuable. A related term might have an even higher rank than the original search, with lower competition to boot. Clicking through to explore those related terms can reveal a goldmine of additional video ideas that you would have missed otherwise.

This is the kind of depth that turns a single keyword search into a whole content pipeline. Instead of one video idea, you might walk away with half a dozen tightly related angles — each one targeting an audience that is already looking for what you plan to make.

Spy on Competitors to See What Works for Them

Another powerful angle is competitive comparison. vidIQ lets you compare your channel against competitors so you can see where they are outperforming you and where the gaps are. This is not about copying — it is about understanding which topics, keywords, and strategies are driving results for similar channels, then adapting those lessons to your own content.

Competitor analysis can reveal patterns you would not spot on your own: which videos are getting the most traction, what kinds of titles and topics resonate with the same audience you are trying to reach, and where there are openings for you to step in with a fresh take.

Answer Questions Your Audience Is Already Asking

One more tactic mentioned in the tutorial is using vidIQ to find questions that people are asking, then answering those questions directly in your videos. When you address a real search query with a focused, useful video, you increase the odds that your content will show up when that query is typed into YouTube.

This approach works particularly well for tutorial-style channels, product reviews, how-to content, and any niche where viewers come to YouTube looking for answers rather than just entertainment.

See Which Search Terms Already Bring You Visitors

The top search terms feature shows you the actual queries that are sending people to your channel right now. That kind of feedback loop is invaluable. It tells you what is already working so you can double down on those topics, refine your titles and tags accordingly, and look for similar angles that you have not covered yet.

Tracking your top search terms over time also helps you spot trends — subjects that are rising in interest, seasonal spikes, or topics that have faded and might deserve a refresh.

Putting It All Together: A Simple Workflow

If you are wondering how to fit all of this into a normal content routine, here is a practical sequence you can follow:

Check your Daily Ideas for quick topic inspiration ranked by search potential.
Run a keyword search on any topic you are considering and look for low competition paired with solid search volume.
Explore related keywords to find even better angles or follow-up videos.
Review the questions people are asking around that topic and plan to answer them.
Look at competitor channels to see if there is a gap you can fill or a format you can improve on.
Publish with a title and description that reflect the keyword you validated.
Later, check your top search terms to see whether the video is picking up the traffic you expected, and learn from the result.

This is not a one-time setup. The value comes from making keyword research a regular habit, so every video you plan starts with data instead of guesswork.

Why Data-Driven Topic Selection Changes the Game

The underlying message of the vidIQ approach is that YouTube rewards relevance. When you make a video that aligns with what people are already searching for, you are not fighting the platform — you are working with it. You are meeting demand instead of trying to manufacture it from scratch.

That does not mean every video has to chase trending keywords. Personality, storytelling, and quality still matter. But pairing those strengths with smart keyword choices gives your channel a much better shot at being discovered by the people who would enjoy your content anyway.

If you want to try vidIQ yourself, you can sign up at vidIQ.com and connect your channel to explore the dashboard, the keyword tools, and the daily idea generator. There is a lot to dig into, and the best way to understand how it fits your channel is to spend some time clicking around and testing searches related to your own niche.

Getting more views on YouTube is never guaranteed, but tools like vidIQ give you a clearer map of where the audience already is — and that is a much better place to start than flying blind.

Source video: How to Get More Views on Youtube – vidIQ Tutorial