What Is a Good Swipe Away Rate on YouTube Shorts
Most YouTube Shorts creators focus on views and likes, but ignore the swipe away rate. The swipe away rate, also referred to as the swipe-to-view ratio, is calculated as the percentage of viewers who swipe past a Short within the first two seconds versus those who stay to watch longer. It is often used in short-form video platforms like YouTube Shorts or Instagram Stories/Reels. The lower the percentage is, the better the short video is.
Many people may ask: What is a good swipe away rate on YouTube Shorts? According to research suggests a good YouTube Shorts swipe away rate is 30% or lower, which is a threshold that signals a creator has captured viewers’ attention in the critical first seconds and delivered content worth watching.
30% means only 30% of viewers abandon the video immediately, while 70% stick around. If your swipe away rate is lower than 30%, creators are far more likely to see their content go viral, whereas, over 40% swipe away, with less than 60% viewed, that indicates the short video is poor.
Why Swipe Away Rate Matters
Swipe away rate is a valuable metric to evaluate whether your video is appealing and engaging well in the fast-paced Shorts feed. Below, we’ll break down why this metric holds such weight.
It Dictates Algorithm Distribution
Swipe away rate is one of the factors that the YouTube Shorts algorithm uses to decide whether to recommend your video to more viewers or not. First, the algorithm shows your video to a small seed audience based on your channel’s size. If this group has a low swipe away rate (30% or lower), the algorithm will recommend it to a larger audience.
If the swipe away rate is higher than 40%, the algorithm assumes your content isn’t engaging and stops recommending it even if your video has strong watch time later. Why? Because a viewer who swipes quickly is more likely to leave the app, hurting YouTube’s ad revenue.
It Reflects the Hook Effect
If your short video has a lower swipe away rate, it indicates that the first 3 seconds of short videos are appealing to stop the user from scrolling. Then, your other videos can follow this type to make.
It Reflects the Video Effect
Awipe away rate reflects the video’s effect on capturing and retaining a viewer’s attention. A high swipe away rate is a sign that your videos need to be adjusted on the whole, no matter in content or style.
Pro Tips to Lower Swipe Away Rate for YouTube Shorts
After reading the two parts above, you have a whole understanding of a good swipe away rate. A lower swipe away rate can be recommended to more viewers by the YouTube Shorts algorithm. However, what can you do to lower swipe away rate? Followed by actionable pro tips to slash your swipe away rate and keep viewers engaged.
Hook Audience Immediately
The first 3 seconds of short videos are crucial to decide whether viewers keep watching or swipe away your videos. You can grab your audience by using a bold visual, a compelling question, a surprising element, or get straight to the point.
Keep High Quality Content
The first few seconds should be appealing. For the following content, keep it brief and simple so as that avoid overlong explanations, while Shorts can be up to 60 seconds. There’s no doubt that you should also keep the audio clear and have good light.
Additionally, you need to control the pace of the short video. Keep your video at a fast pace by using frequent visual changes and varied zoom levels to grab the viewers’ attention.
Optimize the Title and Thumbnail
For titles, keep your title accurate and short. A title that includes related keywords can help your video rank higher in the search results, making it easier for viewers to find your content. Plus, research suggests, many people use “how to” titles are naturally a great way to grab the attention of your target audience.
The YouTube Shorts thumbnail is the small picture that represents your YouTube Shorts video when people are searching for it or browsing your channel. The thumbnail should accurately describe the main content of your short video and also draw notice.
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Conclusion
What is a good swipe away rate on YouTube Shorts? Totally, the lower 30% can capture viewers’ attention in the critical first seconds and deliver content worth watching. Also, follow the tips above to lower the swipe away rate and make your video more appealing.
About The Author
Position: Columnist
Libur is always willing to try new things and full of enthusiasm for life. At the same time, she is passionate about making fantastic movies. Now, she has become an English editor about multimedia in MiniTool. She is good at writing articles about video editing, video conversion, and screen recording. During her spare time, Libur loves climbing mountains and listening to music. By the way, her favorite singer is Taylor Swift.