Using Analytics to Find Your Top-Earning Videos

YouTube Studio isn’t just for checking how many views you got. When used right, it’s a goldmine for understanding where your real income is coming from—and how to create more of it.

Many creators assume their most-viewed videos are also their most profitable. But that’s not always the case. Your top-earning videos often come from a combination of high CPM, long watch time, audience demographics, and strategic content placement.

Here’s how to dig into your analytics and find the true money-makers.

Start with the Revenue Tab

Open YouTube Studio, go to the Analytics section, and click on the “Revenue” tab. This is where your journey begins.

The key metrics to look for:

• RPM (Revenue Per Mille): Your total earnings per 1,000 views, including all revenue streams.
• CPM (Cost Per Mille): What advertisers are paying per 1,000 monetized playbacks—important for spotting high-ad-value topics.
• Estimated Revenue: Which videos actually brought in the most money.

These three numbers together help you understand whether your earnings are driven by volume (views) or value (CPM).

Sort Videos by Revenue, Not Views

In your “Content” tab or within Analytics > Content > “See More,” sort your videos by “Estimated Revenue” instead of “Views.”

You’ll often find surprises here.

Example: A vlog with 100,000 views might earn less than a how-to video with 20,000 views simply because the latter attracts better advertisers.

One creator in the finance niche reported that a single 12-minute explainer video on Roth IRAs consistently made 4x the revenue of their most viral video—even with half the views.

Dive Into Per-Video Analytics

Click on one of your top earners and explore its detailed analytics.

Look for:

• CPM spikes: Did you get a short-term bump due to seasonality or a new advertiser?
• Audience retention: Are people watching the video long enough to see mid-rolls?
• Traffic source: Do search-driven videos outperform browse/suggested in RPM?
• Playback-based CPM vs RPM: A huge gap here might mean low monetized playback percentage.

Tracking these factors helps you identify what’s driving monetization efficiency—not just popularity.

Check Your Demographics

In each video’s analytics, click the “Audience” tab and check who’s watching. Viewers in the 25–44 range, especially from Tier 1 countries (US, Canada, UK, Australia), tend to draw higher-value ads.

If your highest-earning videos all attract similar demographics, that’s your cue to double down on content themes that appeal to them.

Look for Patterns Across Your Library

Once you’ve reviewed a few high-performing videos, step back and look for common threads.

Ask yourself:

• Are these videos in the same niche?
• Do they have similar titles, thumbnails, or lengths?
• Do they include a call to action that boosts engagement (which can help CPM)?

Document these elements in a simple spreadsheet. Over time, you’ll start to notice that your top earners tend to follow specific formats or cover certain topics.

That’s your monetization blueprint.

Use Advanced Mode for Deeper Comparisons

YouTube’s “Advanced Mode” (accessed at the bottom of the Analytics page) allows you to cross-reference multiple metrics at once.

You can filter videos by upload date, region, or traffic source, and then compare RPM or estimated revenue side-by-side.

Try this:

• Filter by videos from the last 90 days
• Sort by RPM
• Then sort the same set by Views

You’ll start to see which videos punch above their weight—and which ones are underperforming despite high view counts.

Watch Time and Mid-Roll Impact

Mid-roll ads are unlocked at 8 minutes, and they matter a lot.

If your top earners are over 8 minutes and have mid-rolls placed well (not too early), that’s a strong signal. These videos earn more simply because there are more monetized ad slots.

Look at your audience retention graph. If most viewers drop off before the first mid-roll, you’re missing the opportunity.

Tweak your storytelling or pacing to retain more viewers and boost mid-roll effectiveness.

Don’t Ignore Smaller High-RPM Videos

Sometimes, a video with just 2,000 views can have a $40 CPM and quietly generate more money than your bigger hits.

Make a habit of sorting your videos by RPM regularly. These high-efficiency uploads are worth replicating.

You might discover:

• Niche tutorials (e.g., software setup guides)
• Industry-specific content (e.g., freelance tax tips)
• Product reviews in high-paying verticals (e.g., legal software, CRM tools)

Real Example: Channel That Tripled Revenue by Focusing on Top Performers

A medium-sized creator (60K subs) focused on productivity apps noticed their top earner wasn’t their most-viewed video—it was a 10-minute tutorial on “Notion Templates for Small Businesses.”

They analyzed the video's RPM, which was consistently above $22, and realized the topic drew in viewers from high-income regions with strong interest in SaaS.

So, they doubled down. They released variations like:

• “Notion for Real Estate Teams”
• “How Freelancers Use Notion for Project Management”

Within two months, average monthly revenue jumped by 3x, even though overall views only increased by 20%. It wasn't about going viral—it was about going valuable.

Use Cards and End Screens to Create Earnings Loops

Once you know which videos earn the most, drive more traffic to them.

Add them as end screen recommendations, info cards during related videos, or pin them in your channel trailer. These internal links can guide your audience back to high-RPM videos.

It’s like building a network of income-generating nodes within your library.

A Final Thought: Treat Your Analytics Like a Business Report

Your YouTube channel is more than content—it's a monetizable asset.

Creators who take time to analyze revenue performance make smarter content choices. They optimize thumbnails based on CTR across high-earning videos. They test new mid-roll placements. They lean into audience retention strategies.

Your top earners are telling you what to make next. You just need to listen.