If you’re searching for “how to check my YouTube video ranking,” you’re not alone—and you’ve just found the right place.
There’s a flood of advice out there about YouTube SEO, rankings, and keyword tools—but most of it is outdated, misleading, or downright ineffective. In this article, we’ll break down how YouTube video rankings really work, why most ranking scores are irrelevant, and how you can track and improve your rankings using a method that actually gets results.
Why Most YouTube SEO Tools Give You False Confidence
Let’s start with what doesn’t work.
Popular tools like VidIQ and TubeBuddy often give you a “score” based on outdated checklists. These scores might look official—maybe 51 out of 100, or even 32 out of 100—but here’s the truth: they don’t actually measure your ranking on YouTube.
They’re just evaluating whether your video meets their internal criteria—criteria that are often over 10 years old. You could follow all of their suggestions and still never appear on the first page of search results.
Need proof? Here are real examples:
- For the search term “how to become a construction project manager”, one video we posted ranks at the very top of YouTube—despite having only a 51/100 VidIQ score.
- For “how to buy tax liens over the counter”, another client video ranks #2 on the page but scores just 63/100.
- One video titled “how to discipline a child that lies and steals” scored only 32 with VidIQ and 50% with TubeBuddy—but it hit the top position within one week of uploading.
The takeaway? Scores don’t equal rankings. They simply measure how well you follow their outdated checklists—not whether your video is actually discoverable by users on YouTube.
The Real Way to Check Your YouTube Rankings
So how do you actually know if your video is ranking?
Step 1: Perform Manual YouTube Searches
Go to YouTube and type in the key phrase you’re targeting. Check whether your video appears in the top three spots without having to scroll. If it does, great! You’re ranking well.
Repeat this for several of your videos. Don’t rely on plugins—just search like a real user would.
Step 2: Track Rankings in a Spreadsheet
To stay organized and track performance over time, create a simple Google Sheet. Here’s how:
- List all your target keywords or questions.
- For each keyword, track whether your video is:
- Ranking (Yes)
- Partially Ranking (Starting)
- Not Ranking (No)
Over time, aim to turn all your “No” and “Starting” entries into “Yes.” This is a true indication of improvement, far more useful than scoring charts or “SEO audits” from random consultants.
Step 3: Use YouTube Analytics (Advanced Mode)
Inside your YouTube Studio dashboard:
- Go to Analytics.
- Click Advanced Mode.
- Choose Traffic Source > YouTube Search.
This shows how many views your channel is getting directly from YouTube search—the most valuable kind of traffic for lead generation and brand visibility.
Want deeper insights? Use the “Compare to Previous Period” option to track your growth over time. One of our clients increased their YouTube search traffic by over 20% quarter-over-quarter—without chasing arbitrary scores.
Real Growth Example
For the keyword “construction manager salary”, we initially ranked for just 3 out of 21 relevant questions.
By creating more content strategically and tracking results monthly, we reached 21 out of 21 top rankings. That’s full dominance of a profitable niche—something you’ll never achieve just by “optimizing tags” or copying competitors’ metadata.
What You Should Stop Worrying About
You may receive messages from “SEO experts” claiming:
- Your scores are low.
- Your titles, descriptions, and tags aren’t optimized.
- You need to share your videos more on social media.
- Your thumbnails need improvement.
Here’s the reality:
- Tags and descriptions no longer impact SEO the way they used to.
- Thumbnails help with click-through rate, not rankings.
- Sharing to social media doesn’t influence search rankings.
So unless your thumbnail is repelling viewers, don’t let arbitrary advice distract you from what actually matters: ranking and views from search.
The Bottom Line: How to Truly Check and Improve YouTube Rankings
Here’s a proven framework:
- Pick 10–20 keyword questions related to your niche.
- Search for them manually on YouTube. Record your ranking.
- Track your status monthly using a simple spreadsheet.
- Analyze YouTube Search traffic via Advanced Analytics.
- Create new content strategically to improve or dominate rankings.
This method is manual but far more reliable than any “SEO score” from a plugin.
Bonus: Get the Full YouTube SEO Strategy (Free)
Want to dive deeper? I’ve created a full YouTube SEO course walking you through everything I do—from keyword selection to tracking systems and content creation strategies.
It’s available free, right here on YouTube.
Watch the full YouTube SEO Course here → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_8JCnu4R9M
