Let’s get the good news out of the way first: if you follow the right strategy, you don’t have to worry about your YouTube channel dying. But the reality is, many channels do die—and it’s usually because of a few critical mistakes. The key is knowing what those mistakes are so you can steer clear of them.
Mistake #1: Breaking YouTube’s Rules
If you’re researching why channels fail, the first thing you’ll likely come across is people violating YouTube’s rules. And that’s a real issue. YouTube offers us this incredible platform—free hosting, exposure, monetization through the Partner Program—but they expect us to play by the rules. If you post content that violates their terms, your channel could get shut down. Simple as that.
Mistake #2: Confusing Burnout with Failure
Another thing that might come up in your research is burnout. YouTubers often push themselves hard, and yes, burnout is real. But burnout doesn’t kill channels—it’s why creators quit. I’ve seen successful channels go dark because the person behind them just couldn’t keep up anymore. That’s very different from a channel dying because it wasn’t working.
So what actually kills a channel?
The Real Killer: Mixing Two Competing YouTube Strategies
I’ve produced over 60 YouTube channels, and I’ve seen firsthand what makes a channel thrive—and what causes one to flounder. One of the biggest mistakes creators make is mixing two completely different strategies: the search-based strategy and the suggested-based strategy.
Let me break these down.
Strategy 1: Suggested Traffic
This is what most YouTube gurus are teaching. It’s all about viral content, trending topics, and entertainment. The goal? Get as many views as possible. Revenue comes from YouTube ads and sponsorships. You’re essentially a contractor working for YouTube, getting paid per view.
Derral Eves is the master of this strategy—he helped grow MrBeast’s channel and countless others. If this is your path, follow Derral. He’s the best in the business.
Strategy 2: Search Traffic (My Favorite)
This is the strategy I use for the majority of my channels. We’re not chasing virality—we’re building long-term, sustainable traffic through search. The content is more evergreen, and the goal is lead generation for a business. YouTube becomes a tool to drive qualified leads, not just eyeballs.
Here’s the problem: these strategies require different types of content and appeal to different algorithms. When you try to combine them—pulling ingredients from both—you end up creating a confusing mix that satisfies neither audience. And yes, I’ve seen channels die because of this.
A Hard-Learned Lesson from My Own Channel
Let me share a personal example.
My main channel, Nate Woodbury, was built around YouTube strategy and entrepreneurship. It was doing great. Then I made a video called “Why I Hire People in the Philippines.” That video blew up—1.5 million views. It attracted a whole new audience: people in the Philippines who were excited that I was highlighting their country and hoping I might hire them.
That would’ve been fine—except that audience didn’t care about my usual content. When I posted a video on YouTube strategy, they didn’t watch. The algorithm noticed and basically told me, “Your audience doesn’t like this content. Stop making it.”
But that was my content! That’s what I was passionate about. I ended up removing all those hiring-related videos and moving them to a new channel. It helped, but recovery was slow. I’ve spent years trying to steer the Nate Woodbury channel back to its original purpose.
Eventually, I launched a brand-new channel—Nate the Producer—and it’s already finding success. Starting over was hard on the ego, but it was the right move.
Why Strategy Clarity Matters
When you’re following the search-based strategy, you already know who your audience is. You have a business, and you’re creating content specifically for the people that business serves. You’re pulling in an audience that already exists—people who will love your content if they can just find it.
But if you’re going the suggested route, you create content, then wait to see who the algorithm brings to you. Your audience is built as you go, based on what gets views.
Both strategies work—but only when you commit to one. You can’t chase viral views one day and keyword-focused content the next. That split focus will sink your channel.
Ignoring Analytics: Another Silent Channel Killer
No matter which strategy you follow, one of the most common causes of failure is ignoring your analytics. YouTube gives us so much data—it’s practically begging us to succeed. If you’re not reviewing that data, learning from it, and making informed decisions, you’re flying blind.
You need to know:
- Why did this video do well?
- Why did that one flop?
- How long are people watching?
- What’s causing them to click away?
This kind of insight makes all the difference between a growing channel and a stagnant one.
Different Traffic Behaviors = Different Expectations
Another key difference between these two strategies is how traffic behaves.
Suggested videos usually spike fast. You’ll get most of your views in the first day or two—definitely within the first week. After that, things drop off.
Search-based videos, on the other hand, start slow. But over time, they gain momentum. Months or even years down the road, those same videos can still be racking up views—and often outpace what they did in the first month. That’s the beauty of search.
This also means that with the suggested model, if you stop uploading, your traffic plummets. Your channel can die. But with search, your content continues working for you—even if you take a break.
Final Thoughts: Choose the Right Path—and Stick to It
If you’re chasing suggested traffic, you’ll want to follow where the audience takes you. But if you’re using YouTube to support a business, you already know your audience. You just need to create content they’re actively searching for.
If that second path sounds like your style, I’ve got another video you’ll love: “The YouTube SEO Secret Strategy.” It breaks down what I call the Leaf Strategy—an approach that works consistently, predictably, and is more powerful than ever in 2025.
So choose your path—and stay committed to it. That’s how you keep your channel alive, growing, and thriving.
