In 2024 I decided to get serious about YouTubing. I already had a website but no focus. Then I did the Daniel Fast and it changed my life. I created a 7-Day Daniel Fasting Meal Plan PDF including recipes, a journal and meal prep guide.
I published this on my site, but what I realized I needed were video tutorials for my recipes. So, I turned my existing Youtube channel into what it is now – a plant-based cooking channel.
How I got views and engagement on my YouTube channel to get monetized
I had pretty great success with the algorithm right away, mostly because I understood Search Engine Optimization and applied that to my YouTube videos. My goal became to make money with YouTube ads so I could offer my Daniel Fasting Meal Plan for free.
I quickly realized that I didn’t know how to make YouTube videos consistently or how to keep coming up with ideas. I understood SEO, but didn’t know how to take SEO to the next level and make it work with YouTube.
Honestly, at one point I gave up and stopped making videos all together. But, I kept looking at my YouTube analytics and noticed my subscribers were growing and my watch hours were accumulating, so I kept making videos.
It wasn’t until I discovered an app that specifically helps people grow their YouTube videos using a combination of keyword tools and AI Chat to help come up with post Ideas. I was using Google Keyword Tool that is meant for advertisers to look for keywords to advertise on, and it wasn’t that helpful.
Then I found VidIQ.
I got monetized on YouTube FAST
This keyword tool not only has a very powerful keyword search ability, including how to find related terms, see keyword trends, and even analyzes potential competition for each keyword, it comes with a Chrome Browser extension that helps me create YouTube video titles, descriptions, tags, and even thumbnail images. Not only that, I can see what other YouTubers stats, are including their revenue!
In December 2024 I decided to try VidIQ for my plant based cooking channel. I was very close to getting 4,000 watch hours and 1,000 subscribers I needed to get monetized on Youtube and make money, BUT, if I didn’t get to 4,000 hours by the end of January I would lose out on about 300 accumulated watch hours because they would be past the 365 day mark. That was a huge chunk of watch hours I worked hard to get that wouldn’t count.
After connecting VidIQ to my cooking youtube channel, I was immediately able to optimize all of my previously published video titles and descriptions to maximize views. I noticed this helped IMMEDIATELY. Views for videos that long sat dormant were getting traffic.
Next, I started being able to do detailed analysis of new keywords and create content around content gaps. This is what really was a gamechanger for my channel.
Then it happened. On January 15, 2025 my YouTube channel was monetized and making money! The very first day I made $8. It was the most exciting $8 I’d ever earned! And, I owe it all to using VidIQ.
I was inspired to improve my YouTube channel and get subscribers and views quickly
Not only did VidIQ give me the tools I needed to create content that would be popular on YouTube and get me monetized, but it gave me a whole new enthusiasm for creating content.
I highly recommend getting a VidIQ account as soon as possible for your channel. In my next video I’ll share with you why I started a second Youtube channel in 2026 and the FINANCIAL PERK I noticed in using VidIQ with less than 100 subscribers!
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