A trading YouTube channel audit is not about whether your thumbnails look good or your intro is too long. It is about whether the channel is performing as a business. This checklist covers the 8 numbers that define channel health for monetised trading creators — and exactly how to find each one.
1. Revenue Per View (RPV)
RPV is total product revenue divided by total views, multiplied by 1,000. It is the foundational metric for a monetised channel. If your RPV is under $10, your content is not connecting buyers to your product. If it is above $50, you have a highly efficient revenue machine. Most trading creators have never calculated this number — because they have never had revenue attribution in place.
2. Description Link CTR Per Video
How many viewers click the link in your video description? Industry average for trading channels with RevData tracking is 3.5%. If your CTR is under 1.5%, your call-to-action in the video itself is the problem — viewers are not being directed to click. If your CTR is above 5%, your CTA is working but your sales page may be underperforming if conversions are low.
3. Sales Conversion Rate
Of the viewers who click your description link and reach your sales page, what percentage purchase? Benchmark: 1–3% is typical for trading courses at $200–$500. If your conversion rate is under 0.5%, your sales page is the bottleneck — not your content. Above 4% suggests strong price-audience fit and usually indicates you can raise your price.
4. Subscriber-to-View Ratio
Divide your average video views by your total subscriber count. A healthy ratio for trading channels is 10–20%. Under 5% means your subscribers are not engaging with new content — typically caused by inconsistent upload schedule or topic drift. Above 30% suggests strong niche authority and high subscriber loyalty.
5. Average View Duration Percentage
What percentage of each video do viewers actually watch? YouTube's algorithm rewards videos where viewers watch at least 50% of the content. For trading education, 45–60% AVD is typical. Under 30% indicates a hook problem — viewers are clicking but leaving immediately. The fix is almost always in the first 60 seconds of the video.
6. Click-Through Rate on Thumbnails
YouTube's native analytics reports thumbnail CTR. Trading channel benchmark: 4–8% on browse features. Under 3% means your thumbnail is not competitive in the trading niche. Above 10% is exceptional and usually means you have identified a visual formula — identify it and replicate it across your catalogue.
7. Revenue Attribution by Video Topic
Which topic clusters drive the most revenue? Group your catalogue by topic (SMC, ICT, Fibonacci, swing trading, prop firms, etc.) and calculate revenue attribution per cluster. Most trading creators discover that one or two topic clusters drive 70–80% of their revenue — and that they are spending content time on clusters that generate nothing. This data shifts your content calendar immediately.
8. Churn Rate (For Membership Models)
If you run a membership or signal service, monthly churn rate is the most important number in your business. At 10% monthly churn, your membership will have completely turned over within a year regardless of new acquisition. Under 5% monthly churn is sustainable. Under 2% is excellent. The fix for high churn is almost always content quality inside the membership — not external marketing.
Running This Audit
- Numbers 1, 2, 3, and 7 require revenue attribution tracking — YouTube Studio alone cannot provide them
- Numbers 4, 5, and 6 are available in YouTube Studio under Analytics
- Number 8 requires your membership platform's churn report
- Run this audit once per quarter minimum — metrics shift as your channel grows and your audience composition changes