Google added YouTube to the list of services for which it provides free analytics. YouTube Insight is designed to give content creators, content partners and advertisers more information on the performance of their videos, beyond how many views it gets, comments, favorites, and other basic data currently displayed, according to Tracy Chan, a YouTube product manager. Google already offers analytics for ads, Google Reader, and other services.
YouTube Insight offers data on viewers and location (such as by state in the U.S.) and how viewing patterns change over time. Data is displayed in a map and on a timeline, which are interactive; changing the settings on one impacts the other. YouTube Insight can show how advertising impacts viewership; what time of day or days of the week generate the most views of a video; or which version of a video performs the best. The data is updated daily.
In a blog post, Chan said that "Insight turns YouTube into one of the world's largest focus groups." Indeed, with about one-third of videos online in the U.S. viewed via YouTube and publishers and advertisers seeking more revenue and exposures, Insight will be a popular tool.