Season 11 Premiere! YouTube’s Invalid Traffic Nightmare is Seriously Hurting Creators
Oct 2, 2023
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The podcast discusses YouTube's Invalid Traffic nightmare, its impact on creators and ad revenue. They also review the Shure SM7dB microphone and share a funny incident with podcast production setup. Troubleshooting tech issues, navigating job insecurities, and building an online portfolio are also discussed.
01:11:31
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Quick takeaways
YouTube's invalid traffic bug has caused significant revenue loss for creators without clear answers from YouTube.
Creators are puzzled by YouTube's handling of the invalid traffic issue and are requesting transparency and clear explanations.
Speculation suggests that YouTube may be diverting ad revenue from channels that earn more to recoup losses from previous advertiser lawsuits.
Deep dives
Understanding the Impact of the Invalid Traffic Bug
The invalid traffic bug on YouTube has caused significant revenue loss for creators without clear answers from YouTube. Ad placement is being limited on videos, cutting creators' earnings by 80%. The lack of transparency and clear communication from YouTube is frustrating for creators who rely on ad revenue to support their families and financial commitments. Creators are requesting transparency, information on changes being made to mitigate the issue, and the development of a support team for affected creators.
Questions Around Invalid Traffic and YouTube's Response
Creators are puzzled by YouTube's handling of the invalid traffic issue. YouTube's proprietary detection system detects invalid traffic, but doesn't provide creators with specific information. Creators want to know which videos are affected and how long they will have to survive on reduced earnings. There is a call for transparency, clear explanations of the issue and solutions being developed to protect creators and advertisers.
Speculation on the Invalid Traffic Bug
Speculation suggests that YouTube may be diverting ad revenue from channels that earn more to recoup losses from previous advertiser lawsuits. This would explain the lack of transparency and the broad impact of the invalid traffic bug on channels with higher CPMs. While this is speculative, creators hope for more transparency from YouTube to address these concerns.
Importance of AdSense account for YouTube creators
Many YouTube creators, especially those who are new to monetization, face the issue of having their AdSense account deleted. AdSense is crucial for receiving payments from YouTube, including ad revenue, super chats, and memberships. Losing an AdSense account puts creators at a disadvantage as it is tied to their bank accounts, tax information, and contractor status. Starting a new YouTube channel or AdSense account is not allowed if the previous one has been terminated. This situation highlights the need for YouTube to improve support and differentiate between channels based on their history and compliance.
The impact of invalid traffic on creators' income and mental health
The issue of invalid traffic on YouTube has significant effects on creators, such as loss of income and mental health issues. The sudden and uncontrollable loss of income can lead to stress, anxiety, and depression. This becomes even more burdensome for creators who heavily rely on ad revenue to run their businesses, pay teams, and manage financial stability. The current lack of effective support and solutions from YouTube exacerbates mental health problems for affected creators. Building alternative revenue streams, nurturing a supportive community, and reducing reliance on ad revenue are seen as potential solutions to mitigate the impact of invalid traffic.
This one goes to 11! This first episode of Season 11 covers a bit of gear talk (including the new Shure Sm7dB) and then dives into the absolute nightmare that is YouTube's Invalid Traffic issue.
• Daniel Batal's awesome Twitter post: https://x.com/Daniel_Batal/status/1706674029778674040?s=20
•This video does an incredible job of explaining the YouTube advertiser issue which I believe is connected to Invalid Traffic: https://youtu.be/hWJrsz_cmas?si=CBl2HJ00QMsqsLTF
• This article explains the issue with YouTube advertisers claiming to be misled. Interestingly enough, it appeared about a month before the recent surge of channels being struck with "invalid traffic."
The SM7B was running through the Rodecaster Pro II using a preset that I created after following the instructions in this video from Brodie Brazil and Home Studio Pro: https://youtu.be/U4hVGtdo5MYI
💡Learn Something Awesome: •My Final Cut Pro editing course: https://learnfinalcutpro.com •My podcast production course: https://podcasterplaybook.com