Evaluating topic competition before you make a video

✅ 3-minute summary — 6-step 20-min evaluation

1. Observe the top 10 videos (channel size, publish date, thumbnail)

2. Compute the view-velocity median

3. Map topic angles → find the empty slot

4. Specify viewer intent

5. List what competitor videos miss

6. Ship if win score ≥ 10

Step 1 · Observe the top 10

💡 Find the common thumbnail/title pattern — and go opposite.

Step 2 · View velocity

Views ÷ days since publish = daily average

Use the median across the top 10 to gauge difficulty.

Step 3 · Angle map

Classify the top 10:

• Intro explainer
• Deep analysis
• List roundup
• Personal experience
• Comparison / showdown
• News / breaking

Empty slot = opportunity. e.g., if "iPhone 16 review" lacks experience-driven pieces, take that lane.

Step 4 · Viewer intent

Same topic, different keyword, different intent:

• "Bitcoin $100K" → background explainer
• "Bitcoin $100K should I buy now" → action guide
• "Bitcoin $100K outlook" → forecast / scenarios

Step 5 · What competitors miss

After watching 3–5 top results end-to-end:

• Are comments asking for more?
• Counter-arguments / cases skipped?
• Visuals thin?
• Long-winded openings?

→ Your differentiation hooks.

Step 6 · Win score (each 0–2)

• Topic interest rising
• Variety in competitor channel size
• Low upload density in the last 3 months
• Viewer intent matches your format
• Empty angle available
• Production assets in hand
• Relevance to your channel

Evaluation checklist

• [ ] Top 10 observed
• [ ] View-velocity median computed
• [ ] Empty slot on the angle map
• [ ] Viewer intent specified
• [ ] Competitor gaps listed
• [ ] Win score across 7 criteria

Common mistakes

• Eyeing total views only → that's past, not current competition
• Copying mega-channel topics directly
• Ignoring comments / counter-arguments
• Skipping evaluation, going on gut

FAQ

Isn't the evaluation slow?

15–30 minutes. Cheaper than 5–10 hours making a video that flops.

Big channels dominate the topic?

Possible if your angle is clearly different.

Narrow topics don't get traffic?

Even 100–1k monthly views per video — many videos stacked produces long-tail acquisition for your channel base.

Read next: Find topics with trend signals · Weekly production system

💡 Channel insights puts top-video analysis and view-velocity math on one screen.

Note: A general planning aid — adjust to your channel.