CREATOR GUIDE

How to Target the US with a New YouTube Channel

The exact process to get your videos recommended to American audiences - even if you're outside the US.

Why Target US Audiences?

The US YouTube market offers:

  • $ Highest CPMs - US advertisers pay $10-30 CPM vs $1-3 in most countries
  • $ Better sponsorship rates - US brand deals pay 5-10x more than other regions
  • $ YouTube Premium revenue - Higher Premium membership in US means more revenue share
  • $ Largest English market - 240M+ monthly active US users on YouTube

What You'll Need

💻

Computer or Phone

A device dedicated to this YouTube channel. Keep it consistent.

🌐

US VPN

YourVPN with a clean US IP address (not flagged by Google).

📧

Fresh Google Account

New Gmail created while on US VPN. Critical for geo-targeting.

45-60 Minutes

Time for complete setup and initial channel warming.

Step-by-Step Setup

1

Prepare Your Device

Before anything else, configure your device:

  • Set region to United States in device settings
  • Set timezone to US (EST, CST, PST, etc.)
  • Set language to English (US)
  • Clear browser cookies and cache or use incognito mode
2

Connect to YourVPN

Get your US IP address working:

  • • Open YourVPN and connect to US server
  • • Wait for "Connected" status
  • • Verify your IP at whatismyipaddress.com
  • • Confirm it shows a US location

Critical: Google is extremely good at detecting VPNs. YourVPN's residential IPs look like real US home internet - essential for YouTube.

3

Create a New Google Account

Create your Google account while on VPN:

  • • Go to accounts.google.com
  • • Click "Create Account"
  • • Enter name and create username
  • Skip phone verification if possible (use recovery email instead)
  • • Set birthday (must be 18+)
  • • Agree to terms

Important: If phone verification is required, it may reveal your real country. Try using a US virtual number or create the account on mobile where phone verification is less likely to be required.

4

Create Your YouTube Channel

Now set up your channel:

  • • Go to youtube.com while still on VPN
  • • Sign in with your new Google account
  • • Click your profile → "Create a channel"
  • • Choose "Use custom name" for a brand channel
  • • Enter your channel name
  • • Add profile picture and banner
5

Warm Up Your Account

Before uploading, behave like a US viewer for 5-7 days:

  • • Watch US-focused content in your niche (20-30 min daily)
  • • Subscribe to 10-15 US-based channels
  • • Like and comment on a few videos (authentic comments)
  • • Watch videos to completion - don't just click and leave
  • • Watch during US hours (evening EST is best)
  • Don't upload anything yet

Why this works: YouTube's algorithm builds a profile of your account. By consuming US content, you signal that you're a US-based viewer. This influences where your uploads get distributed.

6

Configure Channel Settings

Optimize your channel for US audiences:

  • • YouTube Studio → Settings → Channel → Advanced
  • • Set "Country of residence" to United States (if visible)
  • • Write channel description in English
  • • Add relevant US-focused keywords to channel keywords
  • • Set default upload language to English
7

Upload Your First Video

Now you're ready to publish:

  • • Create content relevant to US audiences
  • • Schedule uploads for US peak times (2-4 PM EST, 8-10 PM EST)
  • • Use titles and descriptions optimized for US search terms
  • • Speak clear English (accent is fine, clarity matters)
  • • Start with Shorts if you want faster initial traction
8

Verify US Reach

After 1 week, check your analytics:

  • • YouTube Studio → Analytics → Audience tab
  • • Check "Top geographies"
  • • You should see United States as #1 or #2
  • • Also check "Traffic sources" to see where views come from

Success indicator: If 40%+ of your viewers are from the US, you're on the right track! CPM will be noticeably higher than accounts without US targeting.

Golden Rules for US YouTube Success

Always use VPN for uploads

Upload all videos while connected to YourVPN US server

Publish during US prime time

Best times: 2-4 PM EST (weekdays), 9-11 AM EST (weekends)

Engage during US hours

Reply to comments during US evening hours for maximum engagement

Reference US culture/events

Mention US holidays, trends, and current events when relevant

Don't access from your real IP

Even one session without VPN can shift your geographic targeting

Troubleshooting

My homepage shows content from my real country

Google may have detected your real location. Clear all Google cookies, sign out of all Google accounts, reconnect VPN, then sign back in. The homepage will adjust over 1-2 days of watching US content.

Analytics show low US viewership

Keep uploading consistently. YouTube's algorithm tests new channels with various audiences. After 10-15 videos, your geographic distribution should stabilize toward US viewers if you've followed the setup correctly.

Videos not getting recommended

This is often an IP trust issue. Consumer VPNs are heavily flagged by Google. YourVPN's limited-user servers maintain high trust scores. Also ensure your content has good CTR and watch time metrics.

Google account got suspended

This happens with flagged VPN IPs. Start fresh with YourVPN's residential IPs, create a new Google account, and follow this guide exactly. Don't use the same email or recovery options.

More YouTube Resources

Everything you need to grow on YouTube and reach US audiences.

US targeting guides for other platforms:

Ready to Maximize Your YouTube Revenue?

YourVPN gives you clean US IPs that Google trusts. Start reaching US audiences and earning higher CPMs.

Get Started - From $2/week