The Evolution of YouTube and Twitch Digital Traffic in Spain In the last four years it reflects changes in user behavior. According to a new Semrush analysis, the trajectories of both platforms They show very different dynamics.
While YouTube experienced a sway of figures that today points to the recovery, Twitch remains with a Relative stability in its volume of visits, although in the background in terms of volume. Semrush states that these changes are closely linked to the evolution of content creators, the impact of digital advertising and user preferences.
After experiencing fluctuations, YouTube presents a new rebound
The case of YouTube It is paradigmatic of the volatile that can be digital consumption. If we go back to April 2021we run into that, at that time, It went from an average of 400 million visits in Spain to 1,249 million. This increase would be sustained with slight oscillations.
After a historic peak of 2,067 million visits in March 2023the video portal suffered a worrying descent that led him to the 994 million in July 2024. However, In recent months he has traced strongly, reaching a Monthly mean of 1,212 million visits.
This rebirth could be due to several factors. One of the most relevant is the Return of influential creatorslike Ibai Llanos, who have opted to return to the platform with long format content. This strategy contrasts with the avalanche of short videos of Tiktok and Instagram, and the most ephemeral direct Twitch.
The interest of the audience is also evolving: Demand for deeper and narrative content growswhich benefits YouTube against immediacy -centered platforms. In addition, its structure of enduring and optimizable content for SEO It makes YouTube an ideal platform for programmatic advertising campaigns and influence marketing.
Twitch: a silent resistance and a faithful community
At the other end is Twitch, which has maintained a much more stable line. During 2023 he registered several peaks in Spain, highlighting that of March (107.5 million visits) and May (104.5 million). And, although, he had a slight fall in 2024, he has managed to maintain a stable half in recent months, with a average 65.2 million visits.
Although their figures are more modest than those of YouTube, His strength lies in the fidelity of his community. Its model based on live content and the construction of solid communities has been the key to its resistance.
Twitch does not depend so much on the algorithm like other networks, but of a direct relationship between creator and spectator. However, its growth is limited by smaller monetization options and a high dependence on subscriptions.
In terms of advertising investment, many brands are migrating their efforts to YouTubewhere they can monitor and measure more precise the impact of the campaigns. In addition to this, the growing professionalization of the streaming sector has led to creators needing to diversify their sources of income, and platforms with more structured monetization models, such as YouTube, are attracting more talents in search of economic stability.
Who sees what: very different audience profiles
The differences between YouTube and Twitch are also evidenced in the profiles of its users in Spain. Twitch dominates among the youngest: 36.6% are between 18 and 24 years old, while another 26.8% is between 25 and 34. Instead, instead, YouTube enjoys a more diversified base: Only 17.5% of its users are in the youngest section, 24.3% have between 25 and 34, and a great presence in audiences of more than 45 years (40.2%).
As for gender, The Twitch audience is mostly male (61.3%), while YouTube presents one much more balanced division between men (52.7%) and women (47.3%). This difference in audiences tends to influence the strategy of advertisers and brands seeking to position themselves on each platform.
An environment in transformation and opportunities for digital marketing
Semrush's analysis is not only limited to Spain: Globally, YouTube and Twitch are still similar trajectorieswith a current average of 76,913 million visits. Although some markets such as the American show greater stability.
According to Fernando AnguloSenior Marketer Research by Semrush: «Understanding these traffic patterns is key to the development of digital marketing strategies. Not only allows brands to adapt their campaigns to the most appropriate platforms, but also helps creators optimize their content based on audience trends. The return of big names to YouTube and the persistence of Twitch in specific niches reinforce the importance of diversifying strategies and taking advantage of opportunities on both platforms».
Photo: GPT4
