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I've seen a lot of misinformation being spread about how the YouTube algorithm works.
I thought I'd do my best to explain what I've learned from talking with YouTube staff, Creator Insider, and growing my channel to 300,000+ subscribers.
Big thread below
I thought I'd do my best to explain what I've learned from talking with YouTube staff, Creator Insider, and growing my channel to 300,000+ subscribers.
Big thread below
YouTube's algorithm is designed to find videos for viewers, NOT viewers for videos.Videos aren't "pushed out" or “promoted” by the algorithm, instead viewers are served the most relevant videos for them, by the algorithm. It's a viewer focused system.
ALL platforms that suggest content to users (YouTube, Twitter, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitch) are designed to do just 2 things:
Help users discover content they want to see.
Keep users satisfied with their time on the platform, so they keep coming back.
Help users discover content they want to see. Keep users satisfied with their time on the platform, so they keep coming back.
YouTube's algorithm is no different. It suggests specific videos that it thinks a user will want to watch, and will continue suggesting videos to hopefully keep that user on the platform.
The more time on platform, the more ads YouTube can run, the more money they can make.
The more time on platform, the more ads YouTube can run, the more money they can make.
YouTube's algorithm has changed over the years as the engineers refine which metrics best determine the content that should be recommended.
Previously, it looked at how many views a video had, but this incentivized clickbait and misleading titles/thumbnails.
Previously, it looked at how many views a video had, but this incentivized clickbait and misleading titles/thumbnails.
Since then it has moved to using watch time and click-through-rate (CTR) metrics.These aim to measure the "quality" of the content since a longer watch time is an indication that viewers are finding the video interesting/entertaining and relevant to the thumbnail/title.
CTR is a complicated metric though. It’s common for your most popular videos to have lower CTR.Why? Because those videos are shown to the broadest audience, who are less familiar with your content, and less likely to click.
This makes CTR difficult to interpret as a creator
HomepageSince the algorithm doesn’t know the intent of a viewer visiting the YouTube homepage (to be entertained, to learn something, to search something) it offers a more diverse selection of videos here that it thinks the viewer is likely to watch.
These recommended videos are mostly based on 2 things:
How well the video performed (CTR + watch time) with similar viewers from the homepage.
What has the viewer previously watched, how often does the viewer watch a channel or videos about a topic.
How well the video performed (CTR + watch time) with similar viewers from the homepage. What has the viewer previously watched, how often does the viewer watch a channel or videos about a topic.
Suggested/Up-Next 
Here the algorithm wants to recommend videos that a user is most likely to want to watch after they finish the current video.
This can be videos:
with related topics
that performed well with similar viewers
that the viewer is very likely to watch
Here the algorithm wants to recommend videos that a user is most likely to want to watch after they finish the current video.
This can be videos:
with related topics that performed well with similar viewers that the viewer is very likely to watch
So, how can YOU (the creator) use this info best?
Think about how your thumbnail and title come across to NEW viewers who have never seen your videos before. Would they click?
Think about the content of your video. Provide VALUE by entertaining/educating/inspiring viewers.
Think about how your thumbnail and title come across to NEW viewers who have never seen your videos before. Would they click? Think about the content of your video. Provide VALUE by entertaining/educating/inspiring viewers.
Cut the fluff. Attention spans are short, keep your videos engaging. If it doesn't provide value, it can be cut out.
Experiment. YouTube is HUGE (300 hours of content uploaded every minute) so try out different content, see what viewers engage with, and then make more!
Two GREAT resources which anyone can use to learn more about YouTube that I'd HIGHLY recommend:
Creator Academy - https://creatoracademy.youtube.com/page/home
Creator Insider - https://youtube.com/c/creatorinsider
Especially this video where a lot of this info came from -
Creator Academy - https://creatoracademy.youtube.com/page/home Creator Insider - https://youtube.com/c/creatorinsiderEspecially this video where a lot of this info came from -
TLDR:
YouTube's algorithm is designed to find videos for viewers, NOT viewers for videos. It's a viewer focused system.
YouTube's algorithm is designed to find videos for viewers, NOT viewers for videos. It's a viewer focused system.
