Let's face it,
growing on YouTube can feel impossible, especially if you're new to the platform.
Are you doing
all of the things the gurus are telling you and your channel still isn't growing?
Are you confused about what to focus on to get more video views and subscribers?
Have you heard the YouTube algorithm simply hates small channels?
Well, the truth is the YouTube algorithm is complicated.
It's important that you really understand the goals of the platform.
This is going to help you create content that works with the algorithm
instead of against it.
So in this video,
we're going to break down the top five fundamentals of the algorithm
so that you can set your content and your channel up
for success.
Hello and welcome to Video Club.
In this series, we provide educational and inspirational content
to help you on the road to YouTube success.
I'm your host, Renee Teeley the VP of Community here at TubeBuddy.
If you're new here, consider subscribing and hitting that bell
so you don't miss a single episode packed full of valuable information
just like this one.
So in today's episode,
we're going to cover the top five things that you need to know about the YouTube
algorithm, especially if you're a newer YouTube creator.
So the first thing that you need to know is the YouTube algorithm is specifically
designed to keep people on the platform watching videos for as long as possible.
So YouTube can run ads and make money.
The goal is truly that simple.
However, actually getting there is quite complicated.
YouTube is analyzing over 80 billion different signals from viewers each day
and then analyzing how videos like yours perform with different audiences.
All of this informs their machine learning algorithms
to help determine the right video for the right viewer at the right time.
If your videos help to keep viewers happy and on the platform longer,
they will be aligned with the goals of the YouTube algorithm.
But if you're constantly trying to get people to go from watching
one of your videos on a platform to visiting your website
off of the platform, then you're working against the goals of the algorithm.
So it's really important to keep this in mind.
If you want the best chance of growing, you should try to keep people
on YouTube for as long as possible.
So the second thing that you need to understand
is that YouTube knows a lot more about your content
than just what you list in the metadata, like tags, titles and descriptions.
YouTube's API starts to analyze your video the moment the upload process starts.
So during the upload process, YouTube is collecting information
about the video frame by frame and identifying things like scene changes,
objects, places, people, and even facial expressions.
So YouTube does factor in metadata but for the most part, things
like thumbnails, titles and descriptions should be created with the viewer in mind
and help them to make the decision to click on your video
after your video has been uploaded and people start to watch it.
YouTube analyzes viewer signals.
So are people clicking on your videos?
Are they watching all the way through?
After they watch one video, do they watch another one of your videos?
And then also, how satisfied are they with the content?
So the third thing that you need to know is that not all metrics
are created equal, and the ranking has changed over time.
So for many years, YouTube was optimizing for clicks and views.
So how many people were clicking on a video
and sticking around just long enough for it to be counted as a view?
So it was the highest factor in ranking videos and determining which videos
to promote across the platform.
But that really wasn't
the best indicator of whether or not someone actually enjoyed the content
or even stuck around
and actually watched the video for longer than 30 seconds before clicking away.
So this unintentionally incentivize is clickbait content.
So a lot of misleading titles and thumbnails with content
that wasn't really what the viewer was expecting.
YouTube received a lot of complaints about this type of content being recommended.
So they did evolve the system and prioritize watch time over
views and clicks.
So watch time is the time people actually spend watching your videos.
YouTube is also included viewer satisfaction and responsibility data
so they can try to assess the quality of watch time.
So this is an effort to maximize viewers enjoyment on the platform.
So they keep coming back and at the same time minimize
the spread of misinformation or harmful content.
So they largely do this
through surveys and feedback from viewers on the actual video.
So the fourth thing to know is that there really isn't just one YouTube algorithm.
It's a collection of different decision models personalized
to the viewer and the perceived intent of the viewer at the time.
They do have different decision models for search suggested home,
the trending tab, the subscription tab and notifications.
So in this video, I'm just going to cover the basics for search
and suggested since it's the easiest to optimize for.
But let me know in the comments below if you want me to do a deep dive
on any of the sections So for search, when someone is searching for a video,
they're actively giving YouTube information about what they want.
So YouTube is then trying to find the video
that will have the highest chance of matching with the viewers
looking for and will keep them interested.
So YouTube themselves have said that they are not just looking
for videos with fully optimized titles and descriptions.
They're also factoring in viewer signals like watch time
of a particular video for a particular query.
So that last part is really important if YouTube recommends
your videos for a specific search term.
And people respond well to it.
YouTube will continue to recommend those videos for the specific query.
Now for suggested YouTube is trying to determine what videos
someone is most likely to watch after the video they're currently watching.
So this is going to include videos
that are typically watched together, videos that have related topics,
and also videos based on the viewer's watch history.
So it is a personalized recommendation.
So this does work similar to other video platforms like Netflix.
So if you watch Wonder Woman, you may want to watch the sequel or watch
another superhero film or watch something related to what you watched last week.
So for suggested as a creator, it's a good idea to plan for videos
that naturally work together and link to playlists at the end of your videos.
This is going to increase the chances of YouTube suggesting those videos together.
So the fifth thing to know is that YouTube doesn't hate smart creators.
So this is something that seems to come up pretty often on YouTube.
A lot of creators with small channels feel like the algorithm is out
to get them or that the algorithm hates them.
And that's just not the case.
YouTube just has a lot more data about larger channels and videos
with millions of views.
But if you're creating videos
that people enjoy all the way through and you're keeping people on the platform.
Your channel will grow and your content will be recommended by the platform.
YouTube is optimizing for viewers
and you should be doing the same with your videos.
So I recommend making sure that you're creating videos with a specific niche
and not just randomly switching between different topics.
Make sure it's very clear what your video is about in
your thumbnail, your title, and the description of your video,
and then also analyze your audience retention.
If people are dropping off quickly in your video,
it's going to be really hard for you to build up that watch time,
which is one of the most important factors in ranking on YouTube.
And of course, try to keep people on the platform
instead of sending them away to another site.
If you want to learn more ways
to grow your channel and how to be more successful on YouTube.
Click on that link video clip that video, and I'll see you in the next episode.