How YouTube Algorithm Works? 25 Facts
In this post, we are going to examine YouTube algorithm and how it works to sort out results. Obviously, you should not expect detailed hard computer science in this post. The science behind how the algorithm is programmed is a closely guarded secret known only by the site’s engineers.
However, it is possible to understand the philosophy behind how YouTube works to rank videos. Here are the facts behind the YouTube algorithm.
1. The YouTube algorithm is more than a million lines of code. Besides that, it is constantly changing. Thus, it is important for you to keep yourself updated on the changes being made to it by reading tech blogs.
2. YouTube no longer ranks videos according to the view count. Nowadays, the algorithm mainly ranks videos according to watch time. Otherwise, new videos would never be seen by viewers.
3. Title optimization leads to high rankings. Only the first 70 or so characters of your title appear in the search engine. Use those characters wisely.
4. The video description is used to rank videos in the YouTube algorithm. Ensure you use the description wisely and fill it with as many relevant long tail keywords as possible without resulting to black hat techniques.
5. The algorithm favors videos that drive traffic to other videos within YouTube. Thus, you should make good use of the annotations feature in YouTube if you wish to improve your rankings.
6. The algorithm by YouTube ranks playlists differently from single videos. Thus, create playlists of multiple videos on YouTube if you want to boost your visibility. They are quite easy to create.
7. The algorithm ranks videos with the sharing feature higher. Thus, you should enable sharing on all your videos on the site. Besides that, it is an opportunity for you to get free traffic to your site.
8. YouTube ranks videos by their quality. The site has various metrics that it uses to ranks videos. These include interactions, comments, ratings, and retention. If your videos are of good quality, YouTube will conduct an analysis that will lead to better ranking.
9. YouTube uses the video filename to rank videos. Use this ranking factor wisely because it works in a similar manner to image metadata optimizing.
10. YouTube ranks channels that have repeat viewers better. Thus, you must upload fresh content often if you want the algorithm to keep improving your rankings.
11. YouTube promotes topic-specific channels better. Thus, a personality-based channel is likely to have higher views since its topic is quite specific. If a channel has already become successful based on a certain topic, it is best not to attempt to experiment with other topics.
12. Misleading thumbnails will generate lower rankings in the YouTube algorithm. If you use a picture of boobs, for instance, it leads to higher bounce rates. It will indicate to YouTube that your video is of lower quality.
13. The algorithm uses captions to rank your videos. Thus, if you use the caption, it is an opportunity for you to include more search terms. Ensure that the captions are accurate or they could affect the video’s ranking negatively.
14. The algorithm uses video responses to rank your videos. Thus, if you get a popular video, you can make a response to it. YouTube will place it directly underneath your current video. It encourages further viewing on your channel.
15. YouTube algorithm uses video length to rank videos. Thus, if you make a video that is less than five minutes, it is unlikely to get good ratings.
16. The algorithm ranks channels with more subscribers better. Thus, you must encourage your viewers to subscribe to your channel after each video.
17. The auto-caption feature will negatively affect your videos. The feature is affected by accents and generates irrelevant words. Thus, your videos could appear in unintended search results, which lead to high bounce rates and thus low rankings.
18. A routine upload schedule will lead to good rankings. Your subscribers will know when to expect your next video, and they will thus be waiting for you to upload it. The longer a video goes without garnering views, the worse its rankings get.
19. The algorithm uses embedded video interactions to rank your videos. Even when the videos are not on YouTube, the site still keeps track of them, which influences how they rank your channel.
20. Responses are an important factor in the YouTube ranking algorithm. Respond to people who comment on your videos to boost your rankings in YouTube.
21. Paid promotions will boost your ranking. When you first upload a video, you should pay for it. As the views pile up, the algorithm will notice and give you a boost.
22. The number of shares a video gets to other social networks boosts its ranking. Encourage sharing on all social networks. YouTube will notice and rank you better.
23. The algorithm is averse to black hat techniques. For instance, keyword stuffing is a bad move on YouTube. The site could blacklist your channel.
24. The algorithm discourages duplicate content. If you try that, you could get reported for using other people’s content, and the channel could be closed down.
25. Tags are important for ranking your video. For the best results, use at least ten tags for each video.