Understanding YouTube algorithms will help you be more proactive in the process of deploying content and increasing the chance of your videos being recommended. So what is the latest Youtube algorithm content and how to make the most of it? Let’s find out with Ecomobi in the following article!
What is the YouTube algorithm?
The YouTube algorithm is a complex system designed to optimize the user experience by recommending the most relevant videos based on their interests and behavior. The algorithm operates at multiple levels, from the homepage to the suggested videos section, to the Trending page, to search results, and more recently, to Shorts. Its goal is to increase watch time and engagement on the platform by predicting which videos users are most likely to watch longer or engage with.
Latest Youtube Algorithm Update
The YouTube 2024 algorithm has made significant changes, creating a fairer playing field for everyone. Specifically, as follows:
- Prioritize new channels: this makes it easier for your videos to reach audiences right from the start. No more “sleeping” for months like before, you will have the opportunity to be known by more people.
- Target exactly what users want to see: The most obvious example is the birth of YouTube Short. Originally a platform known for long videos, YouTube also does not hesitate to change to meet trends and changes in user behavior. Therefore, quality videos with high completion rates and good interaction rates will always be favored by YouTube algorithms.
- Focus on personalizing the user experience: This algorithm will analyze users’ interests and video viewing behavior to predict the content they are most likely to be interested in, providing appropriate videos to keep users engaged as long as possible.
- The geographic location of the content creator: time of day or language of the video also affects YouTube’s algorithm.
Core factors affecting the YouTube algorithm
- Average watch time: YouTube’s algorithm relies on many factors to recommend videos. Of which, average watch time and average percentage viewed are two very important factors. These two parameters accurately reflect the level of interest and love of viewers for video content and at the same time show the appeal of the video – something that YouTube highly values because it is related to the audience experience.
- User interaction: Likes, comments, shares, and click-through rates are strong signals for the algorithm.
- Content consistency: Channels with clear, consistent content formats are often easier to recommend. Channels that are diverse but lack focus often have a hard time building a loyal following.
How does the YouTube algorithm affect how YouTube videos are recommended?
Home page
This is the page that users will see first, so to keep users on YouTube, you have to suggest videos on topics that users are most interested in and interested in.
YouTube personalizes completely based on viewing history, engagement habits, and the popularity of videos with similar viewers. This means your content needs to be compelling from the start. According to reports, compelling titles and thumbnails can increase click-through rates (CTR) by 2 times.
Suggested video
YouTube’s algorithm favors videos that are relevant or that users have previously interacted with. To take advantage, YouTubers should focus on creating playlists, using the “End Screen” feature to suggest other videos on the channel, or linking to featured videos in the comments to keep viewers engaged. According to research, channels that strategically create themed playlists get up to 25% more video-to-video traffic than channels that don’t create themed playlists.
YouTube Shorts
The YouTube Shorts algorithm is similar to the Tiktok algorithm – that is, it follows a distribution model. Specifically, the algorithm will initially introduce the video shorts to a small group of potential viewers, and if it achieves a high engagement rate (e.g. 80% retention rate for a 15-second video), it will then be shown to a wider audience. Therefore, it is important to make the content attractive from the first second.
Trending tab
Designed to show the most popular videos in each country, based on total views, view growth rate, and view source. This is a good place for entertainment content (music, games, movies) or news.
How to get videos suggested on YouTube continuously and permanently
Thumbnail and attractive title
This is a key factor in increasing CTR, but avoid “clickbait” titles that disappoint and reduce watch time. You can review this metric in Youtube Studio ⮕ Analytics ⮕ Reach ⮕ Thumbnail CTR.
Compare different videos, including videos with high views and videos with low views, to get the most objective assessment
Increase viewer completion rate and engagement
These are two factors that the YouTube algorithm highly values because they focus on the audience experience. To do this, the quality of the content is the deciding factor. You need to research the topic thoroughly, create an attractive script, do professional editing, upload high-quality videos, etc.
In addition, responding to comments and encouraging sharing helps increase positive signals for the video.
Use YouTube shorts
Shorts is a big push by YouTube, making short videos more accessible to users. Videos in this format not only gain a lot of views quickly but can also attract more viewers to the main channel. Suitable content can be quick tips, highlights of long videos, or viral trends.
Start a video series
Creating videos with tightly-knit themes will encourage viewers to watch more, increasing their “session time.” This helps the algorithm prioritize recommending more videos from your channel.
Some suggestions:
- Add related videos, videos with the same topic, or the most viewed videos to a playlist (Playlist)
- Use the End Screen feature to suggest related videos to your audience
- Pin featured videos in the comments or mention them in the description.
“Warm up” your channel using the Community Tab tool
Interact through the Community Tab by announcing a video release, an event, or posting a poll, photo, or question. This keeps your audience connected and increases engagement, which the YouTube algorithm values. Additionally, you can use this tab to learn about content and topics that your audience is interested in.
Combine Influencer Marketing or Collaboration
Collaborating with other content creators in the same field helps expand the audience. A video combined with 1 or more other creators not only brings in new viewers (taking advantage of the viewership of the creator you collaborate with) but also adds appeal and appeal to your channel. This is one of the fastest ways to increase YouTube views and also increases the rate of video completion and regular channel subscriptions from readers without running ads – “killing two birds with one stone” by accurately taking advantage of the YouTube algorithm.
How to get your videos recommended on Youtube – Produce videos based on viewers’ needs/interests
You can use tools like Google Trends or go to YouTube Studio Analytics and look at things like:
- Top content: these are the videos on your channel that have the most views, you can use this to continue producing videos with the same niche/topic)
- Channels that your audience watches: follow YouTube channels with the same niche/content as your channel and see if they are implementing any content to get new ideas for your videos.
- Content your audience watches.
- Videos that help grow your audience
Note: Even if you work on the same topic, if your video approaches it from a new angle evaluates other aspects, or just has a different style of interpretation, editing (sound/image) will also increase the chance of the video being recommended on YouTube.
Create headlines that ask questions or solve problems
Titles that contain a question or problem that needs to be solved will stimulate curiosity and attract clicks. For example, “How to effectively increase YouTube views?” or…. This not only helps increase CTR (Click Through Rate) but also keeps viewers watching longer if the video solves the problem they care about.
How to Get Back Recommendations for a YouTube Channel That Lost Recommendations
Whether you are new to learning how to do YouTube or someone who has been making money on YouTube for a long time, losing recommendations or views on your YouTube channel is always the most common problem.
Why is your channel losing recommendations and views?
Your previous videos all had stable views, even increasing steadily. But the videos uploaded after that have decreased in views. So what is the cause of this “headache”? This can be explained by the following reasons:
- YouTube algorithm changes: As mentioned above, YouTube is now prioritizing new channels, so large channels or channels that have monetized may have their recommendations reduced, leading to a sudden drop in views.
- Overuse of SEO: Inserting too many keywords into descriptions, tags, and hashtags makes YouTube consider it spam, an act of attracting audiences, and deceiving search engines => losing recommendations
- Poor quality, unengaging content: Low average view duration and average % viewed.
The solution to get videos recommended on Youtube
In these cases, the solution will be almost similar to the content mentioned above. However, there will be some more precise and specific solutions as follows:
- Optimize titles and thumbnails to improve click-through rates (CTR) – the most important factor in attracting viewers.
- Don’t overdo SEO: YouTube SEO is no longer as important as before, but it still works if you do it right. You just need to focus on attractive, engaging titles. YouTube’s algorithm no longer prioritizes tags, hashtags, and descriptions, so you can ignore them. If you need to use them, don’t put more than 3 hashtags
- Channel analysis: Review and analyze metrics such as average view duration, average % viewed, reach, etc. to come up with appropriate solutions.
- Reduce video posting frequency: If you post too many videos, YouTube may mistake it for spam. Therefore, you can try reducing the number of videos and check if the drop in views improves.
- Re-research the topic: if you initially built a channel based on a trend or a hot topic but over time the level of interest decreases, leading to a decrease in views, you should re-research the topic and BUILD A NEW CHANNEL (YouTube’s algorithm is prioritizing newer channels).
- Post videos that are 30 minutes or longer and note that the video content must be high quality and attractive to increase viewing time (otherwise it will be counterproductive).
- Do not edit old videos (including changing titles, removing/adding tags, etc.) to avoid losing recommendations completely.
- Finally, be persistent and do not get discouraged: The process of getting recommendations back takes a long time, it can take several months. Please comply with the latest YouTube monetization policies and Community Guidelines, and always focus on video quality.
Tip: By nature, every social platform wants to attract as many users as possible to stay. The motto of creativity is to put the audience at the center. Instead of “gaming” the system, content creators should still focus on the interests and needs of the audience. Replace the question from “How do I beat the algorithm?” with “How do I please my audience?”.
With this, you will be truly motivated to create content that is of the best value to viewers, increasing satisfaction to promote longer-term retention.
Building a successful YouTube channel requires a combination of creativity, understanding your audience, perseverance, and a little luck. Define your goals, research your market, create quality content, and engage with your community. And don’t forget, the YouTube algorithm is just a tool, and the most important thing is that you create real value for your audience.
