Information in this post was obtained from anecdotal observations, YouTube, Matt G. Southern at Search Engine Journal, and Creator Insider on YouTube
As someone obsessed with watching YouTube, I spend at least five hours a day clicking on one video after another, and it has always been a great time. Sometimes, I actually get disappointed because I ran out of content to watch about a specific topic or from a particular creator. However, religiously watching something while I eat, or putting on a video in the background as I study or cook always had me wondering how its algorithm worked.
It is a no-brainer to anyone that the algorithm changed over the years as YouTube evolved to what it is currently. Furthermore, it did not have a perfect system to start with, nor does it now. That may hold true for as long the platform exists, but all we can do is learn its factors and use them to our advantage. Understanding the algorithm as marketers, content creators, or just as viewers could have the impact that SEO did when it first became popular in business.
So What is YouTube's Algorithm?
Matt G. Southern over at Search Engine Journal explains how YouTube actually has more than just one algorithm, which makes sense. The one in question is the most mysterious algorithm that creators have clawed at understanding and utilizing to succeed on the platform, the recommendation system.
Multiple Algorithms! What!?
The YouTube Recommendation System operates two algorithms, the home page results and the suggested videos results. According to YouTube, this system is where most of YouTube's views come from.
Of course, it is designed to recommend to the viewers what it thinks they want to watch, instead of making sure every video on the platform finds views.
Differences Between Platforms
This system is what makes it difficult for a new creator to establish a following on the platform, as the less viewership you have, the less likely your videos would get pushed out to your target audience. In contrast, it is anecdotally reported that TikTok's algorithm is more likely to push out and promote new accounts, making it easier to find success there, over YouTube. This, however, is not always true as I have witnessed tons of small channels have their videos go viral or be recommended to me.
Isn't This Just Random, Though?
You might think, "This just sounds like winning the YouTube lottery and having videos go viral randomly." There definitely is an element of truth to that thought, and I have had the same one run through my head many times before as well. While random videos will continue to go viral randomly, it is essential to remember that many people had similar thoughts regarding Search Engine Optimization (SEO) before it became an entire area of study and expertise.
So if you aim to be smart about how you craft your videos to net out the most engagement, you too would see the promising future of understanding the algorithms of YouTube.
This conversation also extends to any other social media platform that uses similar recommendation systems such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitch. As well as my example of TikTok that I touched on above and will continue to dive deep into, through my next blog posts that you can check out here at the SMMU.
Resources
How YouTube works - product features, responsibility, & impact. YouTube. (n.d.). Retrieved March 22, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/howyoutubeworks/?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=int&utm_campaign=HYTW&utm_content=HYTWBPUS
Insider, C. (2021, April 16). Behind the algorithms. YouTube. Retrieved March 22, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Fn79qJa2Fc
Southern, M. G. (2021, April 27). 20 confirmed facts about YouTube's algorithm. Search Engine Journal. Retrieved March 22, 2022, from https://www.searchenginejournal.com/youtube-algorithm-facts/403984/
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