'The Algorithm' - How YouTube Search & Discovery Works

Welcome to this series of videos on how YouTube's search & discovery system works. In this first installment, we talk about how our 'algorithm' follows the audience.

0:00 Introduction
0:11 What is the algorithm
0:44 How it works

With over 400 hours of video uploaded every minute, that can be a challenge. YouTube’s recommendation systems provide a real-time feedback loop to cater to each viewer and their varying interests. It learns from over 80 billion bits of feedback from the audience, daily, to understand how to serve the right videos to the right viewers at the right time. Our goal is to get people to watch more videos that they enjoy, so that they come back to YouTube regularly.

Creators often ask, “What kind of videos does the algorithm like most?” Our systems have no opinion about what type of video you make, and doesn’t favor any particular format. Rather, it tries its best to follow the audience by paying attention to things like:

• what they watch
• what they don’t watch
• how much time they spend watching
• likes and dislikes
• ‘not interested’ feedback

Instead of worrying about what the algorithm likes, it’s better to focus on what your audience likes instead. If you do that and people watch, the algorithm will follow. So, which videos do they enjoy most? How often do they like to watch your channel? Check your YouTube Analytics to answer these questions.

Whether you’re pursuing a passion or a business, we strive to give every video a chance to reach its potential audience. We realize however that YouTube has a lot of features, and it can be easy to get confused. Keep watching to learn about six key places where your videos appear, and what you can do to improve your chances for success: Search, Suggested Videos, Home, Trending, Subscriptions, and Notifications, in no particular order.

[THESKELETONKINGBUTBETTER]

The algorithm is literally killing every smaller channel

[maarcuslau]

I hope every creator here finds success in 2024 ❤

[roadsure]

For small channels who's channels are dead or they don't get any views at all. Here is how you can get more impressions than you normally do. When you post a new video, send its title to your close friends and ask them to search it in latest videos, and the play your videos, complete and then in middle or near to end hit like and drop a comment. If all small channels can make 8-10 people's do the on the vary 1st day of publish, algorithm automatically spread it more then normal like 1k-10k extra impressions, rest will depend on your thumbnail, and quality of content and niche. But this will bring you some extra reach which will help you grow if your content has the potential.

[EnglishEars-]

Youtube suggested me this video in my weekly analysis so that i can watch it and cry while youtube keep crushing my videos for no reason😊

[BRIANACARLY]

I really expected something more up to date when YouTube studio suggested this 😂😂😂

[WPressDoctor]

2017: "The Algorithm follows the audience" ⌛2022: "The audience follows the algorithm"

[Realidadesinistra]

Só devo agradecer o YouTube, pois já estou com 96k de inscritos e o YouTube vem entregando meus shorts

[myonedayhops]

There are so many videos out there, it's really hard to stand out but we can hope for the best. Good luck, everyone! 🎉

[DOCTORCHANDUS]

6 years ago?? And you youtube is referring me to this video in a news letter? What a joke

[Orf]

1:15 "If people love your videos, the algorithm will surface them to others."

[MalavyDiaries]

Joining YouTube over a year and finally I really know how to film myself . I am 4 years away from my 40s, I hope to see myself grow on this platform in the next 4 years

[Hasikidhoom]

The hardest thing about youtube is making the algorithm like you...

[SuperiorJamTracks]

If the algo knows me so well then why does it constantly show me either $shit I am not at all interested in OR something I already watched??

[HowToTechTV]

It is unfair that it recommended videos with large fanbases. With the same search term, I can only search for the videos with fanbase larger than 100k in the top results, but the video with the same content, with smaller fanbase, it is more difficult to discover it. This is the only bad thing in youtube's search algorithm. This is also the cause of smaller channels grow slower.

[seputarsepur]

The more minutes your 1 video being watched the more increase your algorithm.... so it is about your quality and how good your content of your video..

[virtualtrucker]

YT keeps suggesting this every week, so I watch it and weep every time. Lol

[Orf]

0:20 "A sophisticated algorithim to match each viewer with the videos they're most likely to watch and enjoy"

[NiltraGaming]

The youtube algorithm is like a barrier to every small channels

[ashfaqahmadabbasi]

Thanks much YouTube for providing wonderful platform. I am enjoying here to spread the message of respect, peace, love, truth, happiness, unity, compassion, kindness and love through education which is the need of our Mother Earth for making it more beautiful, , more peaceful and more lovely.
Thanks much all with respect.

[Bawabeats]

I think this is a great lesson for the creators that YouTube tells us. Stay on top of your creations so that we can deliver better content to people ...My prayers for the new sub-createds and for the YouTube family and for the YouTube team....