Learning The Youtube Algorithm

YouTube is on the rise for many and has become a popular marketing tool for businesses and creators alike. Its algorithm can provide fantastic results with the proper techniques if used appropriately.

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The YouTube algorithm helps viewers discover content that suits their needs, and it ranks and recommends videos to suitable viewers. Content creators can build a successful YouTube channel using this algorithm correctly. In this article, we will discuss the many components of the YouTube algorithm and how individuals can use it to maximize their channel's performance. Keep on reading to learn more!

What is the Youtube Algorithm?

Every content creator online desires to have a successful YouTube channel. However, creating a successful channel isn’t always as easy as it looks because the YouTube algorithm is always evolving and changing, which sometimes can be hard to understand.

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The YouTube algorithm is a social media platform that helps viewers find video content and inspirational channels for their own knowledge. The ultimate goal of the algorithm is to help viewers fulfill their desires, provide entertainment, answer their questions, and provide how-to video content. 

 YouTube is one of the most popular social media platforms to date, aside from Facebook, and has over 2 billion users today. Purchased by Google, the algorithm on YouTube is operated by one of the largest search engines available.

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The YouTube algorithm has an unique design and interface, which helps maximize a creator’s channel performance such as improved watch time and engagement. YouTube always monitors the activity of a channel’s audience and viewers, and each video and channel has unique analytics.

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Unfortunately, YouTube creators might have difficulties in mastering the algorithm compared to other social media platforms, such as Instagram and Facebook, because YouTube ranks content based on its search engine, which is highly focused on keywords and competition. Videos that are educational, entertaining, and exactly what the viewer wants often will perform better than most.

The Youtube Algorithm Has a Calculated Formula

YouTube is very straight forward on how its algorithm works, allowing creators, influencers, and businesses to use the algorithm to grow their channel with ease. Once one is properly educated on the algorithm, creators can easily grow their audience and subscriber base.

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The algorithm uses different categories within Youtube to help! The categories are:

✅Search: The search category is one of the most important categories to acknowledge as a creator. Your videos will be ranked based on their title, description, and content using appropriate keywords. When a viewer searches for a specific topic, such as a DIY video, specific options will appear on the platform based on their search. If your video has been optimized with appropriate keywords in your title, description, and otherwise, your video most likely will appear in the search results, depending on what the competition is and how your channel is ranked. If you have better rankings on your channel, such as a higher watch time, your videos will appear higher in the search over those who might not have previous analytics.

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✅Home: Videos will appear on a viewer’s home page based on their preferences. Youtube will take information from a viewer’s activity, similar to Instagram, and match videos on their homepage. This category is hard to control for content creators. However, the search category is much easier because they can optimize their content with keywords.

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✅Suggested Videos: Most people will watch videos that are recommended to them on YouTube. Only 30% of people will find content on their own, which is usually done via search. YouTube often suggests videos by calculating the engagement rate from similar viewers, how popular a specific channel is, and how many times YouTube has recommended a particular video beforehand. From there, videos are recommended and will continue to rank based off performance.

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✅Trending: Trending videos are new videos that will appear in the trending category. Within this category, videos are characterized into four different types and are ranked by the watch time and growth rate. Creating a trending video is a fantastic way for a content creator to grow their channel quickly.

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✅Subscriptions : The subscription page is also a popular page for viewers because new videos from a viewer’s favorite channels will appear in this category! Videos will receive rankings by view velocity, a fancy term describing how quickly subscribers view a content creator’s published content. If you have loyal subscribers, your channel might begin to increase.

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✅Notifications: Notifications are also a great way for content creators to keep their audience engaged, but they can be hard to hack without communicating to your viewers. Instead, content creators can mention or ask their viewers to subscribe and follow along with their videos and descriptions. 

How Can Youtube Creators Grow Their Channel With the Algorithm?

One of the primary reasons why people are interested in the YouTube algorithm is that it matters for content growth. Individuals can grow their channels quickly and their business can blossom, but content creators first must understand how.

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YouTube creators can grow their channel with the algorithm by creating content that their audience likes to watch, using tools to optimize their content. This platform ranks videos using targeted keywords via SEO, watch time, and engagement rate. Content creators can then learn what their audience likes through their analytics and create new content that performs well.

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Channels that have great content are channels that succeed. Sometimes, great content might look different to a creator than it does to an audience, which is why it is important that the creator knows what the audience likes. Creators can watch the success of certain videos and continue to create more of what their audience likes. 

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Other social media platforms might not work the way YouTube does. YouTube wants content creators to create great content rather than creating content to hack the system. This is the main reason why YouTube focuses on the engagement rate of a viewer. 

If you have viewers that watch your videos from start to finish and subscribe with notifications, you’re on the right track. Nevertheless, here are a few additional tools creators can use to grow their channel:

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✅Create consistent content in one niche.Similar to a blog, content creators should create consistent content that stays in one category. Viewers will begin to rely upon and look to you for a specific type of content and your watch time may increase. YouTube will also have an easier time ranking your channel and your videos this way.

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✅Write descriptions that help increase your SEO ranking.The algorithm will notice keywords and titles that you use, enhancing and recommending your video to the right people. You’ll want to make sure to use long-tail keywords that will rank well in your title, description, video tags, and more. Two great tools to help with your content research include KeyWords Everywhere and TubeBuddy.

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 ✅Create an engaging thumbnail.Thumbnails that have engaging text, bright colors, and an image of a person succeed well. Although this is not necessary, it can help attract viewers to click on your videos over your competition.

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✅Engage with your viewers.Although YouTube is not Instagram, engagement still matters. Comment on your videos, engage with your viewers, and the YouTube algorithm will notice it and reward you for it. 

Final Thoughts 

Even though the algorithm of YouTube changes over time, its ultimate goal always stays the same. This makes it easy for content creators on a long-term basis. If you’re seeking to grow your channel, try to remember the following:

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✔️ Engage your viewers and increase your watch time. 

✔️Create content that has great quality. 

✔️Use bright colors, text, and images of you or another in your thumbnail. 

✔️The algorithm is there to help you and your viewers. 

✔️You can succeed.

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At the end of the day, everyone wants your channel to grow. Have the confidence, use the algorithm, and head out into the world and create some fantastic videos. 

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