Let's learn about YouTube algorithms!

Have you ever heard the phrase, "The unknown YouTube algorithm led me here"? Most people have had the experience of discovering videos or YouTubers aligned with their preferences, all thanks to the YouTube algorithm. In fact, the YouTube algorithm plays a pivotal role on the platform, with YouTube's Chief Product Officer, Neal Mohan, mentioning in a 2019 interview that 70% of YouTube watch time is driven by recommendation algorithms. Given its significance, many are curious about the workings of the YouTube algorithm.

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The algorithm assists viewers in discovering content they might be interested in, prioritizing and recommending videos to suitable audiences. For content creators, understanding and effectively utilizing this algorithm is crucial for building a successful YouTube channel. Therefore, today we'll explore various components of the YouTube algorithm and discuss how individuals can leverage it to maximize their channel's performance.

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🤔 What is the YouTube Algorithm?

The YouTube algorithm is a feature powered by YouTube's artificial intelligence, often referred to as the 'YouTube bot.' Its primary purpose is to help users discover relevant content by ranking and recommending videos to the appropriate audience. Content creators can harness the algorithm to build successful channels by ensuring their content aligns with its principles.

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👉 In essence, the algorithm aims to fulfill users' desires, provide enjoyment, and deliver curated video content.

However, creating a successful channel is not always straightforward, as the YouTube algorithm is continually evolving and challenging to decipher due to its complexity and constant changes.

YouTube is one of the most popular social media platforms, alongside Facebook, boasting around 2 billion users after being acquired by Google. Since the acquisition, YouTube's algorithm has solidified its position as one of the largest search engines.

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The YouTube algorithm has a unique design and interface, aiming to enhance creators' channel performance by improving watch time and engagement. YouTube continually monitors the activity of channel viewers, and each video and channel has its unique analytical data.

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However, understanding YouTube's algorithm can be challenging compared to other social media platforms due to its emphasis on keywords and competition-based search engine ranking. So, let's dive into the workings of the algorithm and provide tips for creating content that aligns well with it!

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💡 Basic Principles of the YouTube Algorithm

Before delving into creating content that aligns with the algorithm, it's essential to grasp the basic principles of how it operates. Creators, influencers, and businesses can use this algorithm to grow their channels easily. The algorithm is driven by six main components:

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1️⃣ Search:Search is one of the most crucial categories for creators to recognize. YouTube ranks videos based on the title, description, and appropriate keywords, analyzing the content to determine its ranking. Viewers searching for a specific topic (e.g., mukbang videos) cearch results. Optimizing titles, descriptions, and keywords increases the likelihood of videos appearing in search results, ean find options related to that topic in the sspecially if the channel has high rankings in terms of watch time, etc.

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2️⃣ Home:Videos appear on a viewer's YouTube home page based on their preferences. YouTube collects viewer activity information to recommend videos tailored to their interests.

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3️⃣ Suggested Videos:Most people watch videos recommended by YouTube. The platform calculates videos' recommendations based on factors such as engagement rates of similar viewers, the popularity of specific channels, and the number of times YouTube has previously recommended them. The algorithm continuously ranks videos based on performance.

However, relying solely on view counts to select suggested videos led to clickbait content issues. To address this, YouTube started enhancing its recommendation algorithm. Although the exact algorithm is not known to anyone outside of YouTube, examining Google's published paper on recommendation algorithms and video selection algorithms provides insights into the general principles of the YouTube algorithm. It is broadly categorized into collaborative filtering and content-based filtering.

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✔️ Collaborative Filtering:Predicts interests based on preference information obtained from users. Collaborative filtering can be divided into user-based recommendation and item-based recommendation. User-based recommendation groups users with similar tastes to recommend videos, while item-based recommendation analyzes content itself. For example, if User A consistently watches videos of Nujabes' "Hype Boy," the algorithm might deduce that the user likes content related to Nujabes or the "Hype Boy" video.

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✔️ Content-Based Filtering:Recommends content with similar characteristics to content a user has watched. It analyzes the content itself. Suppose, in this example, User A's continuously watched videos are analyzed, and the algorithm deduces that the user likes content related to Nujabes or videos titled "Hype Boy."

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4️⃣ Trending:Trending videos appear as new content on the trending category. This category classifies videos into four different types, and videos are ranked based on watch time and growth rate. It's one way content creators can quickly grow their channels. While YouTube provides real-time trending videos, Bling's YouTube Popular Videos category also offers information on past popular videos, which could be beneficial.

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5️⃣ Subscriptions:The number of subscribers also influences the YouTube algorithm. When viewers subscribe to a channel, the algorithm recommends videos from that channel whenever new content is uploaded. Encouraging subscribers and likes helps retain loyal subscribers, increasing the video's activity.

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6️⃣ Notifications:Notifications are an excellent way for content creators to capture viewers' interest. YouTubers often mention likes, subscriptions, and notifications in videos and descriptions, encouraging interaction with viewers.

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🧐 How to Activate Your YouTube Channel Using the Algorithm?

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In the process of algorithm operation, SEO (Search Engine Optimization), watch time, and engagement play crucial roles. YouTube ranks videos based on these three factors, making it essential for creators to analyze their channel, understand their audience's preferences, and create new high-performing content.

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However, the YouTube algorithm is continually evolving. Competitors like Netflix and TikTok also aim to keep users engaged on their platforms. Therefore, instead of solely focusing on the current algorithm, it's vital to concentrate on the essence of why the algorithm exists. Creating content that can penetrate this essence is more critical than ever, as relying on clickbait content that targets the algorithm might not be as effective.

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To achieve this, creators should focus on producing high-quality content that their channel subscribers would enjoy. Analyzing the best-performing content among previously uploaded videos and considering how to improve future content based on viewers' responses is crucial.

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For those who have just started uploading content, benchmarking against videos that have received algorithmic recommendations can be beneficial. 

"Algorithm Video Search" feature in popular 

YouTube-related search engines allows you to explore videos selected by the algorithm. 

Analyzing popular videos can provide insights into how they attracted clicks using titles and thumbnails, retained viewers through content plots and subjects, and continued appearing in recommended videos.

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