How Does The YouTube Algorithm Work In 2023?

It’s no secret that the YouTube algorithm is constantly changing. In order to keep up, you need to be aware of what changes are being made and how they’re affecting your viewers.

In this blog post, we’ll discuss some of the most important aspects of the YouTube algorithm in 2022 and how you can make sure your content is being seen by as many people as possible.

Keep reading to learn more!

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What Is The YouTube Algorithm?

The YouTube Algorithm is a computer program that determines which videos are shown on the home page, in search results, and in the recommended video sections. It is constantly changing to provide users with the best possible experience.

One important thing to remember is that there isn’t simply “one” YouTube algorithm. There are actually multiple algorithms that YouTube uses for different segments of its website, including the home page, suggested videos, search, and most recently, shorts.

How Does The YouTube Algorithm Work In 2022?

The YouTube algorithm uses a variety of factors to determine which videos to show. These include:

• Views: The more views a video has, the more likely it is to be shown.
• Watch Time: The longer someone watches a video, the more likely it is to be shown.
• Comments: The YouTube algorithm takes into account how many comments a video has as well as what those comments say.
• Shares: How often a video is shared on social media can also affect how it’s ranked.
• Tags: The YouTube algorithm uses the tags associated with a video to determine its content.
• Description: The YouTube algorithm also looks at the video’s description to get an idea of what it is.
• Click-Thru Rate (CTR): YouTubes algorithm uses the CTR (click-thru rate) to determine how interested users are in a video.
• Location: Videos that are popular in certain locations may be shown more often than others.

The Top YouTube Ranking Factor

As I mentioned earlier, the YouTube Algorithm is constantly changing. Today YouTube values Viewer Satisfaction above all else.

Viewer Satisfaction takes into account the percentage of video watched, likes vs dislikes, comments, shares, and if the viewers watch additional videos afterward.

This means that if you want your videos to rank well, you need to keep viewers happy and engaged.

When you get viewer satisfaction right, there are three main places where you’ll see your videos can start to perform well. The YouTube Home Page, Suggested Videos, and Search.

I’ll discuss each one of these in more detail below.

How Content Ranks On The YouTube Homepage

When the YouTube algorithm selects videos to put onto the homepage it takes two ranking signals into account, performance, and personalization.

Performance is how well the video’s metrics are performing. This includes CTR, average view duration, comments, likes, and dislikes.

Personalization is how well the video matches what the viewers have historically watched.

So, for example, if you watch a lot of cooking videos, YouTube will start to show you more cooking videos on the home page.

Therefore for you to get your videos to show up on a viewer’s home page, you’ll need to outperform (based on actual metrics) any other videos in your niche. But at the same time, you’ll also need to make sure your video is tailored to what viewers have historically watched.

Two of the biggest factors when it comes to your YouTube content hitting the home page are your Thumbnail and Title.

How To Create A Clickworthy Thumbnail

Your thumbnail is typically the first thing that viewers see when they’re looking for a new video to watch.

This means that if you want your video to be successful, you need to make sure your thumbnail is eye-catching and accurately represents the quality content of your video.

Some tips for creating a good thumbnail are:

• Use bright colors
• Use interesting graphics, images, or faces with emotions
• Make sure the text is easy to read
• Keep it simple
• Few words

How To Create An Effective Video Title

Your title is the second thing a potential viewer will see. In order for your video to rank well on the home page, you need to make sure your title stands out and piques interest.

Your title should be:

• Short (under 60 characters)
• Informative
• Interesting
• Unique

How YouTube Ranks The Suggested Video Section

When someone watches a video on YouTube, the YouTube algorithm starts to think about what other videos they might want to watch.

It does this by looking at the Watch Time of the video that was just watched, as well as the videos that are often watched after the current video.

From this, it will create a list of videos called “Suggested Videos”.

Typically, suggested videos are topically related and include content from a YouTube creator the user has watched previously.

This is why it’s good practice to double down on any high-performing videos. Create a sequel or even a full-blown playlist to keep people going from one of your videos to the next.

Some other great ways to get YouTube recommendations for your videos include:

• Using the right keywords in your titles and descriptions
• Including cards or end screens that promote other videos
• Collaborating with other creators in your niche
• Creating series or playlists

Getting a recommendation from YouTube on your videos can quickly help your channel reach a wider audience. While it takes a bit of strategy to nail recommendation on YouTube, your efforts are returned ten-fold when done properly.

How YouTube Ranks Content in Search

When someone types a query into the YouTube search bar, the YouTube algorithm looks at a variety of factors to determine which videos to show.

Some of these factors include:

• The title of the video
• The description of the video
• The tags associated with the video
• The view count of the video
• How long people have been watching the video
• The number of likes and dislikes the video has
• The number of comments the video has

All of these factors are weighed against each other to determine which videos show up in search.

Showing up in a search result is more relevant for tutorial-style content. It can be more predictable to master this side of the YouTube algorithm once you understand how search engine optimization works.

Search engine optimization or SEO is the practice of optimizing a video to rank higher in search engine results.

There are many tactics you can use to improve the YouTube SEO of your videos, including identifying the right keywords with keyword research, crafting your title and description and tags properly, and even adding closed captions to your videos.

Keyword Research

Keyword research is the process of finding the right keywords to target for your video.

It’s important to do some research and find keywords that have a high search volume, but that is also relevant to your content and don’t have too many competitors.

You can use a number of different tools to help you with this process, including Tubebuddy, VidIQ, and MorningFame.

How YouTube #Shorts Works

A YouTube Short is a video that is 60 seconds or less in length. This is YouTube’s venture into short-form video to compete with other social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels.

In fact, as I write this users spend longer on average on TikTok than YouTube. Overall, YouTube has more watch time as there are more users on YouTube than TikTok but YouTube knows short form is increasing in popularity.

YouTube shorts was released in beta in August of 2019. The algorithm for shorts is still being tweaked but creators who have uploaded shorts say that the algorithm is completely different than homepage, suggested, and search.

The key to success with shorts is to be creative and have a great hook early on in the video.

Some of the best shorts are those that make you laugh or are shocking. There is less emphasis on SEO and more on grabbing attention right away and holding it all the way until the end of the short.

External Factors That Impact The YouTube Algorithm

If you’re wondering if there’s any way to increase the chance that your videos get more views outside of just creating good content and hoping YouTube picks them up, then you’re in luck!

There are many external factors that impact your video’s performance and the overall YouTube algorithm.

• Promoting your YouTube videos on social media.
• Paid advertising to promote your videos on YouTube.
• Emailing your most recent videos to your email list.
• Working with another content creator can help expose your content to new audiences.

All of these are great ways to increase the chances that people will see your videos and, as a result, watch them.

Tips To Improve Your Organic Reach On YouTube

Now that you know how the YouTube algorithm works, here are some tips to improve the organic reach of your videos.

• Start with keyword research (for educational style videos)
• Create high-quality videos with good quality audio and video
• Hook viewers early on in the video by either creating suspense or letting them know what they can expect to learn
• Make sure the video content is relevant to your desired audience
• Don’t combine audiences into one YouTube channel
• Add cards and an end screen to your videos
• Make sure your title, description, and tags are all optimized
• Engage with viewers in the comments section
• Upload videos regularly.

Frequently Asked Questions

How and what’s the YouTube algorithm?

The YouTube algorithm is a computer program that determines what videos to show a user on the homepage, in suggested videos, and in search results. The algorithm takes into account a variety of factors including the title, description, tags, views, likes, and shares of a video.

What is the YouTube algorithm based on?

The YouTube algorithm is based on a variety of factors, including the title, description, tags, views, likes, and shares of a video. The algorithm also takes into account the user’s watch history and what other videos they’ve watched.

Are YouTube shorts important?

Yes, YouTube shorts are important. They are a way for YouTube to compete with other short-form video platforms like TikTok and Reels.

I’ve found that creators who create shorts-only channels can gain exposure quickly. It really depends on whether you prefer to create longer videos versus shorter ones.

What type of video content works best on YouTube?

There is no one type of content that works best on YouTube. However, videos that are engaging and provide value tend to do better than those that don’t. In order to increase your viewers, you need to make sure your content is high quality and interesting to watch.

Are subscribers important to the YouTube algorithm??

Yes, subscribers are important to the YouTube algorithm. As your channel gains subscribers, the algorithm will start to rank your videos higher in search and suggested results. This means that you’ll get more exposure and, as a result, more views.

What are the best YouTube analytics to track?

The best YouTube analytics to track are: watch time, retention rate, subscribers, and average view duration. These analytics will give you a good idea of how well your videos are performing and what you can do to improve them.

Conclusion

If you’re looking to grow your YouTube channel and don’t know where to start, I’ve got just the thing for you. My free Swipe File With 100 Real Estate YouTube Video Topics will give you a head-start on creating great videos that people want to watch. It’s full of video ideas from real estate agents crushing it on YouTube so there is something in it for everyone.

Give me some feedback if this helped! I love hearing about how my content has been useful or what topics need more attention as well as any questions or comments below!