How to Optimize Youtube Algorithm for Your Channel in 2024?

Do you want to maximize the reach of your YouTube videos? Of course, who doesn’t! The good news is that optimizing them for the platform’s algorithm can help you do just that. With hundreds of hours of content uploaded daily, it’s easy to get lost in the noise — but with a few strategic tweaks, your videos can rise above it. In this blog post, we’ll discuss how to optimize YouTube Algorithm so you can increase views and engagement on your channel. Read on to learn more about which tactics are key for getting noticed by viewers and the algorithm alike.

YouTube is now the second-largest social networking site, with 500 hours of video uploaded every minute and over 2.6 billion monthly active users as of 2021. At first glance, YouTube might not seem like a social media platform but at its core, it is a social network where YouTubers can share videos with one another. What started out as a place to watch funny cat videos has grown into a huge empire of influencers who do almost anything, from makeup tutorials to video essays that are long enough to be in a feature film. YouTube, like all other platforms, uses a complicated algorithm to place videos in its lists and recommendations. If you follow the strategies to optimize the algorithm you can make good use of YouTube and monetize it. Alternatively, you may also hire the SEO services of a reputable company to do the job for you.

Also, Read: Top YouTube Searches in 2024

What is an Algorithm?

A specific set of rules or instructions that programs follow to complete particular tasks is known as an algorithm. These algorithms are all around us, and many people, whether they are aware of it or not, actually interact with them. The success of those who use these websites to make money is largely determined by these algorithms, as is the quality of their viewing experience.

For example, if a person or business were to market their products or businesses on Facebook, it would be very helpful to tailor their posts to specific criteria to reach a larger segment of their target audience. Their company’s success would increase as a result of this. YouTube is an example of the same.The video-creation and viewing website’s algorithm has a significant impact on everyone’s experience. Understanding the YouTube algorithm to increase views should be the top priority for site content creators in a website where views are currency.

What is Youtube Algorithm?

The purpose of YouTube’s algorithm is to optimize the sharing of the content that gets the most views and shares across the platform. The uploading of videos with a large number of views is the primary objective of YouTube’s algorithm. Your viewers will share your videos more frequently as they become accustomed to watching them. A more sophisticated form of optimization, on the other hand, is a component of what takes place behind the scenes on YouTube.

In order to make better recommendations, the algorithm is constantly trying to figure out how different viewers find videos on YouTube. For instance, assume you are making a progression of recordings that share a similar subject. All things considered, the calculation will understand what kind of video is doubtlessly shared across YouTube and change its suggestions appropriately. YouTube wants your video to be one of the videos that people want to watch over and over again. The objective of an uploaded video is to remain on a viewer’s “watch list” for as long as possible.

Youtube History

• 2005

In 2005, YouTube’s initial goals were to gain widespread acceptance. The most frequently clicked videos were those that were prominently featured and recommended. The seven-year period from 2005 to 2012 was devoted to counting viewers’ clicks. The video received more attention if it had more clicks. At first, the reasoning was sound. If a video got a lot of views and clicks, it meant that the content inside was good and engaging. This algorithm approach, on the other hand, raises the possibility of perceived issues.

The issue with counting clicks is that the video’s initial marketing or presentation may produce misleading results. The term “clickbait” is now used to describe this behavior. The thumbnail and title that content creators create will captivate and pique people’s curiosity enough to encourage them to click through. People would abruptly leave this clickbait-like video feeling disappointed after watching it. It took YouTube seven long years to realize that counting clicks was the wrong strategy. They came to the conclusion that merely counting clicks did not guarantee high-quality engagement.

• 2012

At some point, YouTube modified their algorithm.The YouTube team wanted to increase community interaction and engagement around this time. They accomplished this by introducing the algorithm rules and the Discovery section of YouTube. YouTube began to track people’s viewing duration or time spent watching specific videos rather than clicks.

This move improved the relevance of the videos that appeared on users’ accounts while also assisting the YouTube team in keeping people on their platform. At the same time, YouTube informed content creators that they did not need to think about the algorithm when making videos. Instead, they advised to simply make videos that they knew people would enjoy.

• 2016

Four years later, machine learning was first implemented in YouTube’s recommendation engine. In September of that same year, a paper called “Deep Neural Networks for YouTube Recommendations” written by a number of Google engineers attempted to explain how the new machine learning would affect YouTube’s algorithm. After this, YouTube was beginning to expand to enormous proportions. Although the previous method of recommending videos was effective when it was smaller, it was unable to keep up with the current scale. YouTube also needed to respond to the same number of new videos uploaded every second. The brand-new videos and user behaviors had to be taken into account by the new recommendation system. Finally, there was the user’s previous actions. For YouTube, it was difficult to arrive at any resolution from verifiable client conduct because there were numerous concealed variables in play.

In this algorithm, the candidate generation and ranking neural networks comprise the system as a whole. The user’s past and the context of their actions provide some assistance in the construction of these two neural networks. Candidate generation examines a user’s past and current activities. From there, they select a small number of videos that the system considers appropriate for recommendation. After that, the ranking neural network gives each video a score. The “best” list of videos that can be recommended to users is then provided by this. The feedback loop that is currently in use is of this kind. The user’s actions are closely monitored by the algorithm. It continually recommends particular videos based on that information to ensure that users remain on the platform for as long as possible.

How to Optimize Youtube Algorithms for Your Channel?

There are various factors that determine your success in making your channel rank higher in Youtube. Let us have a look at them.

Also, Read: How to Promote YouTube Videos and Channels for Free in 2024

• Search

The search results are the first metric the algorithm examines. YouTube is continually searching for recordings that individuals are looking for on a wide assortment of subjects pertinent to what you are posting your video on and how you are posting it. Make certain that your video appears in the search results.

• Make interesting content and make use of search terms that people use
• Make use of your video’s labels so that relevant searches can find them
• Use the most relevant search terms for your video title

YouTube’s suggestions for search results are mostly based on how relevant your video is to the user’s search and the keywords in the title and description of your video. When these results are shown, YouTube obviously wants to make sure that your video’s title and/or description contain the keyword or keywords that are similar to the ones the user searched for.

The user’s previous viewing history is also looked at by the YouTube algorithm. Past that, YouTube likewise takes a look at which videos have driven the most traffic for a specific search. There is more to search results than just a list of the most popular videos for a given query.

How to Optimize Search for Your Youtube Channel?

Write relevant extended descriptions for your videos that feature specific keywords in order to rank well in YouTube’s search results for those keywords. Also, don’t stuff your title or description with keywords or write content that has no connection to your video at all. Include the search terms that are most relevant to your videos. If necessary, write detailed video descriptions of one to two paragraphs in length.

By looking at the search results for popular and less competitive queries, you can even come up with fresh concepts for YouTube videos. Keep an eye out for opportunities to provide additional value to your target audience.

Also, read: 10 Best YouTube Analytics Tools to Use in 2024 (With Pros & Cons)

Recommended Videos

The recommended videos page is the second metric the algorithm examines. Your video will first be listed on a number of lists of related videos. It will then switch to a recommendation system based on past performance. The viewer’s previous viewing history serves as the foundation for the algorithm’s initial recommendation. The following questions help YouTube choose apt videos that can be recommended to viewers.

• Which kinds of videos have they viewed in the past?
• Do they listen to music the majority of the time?
• Do they watch video blogs?
• Which channels are they most likely to watch videos on?

The second part of this algorithm looks at how top videos interact with similar viewers (the ones you want to target). For instance, there might be a group of YouTube users who frequently listen to the music of the same band. They will then select the videos that this similar audience watches the most and give them high ratings when recommending videos of bands that are similar to them to other viewers.

The fact that YouTube’s recommendation algorithm does not repeatedly recommend the same channels or videos is a great feature. The algorithm will make recommendations based on the videos that viewers have already watched because it is aware that they are interested in watching multiple topics.

How to Optimize Your Youtube Channel to Get into Recommendations List?

It is suggested that the end screen of your videos include a strong call to action that suggests your next video in order to rank your videos in the “Recommended” section of YouTube’s interface. Although YouTube’s algorithm is intelligent, it is not human. It does not actually “watch” a video before making a recommendation. Instead, it uses metadata and user behavior analysis to make smart decisions. So optimizing your metadata is one of the important steps you can do in getting into the recommended section.

Tags are keywords that help people find your videos through search and recommendations on YouTube. When describing the factors that drive its YouTube recommendation engine, YouTube specifically makes use of the phrase “locally relevant news”. In a nutshell, you will have a better chance of receiving a recommendation from YouTube if your content centers on current topics that are of interest to your audience.

• Subscriptions

YouTube takes into account how many people have subscribed to your channel or whether they will continue to do so as you post more content. The algorithm examines your track’s subscriber growth and whether it is growing one day after your video was posted. The algorithm considers the number of daily new users and the level of audience engagement with your content. The following metrics are needed to be considered for this.

• If people watch your video for more than 30 seconds
• If people are watching it from a country that you are not in
• YouTube will raise your video’s rank if viewers continue till the end of it

Your core audience and biggest supporters are the subscribers or viewers who have chosen to see more of your videos. Keep in mind that subscribers can also find some of their subscription content on their homepage and in the Suggested Videos section.

YouTube uses view velocity to rank your video in the subscription tab results of a viewer.

View velocity is a number that measures the quantity of subscribers who watch your video just after it’s online. Depending on your view velocity, your videos will appear higher in the subscription tab of your viewer. Also, be aware that the subscriptions ranking algorithm takes into account more than just view velocity. When ranking your videos, YouTube also looks at how many followers your channel has.

How to Optimize Your Youtube Channel to Rank on Subscription Page?

Be sincere when you ask people to subscribe to your channel. Tell them about the advantages and how signing up for your channel will help you. Absolutely do not purchase subscribers. When viewers are feeling the most strongly, encourage them to subscribe to your channel. This can include things that happen after a big laugh or at the end of a scene.

Inform your subscribers about the location of your channel’s videos once they subscribe. If you post your videos when you think most people will be watching them, you might get more people to subscribe to your channel.

Comprehend that having a bigger number of supporters than views is normal. Your channel’s videos won’t be available to all of your subscribers. Utilize your concepts to create an original series of videos. Your viewers will be more likely to return to your channel for more exciting content as a result of this and subscribe to your channel. Keep in mind that when you upload particular videos, it is not unusual for some subscribers to unsubscribe. Perceive the number of watchers that are buying into your feed in YouTube Examination. To determine the impact of your content on your audience, compare the time spent watching it by subscribers to the time spent watching it by other traffic sources.

• Notifications

The algorithm surveys the content a client is watching. Your content, for instance, will not be ranked highly if it is displayed concurrently with other videos that it identifies as being similar. Based on what users watch in their daily lives and how frequently they do so, the algorithm will make recommendations to them.

When a new video is made available to the public, YouTube notifications are sent via email or mobile push alerts. They usually get people to your newly uploaded videos quickly, but in the long run, they may not drive the majority of traffic. YouTube only occasionally notifies subscribers of channels they watch, including many of the ones you subscribe to. Subscribers can tap the bell icon next to the Subscribe button if they want to be notified each time you upload a new video to your channel.

Your viewers have the option of receiving no notifications, some notifications, or all notifications from your channel. Asking your subscribers to tap the bell button that is located next to the subscribe button is the only way to optimize your videos so that they will appear in viewers’ notifications. YouTube has observed that viewers frequently opt out of notifications altogether when they receive an excessive number of them. YouTube restricts notifications to three per upload or live stream per channel per day.

How to Optimize Your Youtube Channel to Rank on Notifications?

The dedicated group of subscribers and fans who have tapped the bell icon deserve our gratitude. When you believe the majority of your viewers are awake and ready to watch, make your videos public. Keep an eye on the watch time that is generated whenever your channel appears in global notifications. It is accessible from your Traffic Sources in YouTube Analytics. If some of your subscribers have pressed the bell icon but are still not receiving notifications, you should ask them to check the YouTube notifications setting on their mobile device.

• Trending Videos

The algorithm looks at streams that are trending and other streams with similar content to yours. This is an improvement to the initial recommendation made by the algorithm based on similarities between video content. The algorithm looks at how the videos correlate on social websites like Twitter, Facebook, and blogs. It also looks at a few other things, like how popular they are in different countries and what kind of content they show.

YouTube aims to select videos for the trending feed that are both popular and novel. This rundown considers the absolute view count, particularly the pace of development in views where perspectives are coming from, and a few different signs too. Subsequently, the video with the most elevated everyday view count may not really be number 1 on the Moving rundown.

Creator On the Rise and Artist On the Rise are shows on the trending list. On these shows, emerging creators and artists are spotlighted for a full day each week. Trending videos never receive funding. This merely indicates that creators are unable to pay to have their videos included in the list of trending videos.

How to Optimize Your Youtube Channel to Rank on Trending Section?

Think about making videos that people will like and want to share. These videos have the potential to reach many different audiences in addition to your subscribers when they are made. Concentrate on metrics like the total number of uploaded videos, the increase in views, and the increase in subscribers. See how frequently your recordings show up on the trending section by checking YouTube Examination Traffic Sources.

• Homepage

The other metrics that YouTube examines are collected on the YouTube homepage. It will begin by examining the search results. It will then examine videos that are trending or similar to your own. The algorithm will then examine subscriptions to channels that are identical to yours, and then it will examine how your content compares to that of other users you might like.

As of late, YouTube has changed its calculation based on examining and following client conduct. The new algorithm looks at what viewers are likely to watch next in their “watch time” rather than just video views early in the video life cycle because they discovered that users prefer recommendations for content that is more engaging.

YouTube aims to provide each viewer with the most relevant and individualized recommendations possible. Non-subscribers can also easily find your channel and your videos there. Every day, more than 200 million distinct videos are displayed for viewers all over the world on the Home page. YouTube shows videos from subscribed channels, videos watched by similar viewers, new videos, and more when a user visits their home page.

The choice of these recordings depends on the overall quality of the video – how well did the video engage and satisfy viewers who are similar to you and watch and search history of the viewer – number of times each video has been shown to a viewer on YouTube and how frequently they watch videos related to a channel or topic. YouTube has also discovered that subscribers to a channel watch more videos from their home page than from the subscriptions tab.

How to Optimize Your Youtube Channel to Rank on Homepage?

Upload videos on a regular basis. Your audience will have a better idea when they can expect new videos to arrive on their homepage as a result of this. Your videos should keep viewers interested for a longer period of time and encourage them to return for more. Whether you upload one long video or several short ones, the longer your viewers keep watching your videos, the more the platform will show your content.

Keep making videos of a similar nature after you have created ones that your audience enjoys. This is because more of what viewers want to see is shown on YouTube. Do continue to analyze carefully to see what your crowd likes to see. Give your audience time to adjust by observing their comments.

Navigate to your YouTube Analytics Traffic Sources to view the frequency with which your channel appears domestically and globally. Avoid making content that goes against YouTube’s rules. Make sure your videos have accurate titles, tags that aren’t spammy and appropriate, and thumbnails that don’t give the wrong impression.

Factors Affecting Algorithm

• Format

In a matter of seconds, many well-known YouTube channels can be identified and described by format. Each channel has a predetermined format and covers a particular set of subjects. Many successful channels adhere to these practices, which become the channel’s identity. In fact, many YouTubers struggle to achieve success because they upload everything to a single channel. Numerous YouTubers have multiple channels where they host a variety of content.

Channel owners can expand not only their content but also their audience by consistently presenting a specific set of topics. The good thing about this is that if a particular channel’s video goes viral, it makes people interested in similar videos. Users might then fall down a rabbit hole of your other YouTube videos as a result. Additionally, if you have a number of videos on various subjects, you can find video editing software that not only assists you in editing your videos but also uploads them to any of your particular YouTube channels.

• Thumbnails

YouTube only implemented the viewing duration signal in an effort to eliminate videos that were clickbait-like. By focusing on your videos’ thumbnails, you can increase the number of clicks. A well-designed thumbnail can significantly increase clickthrough rates. There are a lot of videos on YouTube right now that have thumbnails depicting people’s empathetic faces. The reason for this is that these close-ups can demonstrate extremely complex emotions and of the fact that people respond well to faces. Three faces on a thumbnail is the minimum effective number.

You can also put thumbnails that have something going on on them if you don’t like how your face looks or want to do something different. However, keep in mind that these are not just routine acting shots. Action shots like these can make you feel something. You can apply a plethora of additional best practices to your thumbnails. In photography, for instance, you should adhere to the rule of thirds. It’s a composition technique that makes sure the photo looks good. You can even brand the thumbnails to match the branding of your channel by adding text to them.

• Video Description

Many people believe that the descriptive text beneath the video is just a place for all of the information about social media. The truth is that the algorithm greatly benefits from this description in getting your video recommended. Make sure the text at the beginning of the description is clear and packed with relevant keywords. A few guidelines to follow include writing the description naturally rather than forcing all of the keywords into it. Focusing solely on a few keywords is yet another helpful trick. You will greatly benefit from this if you have a solid understanding of YouTube’s SEO practices.

• Quality Vs Quantity

In the case of YouTube, both quantity and quality are inseparable. The frequency with which you upload videos and the quality of each one are crucial if you want to succeed. The algorithm may place you at the top of the page if you frequently post well-made videos.

However, the issue at hand is whether or not you are up to the task. It is not easy to produce content of high quality. It’s doubly hard to do so consistently and quickly. Creating a predetermined schedule for your upcoming video series is another option. It will keep users alert and on their toes by letting them know when these videos will be available.

• Community

Another powerful tip that we have is to connect with your consumers continually. Users can express their opinions and reactions to your video in the comment section of your YouTube video. Spend some time interacting with the site’s visitors. The algorithm can also use this interaction to determine whether you are interacting with your audience frequently. However, it is important to keep in mind that the algorithm is keeping a close eye on you and can determine whether you are genuinely interacting with your community or just doing so for the sake of it. In the event that your channel gets too enormous and it gets excessively tedious to answer every one of the remarks, you can instead make a thank you video.

• Keyword

Optimizing your videos and channel for popular search terms is the first thing you should think about if you want to rank on YouTube. Put relevant keywords in the titles, tags, descriptions, transcriptions, video files, and thumbnail files of your videos to accomplish this. In addition, you should look at the most frequently asked questions that people use to find your videos in YouTube’s Search Report. Consider updating your video to fill in the content gaps and including the keywords in your metadata if these queries are slightly different from the subject matter of your video. If there is a marked difference, you might want to make new videos about these frequently asked questions.

• Metrics

Watch time, or the total amount of time users spend watching your videos, is the most important metric. You need to get users’ attention in order to get people to watch in the first place.  You can engage users by creating a show or series that can be watched multiple times. You can also make playlists about a particular subject that start with the videos that keep people watching the longest. Users will be more likely to watch the majority of the videos in your playlists as a result, increasing the amount of time spent watching your videos and channel.

By comparing the performance of your videos to other engagement metrics such as audience retention, average session duration, average view duration, and average watch percentage, you can further refine your overall video strategy. You will be able to rise to the top of YouTube’s search results page and suggested videos feed if you can identify the videos and topics that receive the most engagement and concentrate solely on creating those kinds of content.

Conclusion

Although the YouTube algorithm is a complicated process that may initially appear ambiguous, it does offer some advantages over the majority of other video services. As YouTube learns more about what viewers like to watch, the algorithm keeps getting better and changing. Like everything else, YouTube’s algorithm will probably keep evolving and adapting to the times. It is best to keep up with and comprehend any changes that YouTube’s algorithm makes so that you can incorporate them into your content creation. In the end, you can make a big difference in how well your video performs by making sure it has the right tags and keywords and following their community guidelines.

However, you need to keep in mind that YouTube and your objectives are always in sync, even when the algorithm continues to evolve. YouTube and you both want your video content to get as many views as possible. Additionally, you want users to remain on the platform and watch your videos. The only thing you need to concentrate on is producing high-quality content for your users, as long as the objectives remain unchanged. In the event that you have dominated that, you can change your passive income into a mainstream one and also could be the next Youtube sensation.

FAQs