The YouTube Algorithm 2024: The year is almost about to end and YouTube has announced some changes regarding there algorithm’s working for the year 2024. 70% of what consumers watch on YouTube is driven by the platform’s recommendation system. Yes. Seventy-five percent! That is some truly incredible power. Each minute, YouTube’s 2.5 billion viewers watch 694,000 minutes of video. The majority of those views are due to the platform’s recommendation mechanism.
It’s no surprise that marketers, influencers, and creators are intrigued with discovering the YouTube algorithm’s secret. The key to YouTube popularity is being recommended to the right viewers at the right moment, but how does it work? What keeps it going? And, most importantly, how can we make use of this enigmatic formula?
How will the YouTube algorithm work in 2024?
In 2024, the YouTube algorithm will make personalized suggestions to each user. These recommendations are weighted based on characteristics such as video performance and quality and are personalized to users’ interests and watch history.
The YouTube algorithm considers the following factors when determining what to recommend to each user:
What videos have they previously enjoyed?
If you’ve watched a 40-minute video essay about the flags of the world or gave it a like or comment, it’s probably safe to say you found it interesting. Expect more flag content coming your way.
What topics or channels have they previously viewed?
If you follow the Food Network on YouTube, the algorithm will most likely show you more cooking content.
What kinds of videos are usually watched together?
If you watch “How to change a monster truck tire,” and most people who watch that also watch “Monster truck repair 101,” YouTube might recommend that as follow up viewing.
That’s why the home page of a Millennial comedy-fan design-writer mom looks like this:
Of course, YouTube wishes to propose relevant, high-quality videos to each of its devoted followers. It’s not a pleasant experience to follow a recommendation to view “The World’s 36 Most Stylish Cats” only to find it uninteresting, low-quality, or strangely bigoted.
So, how does YouTube determine whether a film is worthy of being recommended?
First and foremost, it is not about the content. The YouTube algorithm does not examine the actual content of your video. Videos on how awesome YouTube is aren’t more likely to go popular than videos about how to crochet a hamster beret.
“Our algorithm isn’t interested in videos; it’s interested in viewers.” “Rather than trying to make videos that will please an algorithm, focus on making videos that will please your viewers,” says YouTube.
Instead, YouTube bases its recommendation algorithm on the following metrics:
How YouTube determines the algorithm?
Every minute, more than 500 hours of content are uploaded to YouTube. Without the YouTube algorithm attempting to help you find the most relevant content, the search system would be complete chaos.
That’s right: the goal isn’t to show you the most popular or most recent video related to your search term. It’s to bring you the video that you’ll find the most useful.
As a result, two users searching for the same term may get completely different results. The following factors are prioritized by YouTube’s search algorithm:
Relevance: YouTube’s algorithm attempts to match factors such as title, tags, content, and description to your search query.
Engagement: signals include watch time and percentage of time spent watching, as well as likes, comments, and shares.
Quality: To determine the channel’s authority and trustworthiness on a given topic, the algorithm examines signals.
User search and viewing history: What have you previously enjoyed or viewed? This will influence which search results the YouTube algorithm believes will be useful.
However, depending on where you receive recommendations on YouTube, these factors are combined in slightly different ways. YouTube recommends videos in three places across the platform.
Home
This is what you see when you open up the YouTube app or visit the YouTube website. It’s personalized to each viewer. The recommendation engine selects videos for the Home screen based on…
Suggested Videos
These are the videos that have been recommended in addition to the one you’re currently watching: the video playlist that appears under “Up Next.” The algorithm suggests videos here based on…
Search
The keyword is obviously important here. But each user’s search results will be slightly different thanks to the personalized signals the algorithm takes into account. These signals include:
11 tips to improve your organic reach on YouTube
All of that being said, when working with the YouTube algorithm, keep in mind that the algorithm follows the audience. If you already have a YouTube marketing strategy in place, these tips will help you increase the number of views on your channel.
Do your keyword research
There is no human at YouTube headquarters watching and ranking your video. Instead, the algorithm examines your metadata to determine what the video is about, which videos or categories it is related to, and who might be interested in watching it. When describing your video for the algorithm, use accurate, concise language that people are already using when searching. For example, if you were uploading a comedy sketch, you should probably include the words “comedy” and “funny” in the title and description and be crystal clear about the topics or subject of the vid.
Because YouTube is a search engine as much as a video platform, you can conduct your keyword research in the same way you would for a blog post or web copy: using free tools like Google Adwords or SEMrush.
Once you’ve identified your primary keywords, you’ll want to use them in four places:
Make it impossible for people to resist clicking on your thumbnail
But, of course, without being clickbait.
YouTube uses the term “appeal” to describe how a video entices a viewer to take a risk (albeit a minor one) and watch something new. While YouTube doesn’t care what your thumbnail looks like visually, it does keep track of how many people click through.
J.J. McCullough’s thumbnails have a consistent style that includes his face, a short title, and intriguing imagery.
To maximize your video’s appeal:
Keep people watching your video, and all your videos
Once a viewer has watched one video, make it simple for them to continue watching your content and remain within your channel’s ecosystem. For example, at the end of each Taskmaster episode, there is a card with a link to more videos and a prompt to subscribe to the channel.
For this you can use:
Pro tip: Making a video series is an excellent way to capitalize on a recent surge in viewership.
Attract views from other sources
Views that are not generated by the YouTube algorithm can still help you succeed with the algorithm. Depending on your strategy, YouTube ads, external sites, cross-promotion on social media, and partnerships with other channels or brands can all help you earn views and subscribers.
