Leveraging The Youtube Algorithm Part 1 |
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Jun 23 2021, 08:59 AM
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This is the first post in a series on trying to get traction on youtube by learning a bit more about the way youtube works, I.E. The “Algorithm”. The youtube algorithm is a thing of great mystery. Not to worry. It’s really a thing of elegant beauty that is your friend, not your enemy. It’s basically a real time feedback loop that tries to show the right video to the right user at the right time across the entire planet. This is no small feat. Countless hours of video are uploaded from all over the word, to youtube 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It never stops. While this is happening, the algorithm is trying to suggest new videos to you, based on what you have watched before. It uses a LOT of data to try and predict what you might like to watch next and then offers those videos up to you.
For each video, the algorithm checks the title, thumbnail, description, keywords and compares those to your viewing history, to whether you clicked thumbs up on the last vid you watched, and on video you’ve ever watched, and also if you commented on this recent vid and on every other vid, you’ve ever watched. Yup, ever. From this, it tries to line up a selection of videos that you might like to watch next. It does this in real time for every connected user on planet earth. It’s impressive. The algorithm has two simple goals, help users find videos they will want to watching and get the user to keep watching. That’s the real goal. To keep people watching, one video after another, for as long as possible. After all, this is how youtube (I.E. Google) make money. They need you to watch ADS. Youtube is one big advertisement delivery platform. Then again, one could argue that the entire web is nothing more than a glorified advert delivery platform. Except of course, for rare protected places like GMC. This place is NOT advert supported, thankfully. So how can you get the algorithm to like YOUR videos that you’ve made and get them shared with other people? EASY!!! Just make videos that people like!!! If they watch your video, and click the LIKE button, better yet if they watch an entire video of yours and comment as well as subscribe, then you are on your way!!!! The more people that enjoy your video/videos and show that by liking/commenting/subscribing, then your videos will be pushed out to other people who have liked videos similar to yours. So how do you get traction on youtube? By making videos that people like  Sounds pretty simple eh? Here is a video about what we have talked about so far. So how do people find your videos to begin with? After all nobody can LIKE or SUBSCRIBE unless they run across on of your videos in the first place right? The primary way youtube first finds out what a user wants to watch is through the SEARCH feature. A user types in some words about what they are looking for and it all starts from there. Videos are ranked based on how well the TITLE and DESCRIPTION and KEYWORDS match the term that was searched for. Also, how many people liked the videos that came back from a given search and how much of those videos did they watch? So what can you do to help your videos get found in youtube search results? Use relevant search terms in your titles and descriptions. What are “relevant search terms”? Well, they are terms that are directly related to the content of your videos. Don’t try to “trick” the algorithm by putting KIM KARDASHIAN in the title of a guitar video. This will result in your vids being pushed way far down the rabbit hole. Instead, try to find terms that are relevant to the content that you are creating. How to find these? Well, Google Trends is a great place to start. https://trends.google.com/trends/?geo=US Have a look around on this site. It gives great insight as to what people are searching for. Also, it will help you find keywords that are related to the kind of content you are creating. https://support.google.com/trends/answer/43...f_topic=4365530 Also, write full descriptions of your videos in the descriptions box. Don’t skimp on words and don’t leave it blank! Further, the words in the title should also be in the description box. Some people just put their social media links in their description box. Adding your social media links is a great idea, but it should not be the only thing in the box. *Here a cool vid focusing on youtube search. Next time we will get in to how youtube “discovery” works in relation to search. This post has been edited by Todd Simpson: Jun 23 2021, 09:00 AM |
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