{"id":42458,"date":"2022-07-30T16:46:02","date_gmt":"2022-07-30T16:46:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/?p=42458"},"modified":"2022-07-30T16:46:02","modified_gmt":"2022-07-30T16:46:02","slug":"how-does-the-youtube-algorithm-work-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/how-does-the-youtube-algorithm-work-2","title":{"rendered":"How Does the YouTube Algorithm Work?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_43 counter-flat ez-toc-counter ez-toc-light-blue ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a16fe3574ee0\" class=\"cssicon\"><span style=\"display: flex;align-items: center;width: 35px;height: 30px;justify-content: center;direction:ltr;\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/label><label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a16fe3574ee0\"  class=\"cssiconcheckbox\">1<\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a16fe3574ee0\" ><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/how-does-the-youtube-algorithm-work-2\/#How_Does_the_YouTube_Algorithm_Work\" title=\"How Does the YouTube Algorithm Work?\">How Does the YouTube Algorithm Work?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/how-does-the-youtube-algorithm-work-2\/#YouTube_algorithm_focuses_on_watch_time\" title=\"YouTube algorithm focuses on watch time\">YouTube algorithm focuses on watch time<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/how-does-the-youtube-algorithm-work-2\/#YouTube_algorithm_focuses_on_user_satisfaction\" title=\"YouTube algorithm focuses on user satisfaction\">YouTube algorithm focuses on user satisfaction<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/how-does-the-youtube-algorithm-work-2\/#YouTube_algorithm_uses_deep_learning_to_rank_videos\" title=\"YouTube algorithm uses deep learning to rank videos\">YouTube algorithm uses deep learning to rank videos<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/how-does-the-youtube-algorithm-work-2\/#YouTube_algorithm_takes_other_factors_into_account\" title=\"YouTube algorithm takes other factors into account\">YouTube algorithm takes other factors into account<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/how-does-the-youtube-algorithm-work-2\/#YouTube_algorithm_changes_over_time\" title=\"YouTube algorithm changes over time\">YouTube algorithm changes over time<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Does_the_YouTube_Algorithm_Work\"><\/span>How Does the YouTube Algorithm Work?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.imgur.com\/FKxncTH.jpg\" style=\"height:auto; max-height:221px; margin:0px 10px; width:auto; max-width:38%\" align=\"left\" alt=\"how does the youtube algorithm work\">  <\/p>\n<p>If you&#8217;ve ever wondered how YouTube ranks videos, you&#8217;re not alone. The video-sharing website uses a complex algorithm to determine where a video should be in the search results. YouTube&#8217;s algorithm has two main goals: to match viewers with relevant videos, and to personalize the viewing experience. Unlike many other search engines, YouTube&#8217;s algorithm looks at more than just a video&#8217;s performance. The algorithm takes other factors into account, including the number of times a video has been viewed.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"YouTube_algorithm_focuses_on_watch_time\"><\/span>YouTube algorithm focuses on watch time<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>YouTube recently made changes to its algorithm to focus more on watch time and overall viewer satisfaction. Previously, the recommendations were based on views and clicks. In order to earn views, creators used misleading thumbnails and titles. Many of these titles had little to do with the content of the video. The result was clickbait and junk content littering YouTube. YouTube took these complaints to heart and changed its algorithm to focus more on watch time and overall satisfaction.<\/p>\n<p>While the watch time is important, YouTube&#8217;s algorithm also factors in other metrics. The average duration of a video&#8217;s views is one of the most important factors for ranking in YouTube. Moreover, watch time is a product of other metrics, such as responsibility and viewer satisfaction. Without these other components, the algorithm cannot optimize for either metric. If these metrics are optimized, the videos will rank higher. Thus, watch time is only one of the many important metrics to consider when optimizing a video for the search function.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"YouTube_algorithm_focuses_on_user_satisfaction\"><\/span>YouTube algorithm focuses on user satisfaction<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>YouTube&#8217;s algorithm changes frequently. In 2011, clicks and views were the top ranking signals, and in 2012, watch time was. In 2015, YouTube shifted its focus to user satisfaction and other factors that reflect how viewers feel about a video. In the past, focusing on clicks and views led to misleading titles, thumbnails, and overall viewing time. With this new focus, YouTube hopes to keep viewers interested and satisfied long-term.<\/p>\n<p>When YouTube first exploded on the scene, its algorithms were based on popularity and number of views. With so many videos being uploaded every second, this was becoming unmanageable. To keep up with the demand, YouTube had to build a system that took both new content and user behavior into account. It was a major challenge, but the results have been worth it. The YouTube algorithm now prioritizes user satisfaction, as it is now able to identify what people want to watch and engage with.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"YouTube_algorithm_uses_deep_learning_to_rank_videos\"><\/span>YouTube algorithm uses deep learning to rank videos<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The YouTube algorithm uses machine learning to rank videos and recommends the most relevant ones to viewers. It takes into account the viewer&#8217;s past behavior and context to suggest a small number of videos that are relevant to the user. The YouTube algorithm has become very effective at recommending the most relevant videos. Ultimately, it improves the overall quality of content by increasing the likelihood that a viewer will view the recommended video. But how does it work?<\/p>\n<p>The first stage of the algorithm involves analyzing user behavior and creating a pool of candidates. Each candidate goes through several ReLU layers, each a half-size layer. After that, the ranking model assigns a score to each video based on a secret objective function that takes into account a large number of features about the user and the video itself. The two-stage approach allows for much greater accuracy and personalization. Compared to one-stage methods, the two-stage approach is more suited to the specific problem presented by YouTube. One-stage methods require long response times and are not as accurate.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"YouTube_algorithm_takes_other_factors_into_account\"><\/span>YouTube algorithm takes other factors into account<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>You might have heard of the YouTube Algorithm, which decides which videos are featured on the home page, search results, and recommended video sections. But did you know that there are also other factors taken into account? These factors include other users&#8217; comments and likes. If you want your videos to be seen by the most viewers, you need to know about these factors. Here&#8217;s how the YouTube algorithm works. Listed below are some of the most important aspects of YouTube&#8217;s Algorithm.<\/p>\n<p>YouTube measures the amount of time that viewers spend watching and clicking on your videos. This means that the longer a video is watched, the higher its ranking. You can also encourage viewers to watch more of your videos by arranging your YouTube Cards so that they&#8217;re easier to find. Lastly, interacting with viewers in comments is a great way to boost engagement. As with other forms of social media, your videos need to appeal to your audience in order to be seen on the homepage.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"YouTube_algorithm_changes_over_time\"><\/span>YouTube algorithm changes over time<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>As YouTube has evolved over the years, its algorithm has also changed. Before, the YouTube algorithm focused on the number of views a video received. Today, it takes into account audience behavior and other metrics. It also prioritizes the keyword density in title and thumbnail, as well as the readability of the description. By making these changes, you can better optimize your video for higher rankings and increased views. But you must be aware of the risks involved.<\/p>\n<p>For starters, YouTube has a new formula that gives high-quality videos higher watch times and more clicks. In addition, it now takes into account the duration of the video. As a result, shorter videos often don&#8217;t appear on the home section or search results. Because of this, it&#8217;s critical to have high-quality videos if you want to get a good rank on YouTube. Moreover, as more YouTube creators start generating channels, competition among creators is getting stronger. Increasingly, content and metadata must be relevant and match user queries to ensure better ranking.<\/p>\n<p> <iframe src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/EF8Wj_VvGwg\" frameborder=\"0\" width=\"502\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" height=\"281\" style=\"margin:0px auto; display: block;\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How Does the YouTube Algorithm Work? If you&#8217;ve ever wondered how YouTube ranks videos, you&#8217;re not alone. The video-sharing website uses a complex algorithm to determine where a video should be in the search results. YouTube&#8217;s algorithm has two main goals: to match viewers with relevant videos, and to personalize the viewing experience. Unlike many [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":42681,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v19.7 (Yoast SEO v21.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>How Does the YouTube Algorithm Work? - Zeru<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/how-does-the-youtube-algorithm-work-2\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How Does the YouTube Algorithm Work?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"How Does the YouTube Algorithm Work? If you&#8217;ve ever wondered how YouTube ranks videos, you&#8217;re not alone. The video-sharing website uses a complex algorithm to determine where a video should be in the search results. YouTube&#8217;s algorithm has two main goals: to match viewers with relevant videos, and to personalize the viewing experience. Unlike many [&hellip;]\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/how-does-the-youtube-algorithm-work-2\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Zeru\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-07-30T16:46:02+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/How-Does-the-YouTube-Algorithm-Work_42458.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"620\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"506\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/webp\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Lizzie Yates\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Lizzie Yates\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/how-does-the-youtube-algorithm-work-2\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/how-does-the-youtube-algorithm-work-2\",\"name\":\"How Does the YouTube Algorithm Work? - Zeru\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2022-07-30T16:46:02+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-07-30T16:46:02+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/61005d9ec00b94bc50fbaf11b78aa55e\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/how-does-the-youtube-algorithm-work-2#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/how-does-the-youtube-algorithm-work-2\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/how-does-the-youtube-algorithm-work-2#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"How Does the YouTube Algorithm Work?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Zeru\",\"description\":\"Blog\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/61005d9ec00b94bc50fbaf11b78aa55e\",\"name\":\"Lizzie Yates\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/19-150x150.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/19-150x150.jpg\",\"caption\":\"Lizzie Yates\"},\"description\":\"A content marketing strategist with the Zeru team for a little over 5 years, Lizzie Yates specializes in everything digital media with a particular focus on social media and technology. Her passion? To follow how the social media sites like Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok are maturing over time, and what businesses can do to keep up. She shares her insights on our blog in a true outpouring of knowledge and expertise. Her knowledge about technology and social media is vast, and she is always willing to share her insights with businesses to help them stay up-to-date with the latest trends.\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/author\/writer\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How Does the YouTube Algorithm Work? - Zeru","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/how-does-the-youtube-algorithm-work-2","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How Does the YouTube Algorithm Work?","og_description":"How Does the YouTube Algorithm Work? If you&#8217;ve ever wondered how YouTube ranks videos, you&#8217;re not alone. The video-sharing website uses a complex algorithm to determine where a video should be in the search results. YouTube&#8217;s algorithm has two main goals: to match viewers with relevant videos, and to personalize the viewing experience. Unlike many [&hellip;]","og_url":"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/how-does-the-youtube-algorithm-work-2","og_site_name":"Zeru","article_published_time":"2022-07-30T16:46:02+00:00","og_image":[{"width":620,"height":506,"url":"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/How-Does-the-YouTube-Algorithm-Work_42458.webp","type":"image\/webp"}],"author":"Lizzie Yates","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Lizzie Yates","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/how-does-the-youtube-algorithm-work-2","url":"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/how-does-the-youtube-algorithm-work-2","name":"How Does the YouTube Algorithm Work? - Zeru","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/#website"},"datePublished":"2022-07-30T16:46:02+00:00","dateModified":"2022-07-30T16:46:02+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/61005d9ec00b94bc50fbaf11b78aa55e"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/how-does-the-youtube-algorithm-work-2#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/how-does-the-youtube-algorithm-work-2"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/how-does-the-youtube-algorithm-work-2#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"How Does the YouTube Algorithm Work?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/#website","url":"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/","name":"Zeru","description":"Blog","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/61005d9ec00b94bc50fbaf11b78aa55e","name":"Lizzie Yates","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/19-150x150.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/19-150x150.jpg","caption":"Lizzie Yates"},"description":"A content marketing strategist with the Zeru team for a little over 5 years, Lizzie Yates specializes in everything digital media with a particular focus on social media and technology. Her passion? To follow how the social media sites like Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok are maturing over time, and what businesses can do to keep up. She shares her insights on our blog in a true outpouring of knowledge and expertise. Her knowledge about technology and social media is vast, and she is always willing to share her insights with businesses to help them stay up-to-date with the latest trends.","url":"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/author\/writer"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42458"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42458"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42458\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":42462,"href":"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42458\/revisions\/42462"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/42681"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42458"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=42458"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/zeru.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=42458"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}