YouTube Advertising Blog How the YouTube Algorithm Works

How the YouTube Algorithm Works

5 October, 2020 by Leave your thoughts

You may have already done some research on SEO and come across the YouTube algorithm. This is the technology that ranks videos in a search from a specific viewer. Understanding the algorithm can help you understand what to do to grow your channel organically, and why views and subscribers are important.

 

How the YouTube Algorithm Works

 

First of all, the algorithm has two goals: find the right video for each individual user, and keep them watching. Therefore, the algorithm is watching user behaviour as much, if not more than, video content.

 

For you, this means that the minutes your videos are watched matter more than the views. Well then, you might ask, why bother buying views? While the idea that the algorithm is completely immune to view and subscription count is a nice one, it’s not entirely true. We’ve heard from several business owners and YouTubers who bought views and/or subscriptions and said that it significantly affected their ranking and number of organic views.

 

The YouTube algorithm is still largely kept secret, but we know that views and subscribers do have some influence. In addition, lots of views and subscriptions increase the happy likelihood of one or more of your videos snowballing (people like and comment on your video, the algorithm notices and promotes your video, more people like and comment, the algorithm promotes your video…you get the picture).

 

How search results are influenced by the YouTube algorithm

 

Search results are based on a specific user’s watch history and what similar users have watched, as well as:

  • Your video’s metadata and how well it is matched to the user’s query. The metadata is the title, description, and keywords of your video, and is where your search engine optimization (SEO) is critical.
  • How much engagement your video has, seen in comments, likes, and watch time. You can buy YouTube views, preferably real YouTube views, to boost your credibility and get more people watching, but your content is what will keep viewers watching and needs to be top notch to keep those eyes glued to your videos and receive feedback.

 

Important factors in the YouTube algorithm

YouTube has consistently mentioned the following performance-based factors in its public discussions of the ranking algorithm:

 

  • Views: how many clicks the video gets.
  • Watch time/retention: after someone clicks on a video, YouTube tracks how much time they actually spend watching it and whether they watch to the end. This factor was introduced in 2012 to decrease “clickbait” videos and encourage YouTubers to create quality content.
  • Engagement: how many shares, comments, likes and dislikes a video gets.
  • View velocity/rate of growth: whether or not a video snowballs, and if it does how quickly it grows in popularity and engagement.
  • Consistency: how often a channel uploads new videos. Uploading videos on the same day and time each week will make it easier for your subscribers to know when to tune in and watch.
  • Session duration: how much time people spend on YouTube in one session and how your video affects this.

 

Conclusion

We hope you now have a better understanding of how the YouTube algorithm works. When you buy real YouTube views and buy YouTube subscribers it positively affects the YouTube algorithm: more people watching means more engagement and watch time, which means the algorithm will promote your video.

 

However, SEO and your video’s ability to engage and hold an audience are equally important and should never be pushed to the sidelines. Use them in combination with buying views on YouTube to increase your audience and attract subscribers.