{"id":7134,"date":"2024-04-08T19:25:50","date_gmt":"2024-04-08T19:25:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tup.kxe.temporary.site\/how-the-youtube-algorithm-works-in-2024\/"},"modified":"2024-04-08T19:25:50","modified_gmt":"2024-04-08T19:25:50","slug":"how-the-youtube-algorithm-works-in-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/okdesign.ca\/en\/how-the-youtube-algorithm-works-in-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"How the YouTube Algorithm Works in 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"


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If you believe in free will, we have terrible news \u2014 well, at least when it comes to YouTube. Because YouTube\u2019s algorithm for recommendations drives 70% of what people watch on the platform<\/a>.<\/p>\n

That is some seriously staggering influence!<\/p>\n

So it\u2019s no surprise that marketers, influencers, and creators are obsessed with unlocking the secret of the Youtube algorithm. How does it work? What makes it tick? And, most importantly, how can we take advantage of this mysterious formula?<\/p>\n

Well, wonder no more, because in this blog post, we\u2019ll cover everything about the YouTube algorithm that you\u2019ve been dying to know.<\/p>\n

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A brief history of the YouTube algorithm<\/span><\/h2>\n

What is the YouTube algorithm? To answer that question, let\u2019s do a quick overview of how YouTube\u2019s Algorithm has changed over the years. And how it works today.<\/p>\n

2005-2011: Optimizing for clicks & views<\/h3>\n

According to founder Jawed Karim (a.k.a. the star of Me at the Zoo<\/a>), YouTube was created in 2005 in order to crowdsource the video of Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake\u2019s<\/strong> notorious Superbowl performance<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong> So it makes sense that YouTube\u2019s algorithm started off by recommending videos that attracted the most views or clicks.<\/p>\n

Of course, this led to an increase in misleading titles and thumbnails (a.k.a. clickbait). User experience plummeted as videos left people feeling tricked, unsatisfied, or plain old annoyed.<\/p>\n

2012: Optimizing for watch time<\/h3>\n

In 2012, YouTube adjusted its recommendation system<\/a> to support time spent watching each video. It also included time spent on the platform overall. When people find videos valuable and interesting, they watch them for longer.<\/strong> Or, so the theory goes.<\/p>\n

This shift to reward watch time was a game changer. According to Mark Bergan<\/a>, author of Like, Comment, Subscribe: Inside YouTube\u2019s Chaotic Rise to World Domination, \u201c[Watch time] had an immediate impact. Early YouTubers were basically making TikTok videos\u2026 but watch time created gaming, beauty vlogging, alt-right podcasts\u2026 all these verticals we now associate with YouTube.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Accounts that were big performers previously (like videos from eHow, or MysteryGuitarMan) dropped off almost immediately.<\/p>\n

YouTube\u2019s algorithm change led some creators to try to make their videos shorter in order to make it more likely viewers would watch to completion. Others made their videos longer in order to increase watch time overall. YouTube didn\u2019t comment on either of these tactics and maintained the party line: make videos your audience wants to watch, and the algorithm will reward you.<\/strong><\/p>\n

That said, as anyone who has ever spent any time on the internet knows, time spent is not necessarily equivalent to quality time spent.<\/strong> Soon, YouTube changed tack again.<\/p>\n

2015-2016: Optimizing for satisfaction<\/h3>\n

In 2015, YouTube began measuring viewer satisfaction directly with user surveys. It also prioritized direct response metrics like Shares, Likes, and Dislikes (and, of course, the especially brutal \u201cnot interested\u201d button).<\/p>\n

In 2016, YouTube released a whitepaper<\/a> describing some of the inner workings of its AI: Deep Neural Networks for YouTube Recommendations.<\/p>\n

In short, the algorithm had gotten way more personal.<\/strong> The goal was to find the video each particular viewer wants to watch, not just the video that lots of other people have perhaps watched in the past.<\/p>\n

As a result, in 2018, YouTube\u2019s Chief product officer mentioned on a panel that 70% of watch time on YouTube<\/a> is spent watching videos the algorithm recommends.<\/p>\n

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2016-present: Dangerous content, demonetization, and brand safety<\/h3>\n

Over the years, YouTube\u2019s size and popularity have resulted in an increasing number of content moderation issues. <\/strong>And what the algorithm recommends has become a concerning topic not just for creators and advertisers but for journalists and the government as well.<\/p>\n

YouTube has said it is serious about its responsibility to support a diverse range of opinions while reducing the spread of harmful misinformation. Algorithm changes enacted in early 2019, for example, have reduced consumption of borderline content by 70%<\/a>. (YouTube defines borderline content as content that doesn\u2019t quite violate community guidelines<\/a> but is harmful or misleading. Violative content, on the other hand, is immediately removed<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

This issue affects creators, who fear accidentally violating ever-changing community guidelines. Or being punished with strikes, demonetization, or worse.<\/p>\n

(Former CEO Susan Wojcicki said one of YouTube\u2019s priorities in 2021 was increasing transparency for community guidelines<\/a> for creators).<\/p>\n

It also affects brands and advertisers, who don\u2019t want their name and logo running alongside white supremacists.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, American politicians are increasingly concerned with the societal role of social media algorithms.<\/strong> YouTube (and other platforms) have been summoned to account for their algorithms at Senate hearings. And in early 2021 Democrats introduced a \u201dProtecting Americans from Dangerous Algorithms Act.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n

In recent years, researchers have found the new YouTube algorithm has made strides to <\/strong>reduce the amount of harmful content<\/strong><\/a> its algorithm serves up. <\/strong>Though, the recent 2024 Finnish election found evidence of YouTube promoting alt-right content \u2014 despite purported changes to the algorithm.<\/p>\n

It seems we\u2019re not out of the harmful-YouTube-content woods, just yet.<\/p>\n

How does the YouTube algorithm work in 2024?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Next, let\u2019s talk about what we know about how the YouTube algorithm works.<\/p>\n

Currently, the YouTube algorithm delivers distinct recommendations to each user.<\/strong> These recommendations are tailored to users\u2019 interests and watch history and weighted based on factors like the videos\u2019 performance and quality.<\/p>\n

When deciding what to recommend to each user, the YouTube algorithm takes into account the following:<\/p>\n