How Does YouTube Recommend Videos?

What exactly is a video marketing strategy?

YouTube creators frequently inquire about the recommendation engine’s preference for viewer retention or overall watchtime.

Is 50 percent of a 5-minute video better or worse than 3 minutes of a 10-minute video, to put it another way?

In this scenario, while 3 minutes is a greater overall watch duration, it is only 30% of a 10-minute video, resulting in lower retention than 50%.

According to YouTube data, individuals are more satisfied when they view a larger portion of a video. That isn’t to say that retention is more important than watchtime.

It’s tough to tell which component is more important because it differs depending on the user and the video.

Although some types of movies are known to have low retention rates, viewers may still be satisfied if they get what they desire.

Watchtime is not considered similarly across the board because recommendations are individualized for each user.

If a viewer regularly watches a video for 2-3 minutes, 5 minutes of watchtime may be excessive. If a viewer regularly watches a film for 10 minutes or longer, 5 minutes may seem short to them.

There is no clear relationship between watchtime and retention. It is dependent on the video and the audience.

How Long Does It Take to Get Recommended?

YouTube creators may wonder how long it takes for their videos to get picked up by the recommendation engine at some point.

It’s fairly uncommon for videos not appear on the home page for months after they’ve been published.

That isn’t by design, as videos should start getting recommended right away.

If YouTube doesn’t have enough data to figure out who a video should be recommended to, it won’t always be able to do so. This is usually the situation with newer channels that YouTube is unfamiliar with.

That’s why, alongside newer films from established channels, older videos appear on the site. There is more information available to match content to a specific target.

Why aren’t small channels more frequently recommended?

Both viewers and creators argue that YouTube does not frequently recommend tiny channels.

That connects to the previous argument concerning YouTube’s insufficient data in determining who the ideal audience for the videos is.

This may sound cliche for new/smaller channels, but you must ask for that engagement.

There’s a reason why successful YouTubers say the same thing over and over: “like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell!” These signals are used by YouTube to recommend videos.

It’s intriguing that TikTok can find a relevant audience for new videos with little-to-no engagement, whereas a more established website like YouTube claims to lack data.

Do Subscriptions have an Impact on Recommendations?

YouTube creators believe that an ideal views-to-subscribers ratio must be maintained in order to appease the recommendation engine.

That theory is false because the impact of subscriptions varies depending on the user.

If a user subscribes to a channel but rarely watches its videos, YouTube will not recommend that user’s content.

It makes no difference how high a channel’s views-to-subscribers ratio is. The likelihood of its content being recommended is determined by how users react to it when it appears on their home page.

Riding the stream

With so many people consuming videos on YouTube, it is an ideal place to advertise. Millions of people watch YouTube every day and advertisers see this as an opportunity to place their ads. This would be a great opportunity for you too. To help you make it easier, TubeSift would be the right choice in targeting the right audience faster and getting more profits.

Resources

• How YouTube Recommends Videos From SearchEngineJournal
• Boost Revenue Using Placement Targeting with YouTube Ads from TubeSift blog
• A Simple Guide to Making Money on YouTube from TubeSift blog
• How to Grow your YouTube Channel from TubeSift blog
• 10 Must-Know YouTube Stats for More Effective Marketing from TubeSift blog