This content originally appeared on Envato Tuts+ Tutorials and was authored by Marie Gardiner
What is an algorithm?
You probably know already, but an algorithm is a set of rules and calculations that determine what content (in this case, videos) gets shown to which users. They analyse a lot of data like watch time, engagement (likes, comments, shares), and even things like a user’s past behaviour to predict what they’re more likely to enjoy. The goal is to keep serving people stuff they like, so they’ll hang around and engage.
Every platform has its own rules and ways to rank, but the principle is the same: prioritise content that keeps people coming back!
What is YouTube’s algorithm?
We’ll keep it brief but there are a few ways for people to find your videos on YouTube and how you can consider YouTube ranking factors.
- Recommended content (suggested videos, home page etc)
- Trending videos
- YouTube’s search function / YouTube SEO
Recommended and suggested are essentially determined by how a YouTube user behaves, so what they watch, what they skip past, and direct feedback like hitting “not interested”. Then, it’ll serve up similar stuff to what they’ve liked based on that behaviour.
Trending videos is pretty self-explanatory–YouTube will serve up whatever is popular with others.
YouTube is the world’s second largest search engine (or is it?) and it’s using video titles, descriptions, tags, chapters, and even subtitle content, to fit videos to a user’s search terms.
It’s also worth noting that YouTube Shorts (YouTube’s version of TikTok or Insta, focusing on short, vertical video) and Channels have different metrics, with the former prioritising views (and swipe aways) and the latter favouring click-throughs.
How to beat the YouTube algorithm
We all know by now there’s no hard and fast way to game an algorithm – plus, they’re changing all the time so you’d always have to change your tactics. Instead, it’s better to follow some solid, more general advice to grow your channel over time.
1. Spread your eggs
You heard. Don’t put them all in one basket. If you rely only on YouTube, or TikTok, or Instagram, then you’re completely at the mercy of their algorithm changes. Being diverse means you don’t lose everything if one thing changes.
Why you should use multiple platforms
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Platform algorithms change all the time and can favour anything from clickable thumbnails to prioritising watch time. Instagram went from pushing photographs to wanting everyone to use Reels. You should be able to roll with some changes, but sudden shifts in what has been your core can be tricky.
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Different platforms serve different audiences. Your TikTok followers are likely a different audience to your YouTube subscribers and it’s good to have as wide an audience as possible, as long as they’re still interested in what you do in some way.
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You build resilience. If one platform stops working for you then you can keep up your audience and revenue via others.
How to cross-post effectively
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Try to have at least two platforms where you post regular content. If your main video platform is YouTube then you might repurpose your content on Instagram Reels, for example.
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If you are repurposing video content, then think about giving it a little tweak depending on where you’re thinking of posting it. TikTok and Instagram favour punchier clips than YouTube.
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Drive traffic to something you own. It might be an email list, your blog, your website… whatever it is try to keep a direct connection with your audience. Of course, you can use other platforms to drive traffic to your YouTube channel too, so it’s win-win!
2. Evergreen content is better than chasing trends
It’s so tempting to hop on the latest bandwagon and sometimes it’s okay to do that, but if you can, try to create content that works for you long after it’s been posted. Viral content fades away quickly but evergreen posts can stay relevant for months or even years.
Why make evergreen video content vs viral video
Evergreen video can help with long-term growth and keep getting views long after you uploaded it, unlike trending stuff which tends to peak and die quickly.
If you’re following trends then it’s a constant hustle, you’re always having to create with a quick turnaround to keep up with what’s hot. Quality content will give you a backlog of useful videos that will keep getting engagement, so you can focus on your next quality piece and give it the time it needs.
People look for things like how-to guides, tutorials, or good, solid, informative content regularly and these types of videos (or posts) stay relevant much longer than a trend will.
How to make YouTube videos that keep getting views
Look for the topics in your niche that will be timeless. If you were making videos about tech you could, as an example, create one that goes into the choices behind picking a new laptop, rather than a “Best Laptops for 2025” which will date quickly and need regular updates.
Use strong SEO techniques by adding good titles, descriptions, and tags to help your content rank across different search engines, including YouTube’s own search.
Refresh old content to keep it accurate and ranking well. This can be quicker and easier than doing a whole new post on the same subject.
3. Create for people
Don’t just make something to try and game the algorithm. Keyword stuffing, overusing hashtags, or – as we’ve just covered – constantly trying to hit trending topics can be a short term win and very much a long term loss. Your videos should keep people engaged.
Why audience-first content beats the YouTube algorithm (in the long run)
We mentioned that platforms like you to get longer watch times and engagement and creating something designed to actually grab attention, and rather than try and game the algorithm, creating something that people genuinely like is a better foundation to build on.
Working on a connection with your viewers is a great way to get loyalty from them, and hopefully they stick around.
Quality over quantity, every time. Instead of creating a handful of quick-turnaround but average videos, you’ll likely benefit more from making one, well-thought out one that hits with your target audience.
How to make YouTube content that connects and still ranks
Tell better stories! Even if you’re making factual videos you should think about the beginning, middle, and end, just like you would with a fiction piece.
Encourage interaction. Do things that will get your viewers to engage with you, like ask questions, try to prompt discussions, or make use of community feature tools.
Ask what your video is providing. Is it entertainment, education, inspiration? If you’re not quite sure, then it might need a rethink.
4. Hook that audience
If we know that one of the biggest algorithm rankings is based on retention, then how long people watched your content really matters for growth.
Why audience retention is the key to YouTube growth
Higher retention means more recommendations. The algorithm sees it as valuable content and will push it to others.
Audience loyalty. We’ve touched on this too but the longer people stick around to look at your videos, the more likely they will be to follow and come back for more.
How to increase watch time on YouTube
Grab them in the first 5 or so seconds. Avoid slow video intros and remember you have a short amount of time to hook them.
Good pacing is essential, use plenty of visual variety and good storytelling to keep people watching.
Think about how to get people back, maybe a cliff-hanger is appropriate, or teasing some future content?
How to optimise your videos and rank higher in YouTube SEO
If you nail the more general advice then that’s going to stand you in really good stead, not just for YouTube, but across all video-based social media channels. Here are some more specific tips for beating YouTube’s algorithm once you’ve got the basics right.
How to choose keywords for YouTube
Keyword research for YouTube
Do YouTube keyword research. This sounds obvious, but make sure you have a clear topic for your video, to narrow that research down. Try to get what it’s about into a couple of sentences, and then use that to make a list of words and phrases that might describe your video well. You can use keyword tools to find out how the different items on your list perform
Keyword competition
Popular keywords are great, but remember you’ll be in competition with tons of others using the same, so include some keywords that have less competition, and even think about ones that others haven’t used yet.
Subtitles, chapters, and time stamps boost YouTube SEO
Adding subtitles, or closed captions, is great for accessibility but also helps YouTube to get more information about your video by crawling the transcript. Adding chapters and timestamps is useful too because it breaks your video into chunks that search engines can then tackle and suggest as almost separate entities. This gives you a chance to rank for related things as well as your video’s core topic.
There's no real way to beat the YouTube algorithm
Or any algorithm, in fact... sorry! The channels know what they're doing, and any way to try and game the system is soon altered. All hope isn't lost though, by investing in good quality, evergreen video, you can build up an audience who genuinely love what you do and want to see more. Hopefully, you'll cross-post your work across multiple channels so that if something changes with YouTube and you're not getting as much success as you were, you can regroup elsewhere.
The best bet is always to have some direct way to keep in touch with your fans, through your website, or by asking them to sign up to a newsletter. Instead of asking “how do I beat the YouTube algorithm?” start asking “how can I create video that people will want to watch”!
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About this page
This page was written by Marie Gardiner. Marie is a writer, author, and photographer. It was edited by Andrew Blackman. Andrew is a freelance writer and editor, and is a copy editor for Envato Tuts+.
This content originally appeared on Envato Tuts+ Tutorials and was authored by Marie Gardiner
Marie Gardiner | Sciencx (2025-03-06T15:45:24+00:00) How to beat the YouTube algorithm. Retrieved from https://www.scien.cx/2025/03/06/how-to-beat-the-youtube-algorithm/
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