Your success on YouTube depends on getting into YouTube's good books so that the YouTube algorithm starts recommending your videos and channel to new users.
If you're wondering what the YouTube algorithm does, here is the TLDR; version:
YouTube uses its algorithm to analyze videos and channels to identify topics and themes that will keep users on the platform for as long as possible to show them more ads.
This article is for you if your YouTube channel isn't growing as fast as you would like, and you have no idea why or what you can do about it.
It will help you better understand how YouTube's algorithm works and give you practical tips on optimizing your videos to grow your YouTube channel rapidly by getting your videos on the YouTube homepage feed, in the suggested videos section.
You can also check out my other article YouTube Algorithm Explained for a more technical analysis on how the YouTube algorithm works under the hood.
How to Choose the Best Niche for Your YouTube Channel
When you start your YouTube journey, you are probably super excited and want to jump straight into recording videos about topics you are passionate about.
If you want to achieve success in the quickest way possible, you must be strategic about your video content strategy and the positioning of your channel.
Understanding YouTube's business objectives
YouTube's primary objective is to keep people on their platform watching videos and having a great time as long as possible.
This way, YouTube can show more ads to viewers, which boosts their revenue. It also guarantees that users will come back in the future because they enjoyed their time on YouTube, so YouTube can make money with them in the future.
To give you a dark humor analogy. If YouTube was a drug dealer, they would want people to enjoy their products, so they have a great time without overdosing, so they get hooked and come back tomorrow to buy again.
As gruesome as this may sound, having absolute clarity on this idea will help you get the most out of YouTube and get your videos seen by more people if you press the right buttons.
In short, YouTube already has a vast selection of amazing YouTube channels and videos with proven track records to keep viewers on their platform and keep them coming back.
So, why should they risk their ad revenue by giving a "nobody" like you a chance?
Who knows, maybe your videos as so bad that after watching even one of your videos, a viewer might take a hiatus from YouTube for a few weeks to process the trauma of watching your video?! 😉
Okay, I am dramatizing a little, but you get the idea.
Why is YouTube recommending some channels but not others?
The solution is to create a content strategy for your YouTube channel that is zero risk for YouTube.
By creating videos about topics nobody is currently covering on YouTube, you help YouTube keep viewers on their platform who would otherwise have left.
Imagine this. You plan to fly to London for a weekend holiday. What should you add to your itinerary?
You head over to YouTube and start with a few generic search terms on what to do in London. All popular results cover typical tourist attractions such as Tower Bridge or Buckingham Palace.
But that is not you! You want to see something more exciting.
So, you type in with longer and longer search queries. "Best places to visit in East London", "Best restaurants in Canary Wharf", etc.
As you go down the rabbit hole, you'll notice that the number of suggested videos is getting smaller and smaller.
That is the sweet spot you want to be in!
How to force YouTube to recommend your videos
When YouTube cannot find videos from a more established channel that match a specific search term, it will give new channels a chance.
If you start a new channel, the best strategy is to start with a super-narrow niche, so your videos show up in long-tail keyword search results.
I use a tool called TubeBuddy that connects to YouTube's database and allows me to find keywords with high search volume but very few matching videos.
This way, I am almost guaranteed to rank for these keywords, even with a small YouTube channel.
How to Map Out Your YouTube Content Strategy With Content Clusters
What are YouTube content clusters?
Now that you have chosen which narrow niche you want to serve with your YouTube channel, it is time to map our channel content strategy.
I recommend creating a video strategy based on video content clusters.
Content clusters are collections of topics and keywords that are interconnected and related and have defined borders. The content cluster often has borders that overlap with similar and related content clusters.
Each content cluster can usually be divided further into sub-content clusters.
Example: YouTube and TikTok could be seen as two distinct content clusters.
They could also be merged into broader clusters for online video sharing or social media platforms. You can also split them into sub-clusters: YouTube, YouTube Music, YouTube TV, YouTube Kids.
YouTube's algorithm for identifying new content clusters
You could also look at YouTube from the perspective of a viewer or a content creator.
Within the content creator cluster, you could have another sub-cluster for YouTube growth strategies and tactics, and somewhere within this cluster, you could find another subcluster about YouTube's algorithm.
The algorithm cluster could be broken down into homepage algorithm, suggested videos' algorithm, search algorithm, etc.
Essentially, you can go down the rabbit hole to infinity and back.
Here is the reason why content clusters are important.
As we explained earlier, YouTube uses a machine-learning algorithm to dynamically find and generate new content clusters every day.
It then links individual videos to one or more content clusters. The sum of your videos determines which content clusters your YouTube channel is associated with.
To dominate any given content cluster on YouTube, you have to check all the boxes for all its subgroups.
How does YouTube know that you are an expert in your field?
Meaning, if I wanted to become the number 1 authority for cooking with avocados, I should probably talk about macro and micronutrients in avocados, types of avocados, where to buy avocados, how to select the right avocados in the grocery store, how to peel them, how to slice them, how to make avocado oil, how to make guacamole, how to fry them, how to cook them, how to bake them, the best avocado salads, etc.
If I only ever made videos about avocado salads, I would only be considered the avocado salad expert, but not an expert about avocados in general.
What would be natural starter topics if you wanted to make a channel about owning your first dog?
You could talk about the different types of dogs and individual needs.
This way, someone could determine if it would make sense for them to own a dog based on their circumstance, for example, if they live in a house with a garden or an apartment, if they are away from home for 14 hours for work, or if they work from home, and if a small or large dog would suit their monthly dog food budget.
You could then talk about the different ways in which one can become a dog owner, adopting a puppy, buying a puppy, and the differences between purebred, cross-bred, or mix-bred dogs.
You could continue to talk about anything they have to buy from dog food, basket, blankets, toys, etc.
The bureaucracy of dogs including paying taxes, registering dogs, insurance, tracking chips, vaccine passports. The medical aspect of owning a dog, such as vaccines, etc.
You get my point.
Any content cluster has thousands of stories to tell. The more stories you tell, the better YouTube understands which content groups you talk about in your videos.
The beauty of content clusters is that you can create them for any imaginable niche.
You can check out my article about creating a YouTube content cluster strategy for your channel to learn how to go from ideas for individual videos to a complete A-Z video strategy for your channel.
Planning and Outlining Your YouTube Videos
Okay, you defined your YouTube niche, you mapped out your content cluster strategy, now let's map out the structure of your videos.
Let us reiterate what YouTube wants.
YouTube wants users to spend as much time as possible on the app and to have a great time.
Great time means that they enjoy the video content they are watching.
How does the YouTube algorithm figure out if someone enjoys watching a video
How does YouTube know if someone likes a video?
It is simple. It counts the amount of time someone watched a particular video.
If I watch a video from start to finish, this is expressed as a watch time percentage of 100%.
If I watched 2.5 minutes of a 5-minute video, I would get 50% and so on.
What is a good video watch time in percent?
An average watch time between 50% to 70% for videos of less than 10 minutes is considered ideal. Longer videos that perform well usually only get up to 30%.
How can you structure your videos to get your watch time up?
You have to make the most of the first 60 seconds of your video!
As your channel grows, you will notice that you lose the majority of viewers within the first minute. Afterward, it is a slow, gradual decline till the end of your video.
Why your video watch time percentage is so low
Why do people hit the back button or start watching something else early on?
Usually, this happens for the following reasons.
- Mismatch of expectations. Your title and thumbnails promise A but are based on the first impression. It seems about B. Even if your video is about A, it doesn't matter. It is what people believe it is
- You don't give them confidence that you know what you are talking about. Who knows, maybe you are still a bit nervous on camera because you haven't yet uploaded your first 100 videos, or your body language is sending mixed signals, or you might talk too quickly, or maybe you remind them of an ex-partner who broke their heart. The point is that everyone is nervous on camera, and everyone becomes more confident with every video they upload. So don't worry, you cannot win over everyone.
- You are not getting to the point. Maybe you have a 2-minute video intro animation. Nobody has time for that! Quickly confirm that they're watching the right video.
- This brings me to the missing hook. It's super important that you instantly re-confirm to viewers what this video is about and what they can expect from it. For educational videos, this is a big promise, the big takeaway or lesson. For lifestyle channels, this can be a teaser of your money shot. Imagine you are hiking to the top of an active volcano. Show them a few seconds of footage from the end of your video when you are looking down at the pot of molten lava. Then instantly switch back to the start of your journey and hype them up by explaining where you are going and what they will
Recommended YouTube video structure
So, here is the recommended video structure.
- Hook (1-3 seconds of your most impressive footage from the end of your movie, or 5-10 second summary of the biggest takeaway of watching this video, what will they be able to do/understand afterward, the desirable outcome)
- Optional introduction of you and your channel
- Main video
- Call to action on what to watch next. Recommend one specific video to them that they should watch right afterward and put a link to it on the end screen of your YouTube video.
- Call to action to subscribe.
It is important to have a call to action at the end.
How to Get YouTube to Fall in Love With Your Channel
As I explained earlier, YouTube wants users to stay on their platform for as long as possible.
If you recommend to them to watch one of your other videos, this achieves two things.
First, it tells YouTube that your channel seems relevant to this viewer since they have already watched at least two of your videos.
Secondly, it proves to YouTube that users seem to stay on the platform longer after watching one of your videos.
Suppose you have already published your first 100 videos.
In that case, you can add even more gambits to your video outline, for example, interesting b-roll sequences, music, jokes, anecdotes, or special effects to make your videos more interesting to viewers.
Remember that the more exciting your videos, the less likely viewers will drop off later in the video.
Investing in Your YouTube Video Equipment
Video quality is an important ranking signal for the YouTube algorithm because viewers tend to have higher watch time, the higher the production quality.
In this beginning, this isn't relevant for you.
Focus on getting your first 100 videos out and published.
Afterward, you can start focusing on making 100 good videos by investing in your production quality.
Here are the four most important upgrades to your video toolbox, from most important to least important.
Invest in your audio equipment
Better audio is one of the most underrated upgrades to the quality of your videos.
Most people don't realize how distracting it can be to listen to background noise and other audio distortions such as reverb.
A good microphone can prevent and lessen many of these adverse audio side effects.
I recommend the DJI Mic, Rode VideoMic NTG, and the Rode Wireless GO II.
Improve your lighting
Lighting will come as another surprise to many.
Here is the thing, most bad cameras can still do a decent job when they have enough light to work with. Quality goes down the drain fast as soon as the lighting gets dim.
The easiest way to resolve this is by working with natural sunlight and recording your videos outside.
If you must film indoors, I recommend getting an LED video light. I recommend the Falcon Eyes ring light, which can also be powered via batteries or late-night filming outdoors.
Upgrade your camera
Any decent modern smartphone will do an impressive job of capturing crisp video.
If you want a more "expensive" look with background blur, I recommend switching to a mirrorless DSLR, for example, the Sony A6600.
Use a professional video editing program
Finally, I recommend switching to more advanced video-editing software such as Adobe Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro, or Davinci Resolve.
It can simplify your entire production workflow and make adding special effects, transition effects, and overlays easier.
The Best Locations for Filming Your YouTube Videos
Another great way to improve your production quality and, indirectly, the average watch time performance of your videos is by making your video background more interesting.
Instead of filming against a white wall, consider adding colorful LED lights in the background to make your videos more engaging.
You can add props such as books, plants, furniture, pictures, and other gadgets to your composition.
Another great option is to film outside, especially if you have some exciting locations near your home.
How to Make Your YouTube Videos More Interesting
People often leave videos because they get mentally tired from looking at the same thing for too long.
For example, if they look at you, speak for 20 minutes without anything visually interesting happening in your video.
You can compensate for this by being more energetic and expressive on camera, but that might not be everyone's cup of tea.
The importance of b-roll footage
A great way that works for everyone is to use an exciting video b-roll and music for your video.
I recommend checking out Storyblocks, which has a vast library of royalty-free video clips, music, transitions, overlays, and lower thirds for your video, all for a tiny monthly fee.
Adding background music to your videos
You can also check out Epidemic Sound and Artlist for fantastic background music. If you sign up for the Pro plan of my favorite YouTube growth tool, TubeBuddy, you get free access to 250,000 songs and sound effects for your videos.
User visual effects and overlays
If you are more advanced, add animated transitions and overlays.
Storyblocks contains an extensive collection of various transitions and overlays for many video editing software.
If you want to go even further, add swish sounds or other sound effects when your video effects or transitions appear or disappear from the screen.
But make sure not to overdo it. Less is often more. 🙂
Why You Need Video Transcription and Subtitles
YouTube uses your video subtitles to understand the content of your video.
Unfortunately, the transcriptions often contain errors and lack punctuation marks and capitalization.
You can get around this by using a third-party transcription service to generate more accurate subtitles that improve over time as the system better understands any accents or quirky pronunciations you might have.
The two top transcription tools that I recommend are Descript and Otter.
How to Optimize Your Videos for YouTube SEO With Tubebuddy
You know how important your video watch time is.
But what must come first before anyone can watch your videos?
First, they have to find it and then click on it.
The best way to achieve this is to optimize your videos for YouTube SEO with TubeBuddy.
I use the TubeBuddy Keyword Explorer tool and the TubeBuddy SEO Studio to optimize my video metadata to rank on YouTube.
It allows me to find keywords many users search for on YouTube with few competing videos.
You can learn more about how I used this tactic to grow my YouTube channel from 0 to 3000 subscribers.
How to Design YouTube Thumbnails That Attract Viewers
Two factors determine how many people click on your videos.
Your video title and your thumbnail. You can learn more about how to name your videos and how to optimize your video title here.
But for now, let's talk about your video thumbnail.
Never use the default auto-generated thumbnails!
Instead, design a custom thumbnail for each video.
If you have an eye for design, I recommend exploring the Adobe Creative Suite.
If you are looking for a more straightforward tool that can get the job done and contains hundreds of thumbnail templates, look at Canva.
If you have neither the skills nor the time to learn how to design your own thumbnail, have a look at Fiverr.
They have some outstanding artists who can help create a branded look for your channel and design your thumbnails. Pricing starts from $5 for one thumbnail.
Why You Should Create a YouTube Publishing Schedule
Another important ranking factor is having a regular upload schedule.
The reason for this is momentum.
When you upload a video that performs well with your subscribers, they are likelier to see your next upload in their news feed or video notifications.
That is unless you wait for too long.
Users only have a specific "attention budget" for recently watched content. It is similar to the first-in, first-out approach.
So, if your videos go into the queue position 1, every time the same user watches another video, it replaces your video in position 1 and pushes it back to position 2.
We don't know how many slots there are, but let us say it was 100.
In this example, if someone watches 100 other videos since they watched yours, your video would be out of the queue.
So, the next time they log into YouTube, only the 100 most recent videos will be considered for fresh recommendations.
You can combat this by having a regular video upload schedule.
As a minimum, I recommend at least one video per week, or better yet 2 to 3.
My favorite tool for mapping out my own YouTube publishing schedule is ClickUp.
Quick Wins to Increase Your YouTube Engagement
YouTube is especially interested in user experience.
The more someone engages with the content of one channel, the more interest YouTube attributes to this user.
Here are some of the factors that trigger interest.
Watching a video, watching a high percentage of video AKA watch time, liking, commenting, sharing, visiting the channel page, starting a playlist, saving a video to watch later, etc.
Replying to video comments
If someone leaves a comment, that is a high indicator of interest.
Make the most of each comment by replying to each one of them. The only exceptions are negative comments, which you can delete.
People crave recognition.
So if you take the time to reply, they feel great and are much more likely to come back to watch more of your videos.
How to Build Your Email List With Your YouTube Channel
In the past, YouTube would automatically send out email notifications when someone had subscribed to your channel with the notification bell turned on.
This is no longer happening. Instead, users are limited to receiving upload notifications on the YouTube website and mobile app.
You can get around this by sending your video notifications and promoting new videos to your email list.
I recommend signing up for a Moosend account. It has many powerful features, including automation, autoresponders, advanced tagging, custom fields, and e-commerce tracking for many platforms.
How do you get people to join your email list?
By offering them an incentive related to the content of your YouTube channel topics and themes.
Just set up a landing page in Moosend and send everyone a small downloadable item, for example, a PDF e-book.
You can check out my article on creating attractive membership perks to get more inspiration on what you might be able to offer them for free.
Promote Your Videos and Channel Outside of YouTube
Now that you have your email list, it's time to work on your social media skills.
Ensure you sign up for an account on every social media network, including Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat.
Whenever you upload a new YouTube video, create a promo post and let your audience know the topic of your video and how they can find it.
If your network allows you to add links, attach them.
Otherwise, direct them towards searching for your channel name on YouTube to see your most recent video.
Promo e-mails
Next, make sure to send out an email blast to all your email subscribers, including a clickable thumbnail and a brief description of the topic of your video, including key takeaways and lessons learned from your video.
If you can drive traffic outside YouTube to watch a new video, YouTube will love you.
Every time you bring in new or existing users who weren't watching YouTube videos, all time spent on YouTube afterward will be credited to your session time.
The more watch or session time you bring in, the better your videos rank on YouTube.
YouTube community promo posts
You can also create a YouTube community post and attach a link to your newest video to further promote your latest upload to your biggest fans.
Bonus tip: If you have a website or blog, create a new article for each video. Embed the new YouTube video inside your article and include the transcript you generated using Descript or Otter.
This way, you can also rank your entire website better on Google and drive additional video traffic over time.
Next Steps
Today, we explored how you can optimize each aspect of your channel and every video to get in favor of YouTube's algorithm.
Next, I recommend reading my article YouTube Algorithm Explained which gives you a very detailed analysis of how the YouTube algorithm works behind the scenes on a technical level.
