YouTube Question Has the algorithm suddenly changed?

[Welcome to Gaming]

Hey guys.

So recently I've noticed a lot of my recommended videos are short form content, usually around 30 seconds or less. Many of these are from years ago and when I've clicked on to a few it's full of people saying "Why has this been recommended all of a sudden" or "Why is this recommended in 2021"

Has the algorithm changed? Is it pushing short form content all of a sudden? Could this be a result of the rise in popularity of TikTok?

Figured it was interesting enough to discuss and wondered if you guys have seen something similar?

 

[SILTHW]

Outside of India, the video would need to be tagged as a short by including #shorts in either the title or description. I am unaware of changes to that. But YouTube experiments and they may have decided to push your content.

 

[Ragulsundaram]

The algorithm was not drastically changed. It will constantly upgrade to what you see and like. TO make your personalisation more your fav please use the don't recommend this video or channel to avoid the other content

 

[IanDominicTV]

Not really, but it will heavily depend on what you actually like.

 

[Welcome to Gaming]

So if i've watched one video of that style it'll start directing more at me? Why are so many others in the comments saying "Why am I being recommended this?" then??

 

[Stanley | Team TB]

The 'algorithm' doesnt cater to any specific length of video. It does however pay attention to several watchtime metrics.

What is happening for you is that you are garnering more watchtime than the competition and it is gaining you favor, plain and simple.

While the obvious idea here is 'if i make longer videos then i can get more watchtime...' and that is not necessarily the case. Watchtime isn't just the amount of time people spend watching your video. It is also the amount of time spent watching other videos as a result of the one that brought them in platform, cards, endscreens... things like that. THIS is how a 30 second video competes against a 30 minute video.

 

[Welcome to Gaming]

I feel like most of you have completely misread what I've put here. I'm not talking about my own videos at all. I'm talking about what is recommended to me on the home page. It suddenly seems to be shorter videos and some of it from years ago.

 

[SILTHW]

I feel like most of you have completely misread what I've put here. I'm not talking about my own videos at all. I'm talking about what is recommended to me on the home page. It suddenly seems to be shorter videos and some of it from years ago.

Ah, OK. Most of us read "my recommended videos" as YOUR videos being recommended.

On mobile the shorts shelf shows first in a lot of people's YouTube app. But since shorts also garner views, up votes and comments in the 10000+ range, they will get picked up and recommended naturally if you have shown a past interest in the topic of the video. Many people are re-tagging old videos that fit the shorts "requirements" and those videos are getting new life.

 

[Welcome to Gaming]

Ah, OK. Most of us read "my recommended videos" as YOUR videos being recommended.

On mobile the shorts shelf shows first in a lot of people's YouTube app. But since shorts also garner views, up votes and comments in the 10000+ range, they will get picked up and recommended naturally if you have shown a past interest in the topic of the video. Many people are re-tagging old videos that fit the shorts "requirements" and those videos are getting new life.

This is what I was after, interesting.

 

[Beanie Draws]

Considering shorts are a new content form on YouTube, a lot more people are making them to experiment with the format and to take advantage of whatever tracking they get from it. Naturally the more people who make short form content, the more you're going to see it. I don't think anything algorithmically has changed drastically, just the content itself. But I'm sure Google are always tweaking algorithms, but the algorithms follow user and human behaviour, so perhaps user behaviour is changing, which would mean the algorithm is changing with it as it follows human behaviour.