Lesson: Search and discovery on YouTube

We know you put a ton of time and energy into making videos and it’s important for you to understand how they get discovered. The goals of YouTube’s search and discovery system are twofold: help viewers find the videos they want to watch, and maximize long-term viewer engagement and satisfaction. Get a better understanding of how the system works, where your content is surfaced, and what you can do to give your videos the best chance for success.

The algorithm follows the audience
Search
Suggested Videos
Home
Trending
Subscribers, and the Subscriptions tab
Notifications
Restricted Mode

Try it

Look at your more popular videos. Write down 3 characteristics of these videos that work for your audience.
Check your knowledge
Why is it important to add appropriate metadata and not attempt to “game” YouTube’s search and discovery systems?

Your channel’s reputation could be damaged if you add incorrect metadata.

Watch time may not increase if you use inappropriate metadata.

Your channel could get flagged if you use misleading metadata.

All of the above.

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