If you’re a content creator, you’ve probably noticed the buzz around YouTube Shorts. Since YouTube’s short-form format launched globally in 2021, it has crossed 50 billion daily views. YouTube now also shares ad revenue with Shorts creators, making it one of the most attractive platforms for those looking to monetize short-form videos.
While it seems the YouTube zeitgeist has recently shifted to Shorts, as some creators are starting to see success with this new format, many still don’t know how to best use it to grow their channel. That’s when questions about the algorithm and how to “beat” it start popping up.
However, the YouTube Shorts algorithm isn’t a sinister manipulator. All it really does is recommending content it thinks a user will like. After all, when users enjoy the content they’re seeing, they tend to spend more time on the platform — which means generating more ad revenue for YouTube.
Below, find answers to some of the burning questions about YouTube Shorts, including how the algorithm works, and how you can start using Shorts to reach more viewers.
How YouTube Shorts algorithm works
The YouTube Shorts algorithm uses various signals to make educated guesses about the kind of content a user will engage with. As long as you know what these signals are, you can make sure the algorithm recommends your content more often. They include:
Video topic and subject matter
Creators often worry that if their Shorts underperform, that would hurt the chance of their long-form videos being served to their audience. But that’s not the case, according to YouTube employee Rene Ritchie: “We don’t look at channel or creator for those sorts of things. We look at video and topic. For example, your next video might be a banger, and it’s in nobody’s best interest to not show that video because it could be the most successful video ever.”
It’s important to note that Shorts and long-form YouTube content are governed by separate algorithms. That means creators who want to experiment with Shorts don’t have to worry about their channel tanking just because their first short-form videos don’t turn out too well.
Video length
Paddy Galloway, a YouTube strategist who has helped brands like Red Bull to grow their channels, recently shared the result of an analysis of 3.3 billion Shorts views and revealed some of the signals that matter for Shorts. One of them is video length.
From Galloway’s analysis, it’s clear that longer Shorts — hitting right up against the upper limit of 50-60 seconds — get more views. Now, that could just mean that YouTube users find longer Shorts more engaging, rather than saying anything about the algorithm. But since the algorithm cares about users’ preferences, it’s important to keep this in mind.
Viewed vs. swiped
YouTube has introduced an interesting metric for Shorts, which compares views that came from users who watched a Short all the way through vs. views that came from users who swiped away.
Galloway’s research also explores how this metric affects a Shorts’ performance. It suggests that Shorts that have a higher “Viewed” percentage perform better.
So, what can YouTube creators do about it? Essentially, you’d want to create content that encourages viewers to stick around until the end by building up anticipation. Coming up with a perfect loop for your Short to encourage repeated plays can’t hurt either.
User activity and watch history
While all these signals have an impact on the algorithm, there’s one that stands above the rest: what YouTube users like to watch. That’s the top takeaway Galloway has for creators from his research.
So, what’s the best thing a creator can do if they want to “beat” the YouTube algorithm? Well, it’s about finding your target audience and consistently creating Shorts that they’ll want to watch. And because Shorts are so much faster to create than regular YouTube videos, you can experiment with them pretty easily.
9 YouTube Shorts algorithm tips to help your content perform
So, now that you know how the YouTube Shorts algorithm works, how do you make the most of it? Here are nine tips to ensure your content performs:
- Create and post content regularly
- Focus on quality content (not the algorithm)
- Work on your hooks
- Use SEO
- Get inspiration from other creators
- Use data to inform your strategy
- Hop on trends (when they make sense)
- Jab, jab, jab, right hook
- Post at the right time
Tip #1: Create and post content regularly
Posting consistently is one of the best ways to get the YouTube Shorts algorithm on your side, and not just because it gives you a better chance to build up views over time — an important signal for the algorithm. Think of every Short as a chance at creating a real banger that gets picked up by the algorithm and recommended to more people. Creating and publishing Shorts regularly allows you to experiment with new ideas and get more data for figuring out what works for your audience.
You don’t necessarily go viral on your first, fifth, or even 20th Short. But you’re guaranteed to see results if you’ve made hundreds of them.
Tip #2: Focus on quality content (not the algorithm)
While the algorithm is always going to be in the back of your mind, the vast majority of your attention should be on your content itself — and how you can make it better.
Does your studio need a bit of an upgrade? Should you be making clips of your longer content or completely new types of content? How can you improve your editing skills? Spending time finding the answers to these questions is always going to be better spent than worrying about the algorithm.
Tip #3: Work on your hooks
The hook is one of the most important parts of your Short, so you’ll want to make sure it’s as strong and compelling as possible. Think of a hook as the headline for a news story — it’s the first thing people see, and it’s what gets them to stop scrolling and continue watching. Those first few seconds are the only chance you’ll get at grabbing a potential new viewer or subscriber.
Need help coming up with a good hook? Here are a few super effective techniques:
- Ask a question: Asking a question prompts a response, meaning whoever’s watching your Short is going to hang there for at least a few seconds, giving you a chance to really hook them in.
- Position yourself as in-the-know: When you lead with something like, “They don’t want you to know about this” or “NEVER do this,” you make your audience feel like they’re about to learn something no one else knows.
- Start a list: Lists are a great format for blogs, longer videos, and yes, even YouTube Shorts. By leading your Short with a list (e.g. “Here are 5 reasons why you should try yoga”), you’re instantly teasing the value you’ll be giving to your audience.
Tip #4: Use SEO
SEO (search engine optimization) is a series of techniques you can use to help your Shorts get picked up by the algorithm. It’s not about “beating” the algorithm, it’s just about informing it, “Hey, this is what my Short is about!”
Bottom line: SEO techniques won’t make a bad Short successful, but they can make a great Short really successful.
Here’s a quick roundup of SEO tips:
- Research keywords and put them in your Shorts: If you’re making Shorts about movie analysis, do a bit of research to see what keywords movie enthusiasts would look up, and incorporate those keywords in your content.
- Add a description: Too many YouTube Shorts creators still don’t realize they can add a description to their Shorts. Make sure that you write a description with relevant keywords to tell the algorithm what your Short is about.
- Use YouTube Analytics to review performance: With this data, you’ll identify which Shorts are properly optimized for SEO and which ones aren’t. Copy the ones that do great and change the ones that don’t.
Tip #5: Get inspiration from other creators
Why do some YouTube creators have Shorts that get millions of views while others only get a few dozen? If you don’t already have answers to that question, then you need to start doing more research for your content.
Spend some time every day watching Shorts and making notes about the ones that are performing well. If you can learn something from every Short you watch — even if it just confirms something you already know — you’re doing it right.
Tip #6: Use data to inform your strategy
As you grow your channel, YouTube Analytics will be your best friend. It tells you which Shorts perform well and which ones don’t. It also gives you a ton of useful information about your audience. Now, you have to be careful not to obsess over analytics — in the same way you shouldn’t obsess over the algorithm — but having regular check-ins on your analytics can help you shape your strategy.
Tip #7: Hop on trends (when they make sense)
Social media algorithms tend to favor trends. The YouTube Shorts algorithm might not push every piece of content someone makes for a trend, but the trend itself is going to get pushed. After all, that’s what makes it a trend in the first place! People start paying attention to it and want more of it, so it makes sense for the algorithm to pull content relevant to that trend and add it to users’ feeds.
Tip #8: Jab, jab, jab, right hook
This idea comes from powerhouse content personality Gary Vaynerchuk and it essentially goes like this: give as much value as you can before asking for anything in return. What does that mean for Shorts? Don’t try and use them exclusively to promote something else, like your longer videos or a digital product that you sell. The vast majority of your Shorts — think 90% of them — should be giving immediate value to your audience without selling anything else. Entertain them, inform them, and do whatever it is you do best.
Tip #9: Post at the right time
While there’s no specific right time to post for everyone, posting your YouTube Shorts whenever your audience is most active on the platform is the best way to guarantee their success.
You can use YouTube Analytics to find that perfect golden hour when most of your audience is scrolling through their feed, so make sure to post then. If your channel is still too small for YouTube Analytics to gather data, don’t worry! Post consistently at different times and see what works best.
Does YouTube Shorts performance affect your long-form videos?
There’s a crucial nuance to understand when tackling this question, which Ritchie covered while discussing misconceptions about YouTube’s algorithms: “One of [the myths about the algorithm] is that the algorithm pushes videos for creators. People think, ‘I made a video, why isn’t the algorithm pushing it?’ When in reality, the algorithm pulls videos for viewers.”
Essentially, that means while creators often think of video performance in terms of “things I can do to appease the algorithm,” they should really be focusing on their audience. They should be asking themselves what their audience wants to see, not what the algorithm needs to boost their short-form content. That shift in mindset will help you better understand how Shorts affect your channel’s overall performance.
Should you post Shorts and long-form content on the same channel?
Good question. After all, they’re two different content formats, so it makes sense that you’d consider keeping them separated.
Well, it depends on your audience. As Pierce Vollucci, a product manager at YouTube, says in this video by Creator Insider: “Try to group your channels around similar audiences, who enjoyed the same, or similar content. Separate them out when your viewers have totally different interests.”
That means it isn’t necessary to start a new YouTube channel just for posting your Shorts content.
What happens when you have a Short that performs really well?
Ritchie has the answer there too: “If we focus on the audience, the answer is more people are aware of you. More people have seen that video. And maybe when they’re on the home page and they see your next [long-form video], they’re like, ‘Oh, I recognize them from that Short,’ and the audience behavior will benefit you in the next long-form video.”
So remind yourself that you can’t put your success or failure at the foot of the algorithm. Instead, you should always be about grabbing and keeping your audience’s attention.
How to use Shorts to grow your YouTube channel
While some creators might specialize in Shorts, most creators should integrate them into their overall content strategy. Why? If there’s one trend that the team behind YouTube is noticing, it’s that posting a combination of Shorts and long-form content helps improve a channel’s growth.
“We’ve actually done some analyses recently where we looked at audience growth for channels that only made long-form videos, and channels that made both long-form and Shorts videos. The channels that made Shorts actually seem to be growing faster,” Vollucci said.
So there are signs that posting Shorts can help you grow your reach, but what exactly should you be doing with them? Since there’s no algorithm link between Shorts and long-form content, you need to think about the strengths Shorts have that long-form video can’t match, rather than worrying about the algorithm.
Since creating Shorts is so much faster than putting together a long-form video, creators need to experiment and see how Shorts fit into their overall content strategy. And since the algorithm won’t punish you when your Shorts underperform, there’s really no risk involved.
One other thing to keep in mind: When you become good at making Shorts, your whole YouTube presence will benefit. That’s because, according to Galloway’s analysis, Shorts vastly outperform longer videos when it comes to converting viewers into subscribers.
Make the most out of YouTube Shorts
YouTube might just end up being the hottest platform for multi-faceted creators. While TikTok is great for those who specialize in short-form video, it seems like the wind might be turning, and creators with a fuller skillset could potentially find better success on the older video platform. So, if you’re already a YouTube creator, start experimenting with short videos. They won’t hurt performance for your regular content and can even help you get more subscribers.
Now that you know how the YouTube Shorts algorithm works, how do you monetize Shorts? Get our free YouTube Shorts Monetization Guide to learn how to turn your content into a money-making machine.
YouTube Shorts algorithm FAQ
How often should I post on YouTube Shorts?
Sure, you could publish 10 Shorts a day to maximize your chances of getting the YouTube Shorts algorithm on your side, but that’s not really going to work. You should actually be asking yourself what kind of Shorts you should be creating. That’s because, according to some creators, YouTube might actually penalize you if you create too many low-quality Shorts.
So, if you’re just now getting started with YouTube Shorts, start by creating a few a week — but give it your absolute best effort.
Do you need to post a certain number of Shorts to start seeing success?
Pierce Vollucci, a product manager at YouTube, has a pretty simple answer here: “No. Every Short is given a chance to succeed no matter the channel or the number of videos on the channel. Performance of a Short is dictated by whether or not people are choosing to watch and not skip a video in the Shorts feed.”
If you don’t have any Shorts on your channel yet, don’t feel like you have to publish a bunch of them at once just to start seeing some success. Try making a few Shorts and uploading them, and let your audience’s reaction dictate how you use them in the future.
How can you beat the YouTube Shorts algorithm?
First things first, don’t think of the YouTube Shorts algorithm as something you need to “beat.” The algorithm’s job is to match up content with people who’ll enjoy it, not to push certain creators up over others.
When speaking with Colin and Samir from the Creator Support YouTube channel, YouTube employee Rene Ritchie dispelled this misconception: “One of [the myths about the algorithm] is that the algorithm pushes videos for creators,” he said. “People think, ‘I made a video, why isn’t the algorithm pushing it?’ When in reality, the algorithm pulls videos for viewers.”
So the best way to “beat” the algorithm is to keep creating content while taking your audience’s feedback. Part of that is experimenting with different types of content to reach potential new subscribers.
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Further reading
- How To Make YouTube Shorts (+19 Tips To Go Viral)
- YouTube Shorts SEO: 13 Effective Ways To Boost Your Reach
- What Is the Best Time to Post on YouTube Shorts?
- 27 YouTube Shorts Ideas To Help You Go Viral
- 11 Tips for Getting Your First 1,000 YouTube Subscribers
- YouTube Shorts Monetization: How To Start Earning (Even Without 1,000 Subscribers)
- TikTok vs. YouTube Shorts vs. Instagram Reels: Which One Makes You Money?
- How To Create a YouTube Content Calendar (+ Free Template)
- How To Create a YouTube Business Plan (+ Free Templates)
This article was originally published in February 2023, and updated in August 2024 with additional information.
