How YouTube's Algorithm Really Works in 2025 (Straight from YouTube's Director of Growth)

If you've ever tried to grow a YouTube channel or run YouTube ads, you've probably asked yourself: "How does YouTube's algorithm actually work?"

This is one of the most common questions I get from my clients & audiences - and for good reason.

Understanding YouTube's recommendation system is critical for success on the platform! ??

I recently watched an INCREDIBLE interview with Todd Beaupré, YouTube's Senior Director of Growth & Discovery, where he reveals exactly how YouTube's recommendation system works in 2025 - and some of what he shared completely contradicts what many other YouTube "experts" have been teaching! ??

I'll link the full video interview link in the comments, but I wanted to share my key takeaways & thoughts here as well!

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Here's the biggest revelation that surprises most people: YouTube's algorithm isn't "pushing" your videos out to people.

I know, this contradicts what almost every other YouTube guru claims. Todd explains that the system actually works in reverse:

"The way it works is it isn't so much about pushing it out as much as it's pulling for each viewer. When you open the homepage, YouTube is going to say 'Hey, Name_ is here, we need to give Name_ the best content that is going to make __Name_ happy today.'"

This is a fundamental shift in how we should think about YouTube.

Rather than YouTube promoting your video to an audience, the system is finding the perfect videos for each individual viewer!

Think of it as "automating word of mouth" - the algorithm is essentially trying to replicate what happens when friends recommend videos to each other, but at massive scale.

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This shift in understanding has a big impact on your YouTube strategy:

1. Focus on serving specific viewers, not "gaming" the algorithm

Since YouTube is trying to find the right viewers for your content (not the other way around), focus on making videos that deeply resonate with your target audience.

2. Create videos for real people, not metrics

Ask yourself, "Would my ideal viewer love this video enough to recommend it to a friend?" rather than "How do I optimize for watch time?"

3. Context matters more than you think

YouTube recommends different content based on:

- Time of day (morning vs. evening viewing habits)

- Device type (mobile, desktop, TV)

- Viewer history and preferences

This explains why the same video might perform extremely well with certain viewers and fall flat with others.

It's also why it's important to have consistency with your content & schedule once you find a repeatable strategy that works for YOU because your audience may be different than other people's audiences.

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I've seen so many creators and marketers obsess over specific metrics like CTR (click-through rate) or watch time, believing there's some magic threshold to hit.

Todd put this myth to rest:

"We've enabled the system to learn that different factors can have different importance in different contexts. Watch time may be more important in television versus mobile, or it may be more important in certain types of content like podcasts as opposed to music."

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Here's where it gets really interesting. According to Todd, YouTube is focused on a metric that's much harder to game:

SATISFACTION

For years, YouTube has been collecting data based on watch time & other metrics that gauge viewer satisfaction through videos.

And viewer feedback through built-in surveys to understand not just what people watch, but how they feel about what they watched.

This means in addition to Watch Time, they're looking at signals like:

- Survey responses (direct feedback)

- "Not interested" clicks (& leaving a video quickly)

- Likes/dislikes

- Whether a viewer returns to YouTube later

The goal isn't to maximize watch time today, but to build a long-term relationship with viewers – exactly what we want as marketers and creators.

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Here's a practical example Todd gave that blew my mind. He asked:

"Would you as a Creator rather have a video that has a 20% CTR and 10,000 views or a 5% CTR and 100,000 views?"

Obviously, the second option is better! But this illustrates how focusing on a single metric in isolation can be misleading.

The real question is: are you achieving your higher-level goals as a business or creator? Whether that's total views, subscriber growth, or conversions to your offers.

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One of the most exciting developments Todd discussed was how YouTube has evolved its recommendation system to support multiple language tracks.

If you're not familiar with this feature, YouTube now allows creators to upload different audio tracks (dubbing) for the same video, essentially making your content available in multiple languages.

There's even AI tools now that allow you to quickly dub content in different languages!

Here's how to use this to scale your channel into new markets according to Todd:

1. Add translated titles and descriptions - This helps the recommendation system understand your content is available in multiple languages.

2. Focus on dubbing your most popular content first - Aim to have at least 80% of your channel's watch time available in each target language.

3. Build a critical mass in a few languages - It's better to have 80% of your catalog in 2-3 languages than 20% in 10 languages.

We've been experimenting with this on my original YouTube Channel, AppFind, with 600k+ Subscribers & a broader tech market & have had some positive results so far!

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If you've experienced declining views on your channel, you're not alone. This is one of the most common concerns I hear from clients and YouTube creators.

The interview also had some reassuring insights on this topic:

"Just because your views on your channel are going down in a particular period doesn't mean that your channel is going to die and go to zero. We see many waves of interest in channels where audiences might binge for a while on a particular channel and then move on to other channels for a while, and many channels that go down quite a bit will then come back up quite a bit."

I think this is a key thing to remember because just like in business itself, the single biggest determining factor in longterm success is GRIT -- continuing to publish better & better content.

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1. Look at longer timeframes

Don't just focus on the last 30 days. Zoom out to a year or more to spot seasonal patterns and longer trends.

2. Check Google Trends & KeywordSearch (dot) com

Look at how often people are searching for topics related to your content. This gives you insight into demand fluctuations.

Also a bit of a shameless plug for using my AI YouTube Keyword & Audience Research Tool, KeywordSearch . com

3. Analyze the subscription tab

This shows how your core audience is reacting to your content without any algorithm involvement. It provides a clean signal about your content quality.

Another important factor Todd mentioned is the supply-demand dynamic.

Early in a trend, there might be high demand but low supply (few videos on the topic), leading to more views per video.

As more creators jump on the trend, supply increases and views per video naturally decrease.

This doesn't mean your content is worse – it's just a natural market dynamic.

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Perhaps the most fascinating revelation from Todd was how YouTube is integrating large language models (the technology behind ChatGPT and Claude) into their recommendation system.

Here's how this is changing recommendations:

"The models are larger and what that enables them to do is develop a deeper, more nuanced understanding of content and of each viewer."

Rather than simply categorizing a video as "Indian cooking," for example, the system can now understand:

- The specific ingredients in the dish

- Elements of the video style and presentation

- Emotions the creator is conveying

Todd used a brilliant analogy: The old system was like a cook following a recipe (fixed instructions), while the new AI-powered system is more like an expert chef who understands the fundamentals of cooking and can adapt on the fly.

This means YouTube can now make much more nuanced recommendations – connecting viewers with content that matches their interests in deeper, more meaningful ways.

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Based on these insights straight from YouTube's Senior Director of Growth & Discovery, here's how to position your channel or YouTube ad campaigns for maximum success:

1. Focus on viewer satisfaction, not just engagement

- Create content that delivers genuine value to your audience, not just content designed to maximize watch time or clicks.

2. Don't obsess over individual metrics

- Look at the big picture and how your content is performing relative to your specific goals & multiple metrics.

3. Think globally with multi-language tracks

- If you're not already using YouTube's dubbing features, now is a type to test it out – especially if international growth is a goal.

4. Create for humans, not algorithms

- With YouTube's more sophisticated AI, attempts to "game" the system are less effective than ever. Focus on creating content people genuinely want to watch.

5. Analyze your data in context

- Look at longer timeframes, consider external factors like seasonality, and use comparison tools like the subscription tab to get clearer insights.

The most exciting takeaway for me is that YouTube's evolving algorithm is increasingly aligned with what we actually want as creators: connecting our content with the people who will genuinely value it most.

As YouTube continues to integrate more advanced AI into their recommendations, the focus isn't on "tricking" the algorithm, but on creating valuable content that resonates deeply with your target audience.

And isn't that what great marketing is all about? ??

That's always been our focus -- Value Driven Marketing

Even our ads are "Value Ads" -- YouTube Ads that drive real value & that's why they convert better. His interview was more about the organic side of YouTube, but I'm sure Todd would agree with me.

I'll link the full interview in below if you want to check it out -- I found it quite interesting!

Also, if you're looking to leverage the power of YouTube Marketing + YouTube Ads -- I'll drop a link in the comments to book a call with our team as well!

The future belongs to marketers who understand this fundamental truth: behind every view, every click, every subscription is a human looking for value, connection, and solutions to their problems.

The only question is... will it be your video & channel they discover?