YouTube is now factoring watch time over number of clicks in its video rankings. The site says it wants to reward videos that keep users on the platform longer and not just those that manage to get clicks.
YouTube announced the change on October 12, describing it as a “continuation of ongoing efforts to focus our video discovery features on watch time.” This follows changes that the platform made to Suggested Videos in March.
The new analytical tools factoring in watch time include an enhanced views section that shows creators how their videos are engaging viewers as a measure of performance. The site now factors that into search ranking. Previously, videos that had a more optimized search ranking were based on clicks alone. It was a ranking that was easily manipulated by clever video producers who would often choose thumbnails designed to get clicks, while the content itself may not have been worth watching.
YouTube’s “Creators” blog describes the change, “The experimental results of this change have proven positive — less clicking, more watching. We expect the amount of time viewers spend watching videos from search and across the site to increase. As with previous optimizations to our discovery features, this should benefit your channel if your videos drive more viewing time across YouTube.”
Source: TechCrunch
SHARE YOUR EXPEREINCE
Do you think these changes will improve the quality of the YouTube viewing experience Share your thoughts in our Facebook Poll. {page no longer active}
