YouTube Shorts Findings

[kriespy10]

Hi,

I've been diving into YouTube shorts and trying to crack the algorithm, with what works and what not.
I already noticed one major thing that could have lots of impact on whether a channel is going to breakthrough or not.

It's that your shorts on your channel get's first pushed in your own country, just like with TikTok. I'm sure that this is bad for niche channels.

Do you come from a different country than the USA and still go viral in the USA?

 

[SuperBlessed]

It's commonly understood that platforms like Reels, TikTok, and Shorts initially promote content primarily within the creator's own country. If the content performs well, it is then pushed to additional countries. The algorithm assesses the performance of the content in each "round" to determine its subsequent reach.

However, there are strategies available to influence the specific country where you want your content to be predominantly promoted. (VPN, Simcards etc)

For instance, if your video reaches 1,000 views and you are based in France, it's likely that some of these views will come from other countries, such as Italy. If the video does not perform well in Italy, the algorithm will likely not continue to promote it further in that country.

It all comes down to timing and the quality of the content. While viewers in Italy might not engage well with the content today, they could respond more positively tomorrow.

 

[ads studio]

Sometimes it can, but the algorithm prioritizes pushing local content to users in the same country as the creator.

 

[focussed-efficiency]

Makes sense.

That's why I would use a VPN here, too. Even though I'd only publish content in english.

BUT, I'm in Germany, watching over 80% of videos in english (rest is german, italian & russian) and I sometimes got the weirdest sh** in my suggestions or played while scrolling shorts.

Especially @ night and while scrolling shorts. Especially subtle nudity with the most random, but probably trending keywords like "Dr. Dre Eminem Keisha 2024 Ukraine Rockstar lol rofl"

And in the last couple months at least one video in the worst imaginable quality made by 9 - 14 yr old US kids with 0 - 10 clicks named 22 december 2023 or something like that. Description said "hahahahaha 22.th december 2023". One video was just named "march".

- And no, never watched or searched for pedo/fetish stuff.


I don't know what the algorithm was thinking.. "Meh.. these US people don't like it. But this guy, this guy in Germany,.. he'd probably watch it." - I mean.. algorithm was right, still weird though.


And then there's this behaviour when I search for "funny comedy movie complete 2023" and after the 14th suggestion some indian guy getting tortured in the woods.
Or a video that was trending in 2012.

Idk..



By the way,.. WHO OF YOU IS THIS @MemeZee guy?

1,240,689,997 views

No f*cking effort, still booming..

 

[kriespy10]

Makes sense.

That's why I would use a VPN here, too. Even though I'd only publish content in english.

BUT, I'm in Germany, watching over 80% of videos in english (rest is german, italian & russian) and I sometimes got the weirdest sh** in my suggestions or played while scrolling shorts.

Especially @ night and while scrolling shorts. Especially subtle nudity with the most random, but probably trending keywords like "Dr. Dre Eminem Keisha 2024 Ukraine Rockstar lol rofl"

And in the last couple months at least one video in the worst imaginable quality made by 9 - 14 yr old US kids with 0 - 10 clicks named 22 december 2023 or something like that. Description said "hahahahaha 22.th december 2023". One video was just named "march".

- And no, never watched or searched for pedo/fetish stuff.


I don't know what the algorithm was thinking.. "Meh.. these US people don't like it. But this guy, this guy in Germany,.. he'd probably watch it." - I mean.. algorithm was right, still weird though.


And then there's this behaviour when I search for "funny comedy movie complete 2023" and after the 14th suggestion some indian guy getting tortured in the woods.
Or a video that was trending in 2012.

Idk..



By the way,.. WHO OF YOU IS THIS @MemeZee guy?

1,240,689,997 views

No f*cking effort, still booming..

I tried with VPN but obviously YouTube and Google knows you are using a VPN, I think this might even have a worse impact on your channel than publishing in your own country.

Just keep going right now is my main mindset. Until I really feel like I've tried it all. But I have been doing IG reels & TikTok with success easily first month at least 1 video over 1million views. However on YouTube it is way harder to reach that amount of views.

 

[focussed-efficiency]

I tried with VPN but obviously YouTube and Google knows you are using a VPN, I think this might even have a worse impact on your channel than publishing in your own country.

Just keep going right now is my main mindset. Until I really feel like I've tried it all. But I have been doing IG reels & TikTok with success easily first month at least 1 video over 1million views. However on YouTube it is way harder to reach that amount of views.

Well.. I can only recommend using a dedicated VPN. Everything else is worthless for everything discussed within this forum.


Coincidence, but shortly after my last reply I was chilling and I got the weirdest videos while scrolling:

All max. 1 like when they popped up.

Dunno if my ADHD confuses the algorithm or if this is just a normal testrun for new videos, but sometimes I'll check later on these videos and they've exploded within an hour, without barely any content.

*putting tin foil hat on* I think there's more to it. But too dynamic to really use it on a daily basis.

 

[Ancoshal]

It's that your shorts on your channel get's first pushed in your own country, just like with TikTok. I'm sure that this is bad for niche channels.

I think it only happens when you upload local content. It depends on your content type and niche.

 

[RoboTech]

I have never come across a YouTube short video from my country on my feed. I believe that YouTube Shorts is more tailored to user interests, relying on watch history and searched keywords, unlike TikTok, which focus more on your location.

 

[kriespy10]

I think it only happens when you upload local content. It depends on your content type and niche.

Yes I'm uploading English content. Look at this:

This was my latest video that got pushed with seed viewers. 30% from my own country.

This is my overal viewership:

USA is on top which is nice, but I want my seed viewers to be from USA not my own country.

 

[kriespy10]

I have never come across a YouTube short video from my country on my feed. I believe that YouTube Shorts is more tailored to user interests, relying on watch history and searched keywords, unlike TikTok, which focus more on your location.

YouTube obviously think my channel is for Dutch audience then. So that brings me to the basic question, does this impact your growth as a new channel on YouTube? I think yes, because YouTube first has to recognise that you are in fact not publishing content for your own country, but for USA audience or "international".

 

[jeronimon]

Use proxy for niche

 

[Ancoshal]

Yes I'm uploading English content. Look at this: View attachment 308778 This was my latest video that got pushed with seed viewers. 30% from my own country.

This is my overal viewership: View attachment 308779 USA is on top which is nice, but I want my seed viewers to be from USA not my own country.

I discovered that you can easily get US audiences in most gaming niches. You can try some.

 

[RoboTech]

YouTube obviously think my channel is for Dutch audience then. So that brings me to the basic question, does this impact your growth as a new channel on YouTube? I think yes, because YouTube first has to recognise that you are in fact not publishing content for your own country, but for USA audience or "international".

I'm not particularly focused on creating short videos; hence, I was speaking from a user perspective. However, in general, Youtube algorithm care A LOT about your initial traffic to push your vids to look-alike audience on home page, suggestions and even ranking locally. So yes if you received mainly dutch traffic that's a bad start.. maybe find a way to fake it?

 

[kriespy10]

I'm not particularly focused on creating short videos; hence, I was speaking from a user perspective. However, in general, Youtube algorithm care A LOT about your initial traffic to push your vids to look-alike audience on home page, suggestions and even ranking locally. So yes if you received mainly dutch traffic that's a bad start.. maybe find a way to fake it?

So yes if you received mainly dutch traffic that's a bad start

Yeah I think so too, it is just a shame. Had this problem as well on TikTok but their algo changes appropiately and therefore I reached USA audience within a month. However YouTube is lacking in this area. Instagram does not do this at all. I reached USA audience within a day, it is mind blowing how good reels algo is right now.

maybe find a way to fake it?

There is always the option of VPN but knowing how good Google is and YouTube, they know you are using a VPN. And uploading with a VPN might be considered as manipulating, resulting in hurting your channel even more or a "shadowban".

This is also not the case where you can just upload a video on every account, because YouTube knows when you have duplicated content. So I'm really stuck with other peoples experiences in this situation.

 

[kalpana007]

In 99% cases, the content will be pushed to audience from same country. If it starts going viral, they might show it to people from other countries and then it depends on response from that country audience.

 

[kriespy10]

Also do you guys upload shorts on Desktop or on Mobile? On mobile you can choose a custom thumbnail.

 

[bingusenthusiast29982]

I tried with VPN but obviously YouTube and Google knows you are using a VPN, I think this might even have a worse impact on your channel than publishing in your own country.

Just keep going right now is my main mindset. Until I really feel like I've tried it all. But I have been doing IG reels & TikTok with success easily first month at least 1 video over 1million views. However on YouTube it is way harder to reach that amount of views.

I've also gone viral on TikTok, now trying to transition the proven content to Reels. Do you have any tips for me - differences between TikTok and IG Reels? I will start with a fresh IG account with 0 followers.

Thank you

 

[Ragnar112]

I tried with VPN but obviously YouTube and Google knows you are using a VPN, I think this might even have a worse impact on your channel than publishing in your own country.

Just keep going right now is my main mindset. Until I really feel like I've tried it all. But I have been doing IG reels & TikTok with success easily first month at least 1 video over 1million views. However on YouTube it is way harder to reach that amount of views.

For Tiktok and IG, did you use any VPN or did you keep posting in your original country and still going viral?

 

[Ragnar112]

Also do you guys upload shorts on Desktop or on Mobile? On mobile you can choose a custom thumbnail.

Ohh, thanks for the info! I was really asking myself how the option of choosing thumbnails is not available, but I am only posting from my computer

 

[onlinemarketer12]

It is obvious that they will push it to same country users first. If it becomes viral there, it might be shown in other locations. All social media platform will follow this same pattern like shorts, reels and tiktok. Like Mr Beast first captured USA market but now he ranks all over the world.