Has YouTube Become More Focused on Viewer Satisfaction Than SEO?

Over the last few months, I've noticed that some videos with very little keyword optimization are outperforming videos that are perfectly optimized for search.
It seems like metrics such as audience retention, watch time, repeat viewers, and overall viewer satisfaction are playing a much bigger role than traditional SEO.

For those of you actively growing YouTube channels;H

-Have you changed your content strategy recently?
-Are you still seeing results from keyword research, or is storytelling and retention the bigger factor now?
-Have Shorts helped your long-form content grow, or are they attracting a completely different audience?

I'm interested in hearing what others are experiencing with recent uploads.

SEO helps people find videos, but retention and viewer satisfaction are what drive real growth.

Youtube seems to reward creators who build a loyal audience rather than those who only chase rankings and trends.