The YouTube Algorithm: My No-Nonsense Playbook
Understand how the YouTube algorithm works and how to use it to your advantage. Learn the five key factors - CTR, AVD, Watch Time, Tags, and Keywords - and how to optimize them for more views and higher rankings.
The YouTube algorithm isn’t magic. It’s not guesswork. And it’s definitely not about “hacks.”
I’ve studied it, tested it, and here’s the truth: only a handful of signals decide whether my videos rise or sink.
Please forget about the noise. These are the five levers that actually matter:
- Average View Duration (AVD)
- Click Through Rate (CTR)
- Watch Time
- Tags & Hashtags
- Keywords
Two of them are power players. The rest are support.
Average View Duration (AVD): The Brutal Honesty Meter
AVD tells me one thing—do people actually like what I made?
If my video is 10 minutes and people leave after two minutes, YouTube doesn’t need analytics to know it’s boring.
Here’s my benchmark:
- 30%+ watch = Excellent
- 25–30% = Good
- <20% = Something’s broken
And my rule? I never publish without watching my own video. If I zone out halfway, I know others will too. Cut, trim, fix—it’s painful but necessary.
Click Through Rate (CTR): The Gatekeeper
No click = no view. CTR is the first wall my video has to break.
- 7–8% CTR = Strong
- 6% = Decent for new creators
- ≤5% = Emergency — fix title and thumbnail
I don’t wait months for improvement. I check CTR within 48 hours. If it’s weak, I swap the thumbnail or rewrite the title—fast.
Watch Time: The Monetization Myth
Yes, you need 4,000 hours of Watch Time to join the Partner Program.
But here’s the raw truth: after that, Watch Time doesn’t move the algorithm.
People think it’s the secret metric—it isn’t. Once you’re monetized, CTR and AVD are the only numbers I care about.
Tags vs Hashtags: Stop Wasting Time
Tags? They help YouTube categorize content and handle typos. That’s all.
Hashtags? Clickable, suitable for grouping my own videos. But do they boost reach? Zero.
They’re housekeeping. Not growth engines.
Keywords: The Silent Power
YouTube is a search engine. Keywords are my entry ticket.
That’s why I always include them in the title (non-negotiable) and naturally incorporate them into the description.
If I’m sharing three recipes or three trading setups, those exact words appear in my description. Not forced. Just there.
That’s how I land on page one when someone types those terms globally.
My Global YouTube Formula
Here’s how I play the game:
- Audit my last 5 uploads — I check CTR and AVD.
- Weak CTR? Fix thumbnail/title in 48 hours.
- Weak AVD? Cut the fluff.
- Titles + descriptions always carry real keywords.
- Tags and hashtags stay in the background.
That’s it.
The algorithm isn’t my enemy—it’s my amplifier. If people click and stay, I win. If they don’t, nothing else matters.
And that’s the simple, global truth about the YouTube algorithm today.
