Creating high-quality content and following YT trends are essential to win the viewers’ favor. Let’s talk below about how to promote one of the most trendy types of videos on YouTube.

What Is the YouTube Shorts Algorithm?

In a nutshell, this is a set of triggers that determine how a specific YouTube Shorts video will be ranked. Each user's algorithm is unique and tailored to his/her preferences within the platform.

How Does the YouTube Shorts Algorithm Work?

The YouTube Shorts algorithm is similar to the main YT algorithm in many ways but takes into account the features of content up to 60 seconds long. While no one knows what criteria affect the ranking, the importance of some of them is obvious.

Views

If a user doesn't skip your video and watches it to the end (or almost), that's great – in that case, the Shorts algorithm will give your video an extra boost.

User’s viewing and engagement history

YouTube selects videos relevant to each user's previous views. The reactions left are also important. 

Regularity of publications

The more regularly you publish Shorts, the better. At the same time, don’t sacrifice quality – without proper audience engagement, even daily uploads of a couple of Shorts won’t save you from failure.

Relevance

Make sure your content is relevant and related to a hot topic. You can also try to create viral content, but unfortunately, only a few out of hundreds of thousands achieve such popularity.

The YouTube feed

The YouTube Shorts algorithm change implies that the primary attention should be paid to the YouTube feed (and not the Shorts Shelf) since most users still consume random content.

Metadata and hashtags

Create a title, description, and hashtags relevant to your video’s topic – the more accurately you describe the uploaded content, the more straightforward YT algorithms can rank it. 

An initial engagement

If your video doesn't get enough views in the first couple of days after being uploaded, the YouTube Short algorithm will promote it even more slowly in the future.

Tips for Navigating the YouTube Shorts Algorithm in 2024

Now, let's learn how to prepare your YouTube Shorts for the best ranking. 

Follow the trends

Start by doing a little search of YouTube Shorts to understand the main trends. In addition to YouTube, you can use another platform for which this content format is typical — TikTok.

Encourage users to watch your other videos

Don’t show viewers a complete story – get them interested in looking for your other videos. It could be an offer to find out about the results of your experiment or something else.

Get the most out of SEO

Arm yourself with third-party YouTube Shorts SEO tools to find keywords for titles, descriptions, and hashtags for your video content. In particular, you can use Ahrefs.

Don’t forget about CTA

Since every second counts, you must devise a shorter alternative to the standard call to subscribe and like your video. 

Choose the right content format

Consider the length limitations before choosing a specific content type. Instead of a guide, you can share a couple of life hacks or a few facts instead of long overviews.

Determine the best time to post

Since the YouTube algorithm for Shorts provides the most vigorous push in the first few days, determine when the largest YT audience percentage will be active.

Conclusion

We hope that now you know how to ensure maximum audience engagement in your YouTube Shorts. That means it's time to learn how to monetize them!