The Surprising Truth About YouTube’s Algorithm: It Doesn’t Care About Consistency!

Derek Johnson
3 min readJan 1, 2023
Photo by Christian Wiediger on Unsplash

The YouTube algorithm is a complex system that determines which videos are shown to users and in what order they are presented. While many creators strive to be consistent in their content and upload schedule in order to please the algorithm and grow their audience, the truth is that the algorithm does not prioritize consistency. In fact, there are several reasons why the algorithm may actually work against creators who are trying to be consistent.

One reason the algorithm does not care about consistency is that it is primarily focused on engagement. The algorithm wants to keep users on the platform for as long as possible, and it does this by showing them content that they are likely to enjoy and interact with. This means that the algorithm may prioritize a viral video or a controversial video over a consistent creator’s content, even if the consistent creator has a larger and more loyal audience.

Another reason the algorithm does not prioritize consistency is that it is constantly evolving. YouTube is always testing new ways to improve the user experience and keep users engaged, which means that the algorithm is constantly changing as well. This can make it difficult for creators to understand and predict how the algorithm will treat their content, and it can also make it…

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Derek Johnson

Philosopher | AI Engineering | Formally @ Apple & Amazon