GoKawiilMegan Ellis / Android Authority
I budget for streaming services monthly, but YouTube still plays a core role in my entertainment routine. Unlike the relatively limited list of movies and shows on these services, YouTube houses hundreds of millions of videos on its servers, covering a broad range of topics from millions of creators. This wide array of content is beneficial to viewers, but it also means that YouTube’s recommendation punts can often be way off the mark.
In recent weeks, I’ve noticed an uptick in disgruntled users online complaining about this very issue. Some lament seeing videos that were previously suggested re-recommended ad nauseam, while others call out suggestions that don’t align with their subscriptions or searches. In short, users aren’t seeing suggestions for videos they’re likely to watch or are happy to discover. That’s an annoying problem that ultimately ruins the YouTube experience, whether you pay for it or not.
How would you rate the quality of the recommendations and suggestions you receive on YouTube? 59 votes Excellent: They always match my interests. 3 % Good: They are mostly relevant. 17 % Fair: They are hit or miss. 39 % Poor: They rarely match my interests. 24 % Terrible: They are completely off. 17 %
Thankfully, I haven’t experienced these recommendation issues of late, and that’s potentially thanks to my years of meticulous and thoughtful YouTube use. But what does this entail exactly? After some introspection, I’ve outlined a handful of core guidelines that help keep my YouTube recommendations focused and pointed. Hopefully, these will help you, too.
I keep my main account focused on content I like
Rita El Khoury / Android Authority
While YouTube’s algorithms play a role in recommending content and make for a sensible scapegoat, a curated YouTube feed is ultimately down to user discipline.
As much as I wish YouTube knew exactly what I wanted to watch when I wanted to watch it, this just isn’t possible. It can only make assumptions based on watch history, current watch trends, subscriptions, and searches. Therefore, it’s imperative that we’re careful with the content we view on our accounts.
What does this mean in practice? If I’m curious about topics or channels that I’m not yet subscribed to or interested in, I’ll view that content in incognito mode or through a secondary, inconsequential account. Here, I can evaluate whether I actually enjoy that channel’s style, content, and feel, and then decide whether to subscribe. Importantly, this subscription will directly affect my recommendations afterward, so this decision will have ripple effects, too.
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