 "More engaging videos to rank higher on YouTube")
YouTube’s now rewarding more engaging videos with higher rankings. The videos that users spend more time watching will appear higher than others in search results on YouTube. YouTube, in an official blog post reveals that the newest change is a result of its attempts at pegging instances of video discovery to the amount of time spent in watching them. The move comes after YouTube made changes to Suggested Videos in March, and recent improvements to YouTube Analytics.
YouTube shares that the results far have been positive so far, whereby it has registered more users watching than clicking. With this, YouTube shares that it expects users to spend more time watching videos from search and across the site. Importantly, video channels should benefit from this if their videos get more watching minutes, quite like what other optimisation did to its discovery features.
Optimising video discovery
Going further, YouTube shares, “Yesterday, we added new Time Watched reporting to YouTube Analytics, so now you have even more tools to evaluate the performance of your videos and channel. So keep making great videos that your fans will love and share, and encourage them to discover more of what YouTube offers, and you’ll see your own fan base grow, too.”
YouTube grabbed headlines last week when it was reported that it was taking its original programming venture to Europe, with a host of new partnerships working towards “internationalizing its array of tailor-made videos” using content from Britain’s BBC, London-based Freemantle Media, Netherland’s Endemol, and dozens of others.
Last week, YouTube shared that it was launching more than 60 new video channels with content from Britain, Germany, France, and the United States. “The new programming will be in addition to the 100 channels of content launched in the United States last year," a report said.
Last month, Google was said to be testing a new feature for YouTube. Reports at the time suggested the new feature is currently in beta, and those interested can opt in through account settings. The new feature, called Video Questions Editor, allows you to add questions to your videos that users can answer.
Once activated, the Video Questions Editor can be seen on the edit bar on the video edit page. Once the questions get answers, the results can be seen by the account holders through the analytics for the video. The editor offers features such as the ability to give viewers hints for the questions if they pick the wrong answer.
Recently, Google had released a new version of the YouTube app for iOS devices. The new YouTube app for the iPhone features thousands of additional videos, as well as improved features for finding videos and sharing videos on social networks. Unlike the previous version of the YouTube iPhone app, the new version features online advertising, according to a Google spokesman.
Online ads generate the bulk of Google’s revenue, and YouTube already offers ads on its mobile website and on the version of the app for Android smartphones.
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