So it should come as no surprise that for many years, the YouTube algorithm recommended the videos that attracted the most views or clicks.Īlas, this led to a proliferation of misleading titles and thumbnails-in other words, clickbait. the star of Me at the zoo), YouTube was created in 2005 in order to crowdsource video of Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake’s notorious Superbowl performance. 2005 – 2011: Optimizing for clicks & viewsĪccording to founder Jawed Karim (a.k.a.
A brief history of the YouTube algorithmįirst, let’s do a quick overview of how the word “algorithm” became so omni-present in all of our lives. Bonus: Download the free 30-day plan to grow your YouTube following fast, a daily workbook of challenges that will help you kickstart your Youtube channel growth and track your success.
