Hajra Naz
In a recent social media discussion, Rene Ritchie, YouTube’s Creator Liaison, addressed concerns about whether Google Search traffic impacts YouTube recommendations.
The Concern
The debate focused on whether short view durations from Google Search referrals could negatively affect a video’s performance.
A user, @AdventureCrews, asked on X:
“If a channel gets massive external views from Google Search and the viewer only watches for less than 2 minutes, does this hurt the video’s performance? Or can YouTube distinguish this?”
YouTube’s Response
Ritchie clarified that YouTube evaluates watch time based on where the traffic comes from.
- The YouTube recommendation system (e.g., homepage suggestions) assesses watch time only for users who click videos on YouTube.
- Watch time from external sources like Google Search does not impact recommendations similarly.
He explained:
“Traffic sources primarily affect the same traffic source. So the recommendation system (Browse > Home Page), for example, will look at watch time for the video when it’s clicked on from the Home Page, not from external sources, Sub feed, etc.”
What This Means for Creators
This is good news for YouTube creators. Short watch times from Google Search won’t hurt a video’s YouTube recommendations.
Instead, YouTube prioritizes engagement within its platform, such as watching time from the homepage or suggested videos, when deciding what to recommend.
