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YouTube Algorithm Explained: How It Ranks Videos (2026)

YouTube algorithm ranking videos using CTR, average view duration, watch time, retention, and engagement in 2026.

TL;DR: YouTube’s algorithm recommends your video when a small group of viewers clicks it, stays with it, and then continues watching your channel. Once your video passes that first read, YouTube shows it to a wider, colder audience and checks click-through rate and average view duration again. Win both, repeatedly, and distribution keeps growing. Lose […]