YouTube has announced a rather radical change to the way users will find trending content, going into detail about it in a recent blog post. Here’s a brief overview—they’ll all be rolled out over the course of the next few weeks. They’re a big departure from the platform’s previous, and much criticized, Trending page and Trending Now list, debuted in 2015. This decision is likely in reaction to this troubling trend of decreasing visits to the Trending page, especially in the past five years.
From the early YouTube days to now, the platform has drastically changed. Originally perceived as a platform primarily for amateur videos, it has evolved into a hub for both professional long-form and short-form content. This change is a response to the increasing competition between content producers and news organizations for a slice of the advertising dollars.
YouTube’s official Publisher blog post reiterates that all these updates are meant to help creators really adapt and align to how people are discovering content today. As users continue to demand more personalized recommendations, the platform is continuing to evolve in that direction.
“The Inspiration Tab in YouTube Studio will keep giving creators personalized ideas to help them spot the next big thing for their channel,” – YouTube.
This new approach suggests that YouTube will prioritize highlighting popular content through charts while ensuring viewers receive tailored video suggestions that cater to their preferences.
The drop in visits to the Trending page is a symptom of a larger change in user consumption patterns. People have been conditioned to love individualized experiences. To adapt, YouTube is rethinking its strategy to better connect with and serve an evolving creator landscape.
“Along with highlighting popular content in charts, we’ll keep showing viewers the videos that we think they’ll love through personalized recommendations,” – YouTube.
These changes will particularly affect how what’s trending gets shown to people. As with any changes in policy, creators will have some adapting to do in order to make the most of the new system.