YouTube Kills Trending Page: What Happened?
On July 10th, YouTube dropped a bomb: they’re pulling the plug on their Trending Page, effective July 21st. Launched in 2015, the Trending Page was designed to highlight popular videos, helping users discover new content and stay up-to-date. So, why the sudden change?
The Rise and Fall of Trends
Initially, the Trending Page served its purpose, showcasing viral videos and emerging creators. However, over time, it gradually morphed into a platform for creators to flaunt their view counts and engagement metrics. According to YouTube, visits to the Trending Page have dwindled significantly over the past five years, prompting this decision.
Why Now? Shifting User Behavior
YouTube attributes the decline in Trending Page traffic to evolving user habits. People are now discovering trends through various avenues on the platform, including:
- Personalized recommendations on the homepage
- Search suggestions
- YouTube Shorts
- Comments sections
- Community posts
Essentially, users are finding relevant content through more tailored and direct channels.
What’s Next for Trend Discovery on YouTube?
While the Trending Page is gone, YouTube isn’t abandoning trend discovery altogether. Here’s how users can still find popular content:
YouTube Charts: A New Avenue for Trends
YouTube is expanding its Charts feature, already available for music, to include more content categories. Users can explore:
- Trending Music Videos
- Weekly Top Podcast Shows
- Trending Movie Trailers
YouTube plans to add even more categories to Charts in the future. For gaming content, trending videos will remain accessible on the Gaming Explore page.
Personalized Recommendations Remain Key
YouTube will continue to provide personalized video recommendations, ensuring users see a “wider range of popular content” tailored to their interests. The Explore Page, subscriptions feed, and channels of favorite creators also offer avenues for discovering content outside of personalized recommendations.
Inspiration Tab for Creators
Content creators can leverage the Inspiration tab in YouTube Studio to identify personalized content ideas, helping them stay relevant and engaging.
A Summary of Changes
| Feature | Status | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Trending Page | Removed | N/A |
| YouTube Charts | Expanded | YouTube Music, Explore |
| Personalized Recommendations | Maintained | Homepage, Watch Next |
| Gaming Trends | Maintained | Gaming Explore Page |
In conclusion, while the dedicated Trending Page is sunsetting, YouTube is adapting to changing user behaviors by integrating trend discovery into other platform features. The focus is shifting towards personalized recommendations and broader content categories within YouTube Charts, ensuring users can still find the videos and creators that resonate with them.
