When YouTube Pushes Your Videos to the Wrong People

If you’ve ever poured time into making a solid, maybe even great video—only to watch it flop—you’re not alone.

Three weeks into launching my new YouTube channel, I started noticing something strange: my videos weren’t just underperforming… they were being suggested next to completely unrelated content. Think “how to grow your YouTube channel” videos showing up next to soap cutting and study tips.

Here’s what happened—and what I’m doing about it.

Click-Through Rates Were Tanking

One video had 2,800+ impressions but only a 1.4% CTR. Ouch.

And when I dug into the traffic sources, it all started making sense. The majority of impressions were coming from suggested videos, not browse—and worse, they were being placed next to content that had nothing to do with my niche.

This mismatch meant YouTube was showing my content to the wrong audience. No wonder no one was clicking.

Why This Matters

Suggested videos are great—if YouTube knows your audience. But early on, your channel doesn’t have enough data. So when it guesses wrong and starts pushing your content to people who aren’t looking for it, your CTR drops, your growth slows, and momentum stalls.

But that doesn’t mean your content isn’t good enough. It means the algorithm hasn’t figured you out yet.

So What Do You Do?

This isn’t the moment to pivot—it’s the moment to train the algorithm.

Here’s my game plan:

• Keep uploading consistently (3x/week)

• Stay dialed in on my niche and my audience

• Focus on making helpful, high-quality videos (not just flashy ones)

• Be patient—YouTube needs time to learn

This is a long game. The worst thing you can do is start changing direction every time you hit resistance. That just makes it harder for YouTube to learn who your content is for.

Final Thought

If your videos are solid, your thumbnails are intentional, and your titles make sense—but your growth feels stuck—it might just be a matter of time. Stick with it. Don’t panic. YouTube will figure you out as long as you stay consistent and keep serving your real audience.