YouTube Clarifies Monetization Update: Targeting Spam, Not Reaction Channels via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern

YouTube has responded to concerns surrounding its upcoming monetization policy update, clarifying that the July 15 changes are aimed at improving the detection of inauthentic content.

The update isn’t a crackdown on popular formats like reaction videos or clip compilations.

The clarification comes from Renee Richie, a creator liaison at YouTube, after a wave of confusion and concern followed the initial announcement.

Richie said in a video update:

“If you’re seeing posts about a July 2025 update to the YouTube Partner Program monetization policies and you’re concerned it’ll affect your reaction or clips or other type of channel. This is a minor update to YouTube’s long-standing YPP policies to help better identify when content is mass-produced or repetitive.”

Clarifying What’s Changing

Richie explained that the types of content targeted by the update, mass-produced and repetitious material, have already been ineligible for monetization under the YouTube Partner Program (YPP).

The update doesn’t change the rules but is intended to enhance how YouTube enforces them.

That distinction is important: while the policy itself isn’t new, enforcement may reach creators who were previously flying under the radar.

Why Creators Were Concerned

YouTube’s original announcement said the platform would “better identify mass-produced and repetitious content,” but didn’t clearly define those terms or how the update would be applied.

This vagueness led to speculation that reaction videos, clip compilations, or commentary content might be targeted, especially if those formats reuse footage or follow repetitive structures.

Richie’s clarification helps narrow the scope of the update, but it doesn’t explicitly exempt all reaction or clips channels. Channels relying on recycled content without significant added value may run into issues.

Understanding The Policy Context

YouTube’s Partner Program has always required creators to produce “original” and “authentic” content to qualify for monetization.

The July 15 update reiterates that standard, while providing more clarity around what the platform considers inauthentic today.

According to the July 2 announcement:

“On July 15, 2025, YouTube is updating our guidelines to better identify mass-produced and repetitious content. This update better reflects what ‘inauthentic’ content looks like today.”

YouTube emphasized two patterns in particular:

  • Mass-produced content
  • Repetitious content

While some reaction or commentary videos could fall under these categories, Richie’s statement suggests that the update is not meant to penalize formats that include meaningful creative input.

What This Means

Transformative content, such as reactions, commentary, and curated clips with original insights or editing, is still eligible for monetization.

But creators using these formats should ensure they’re offering something new or valuable in each upload.

The update appears aimed at:

  • Auto-generated or templated videos with minimal variation
  • Reposted or duplicated content with little editing or context
  • Channels that publish near-identical videos in large quantities

For creators who invest in original scripting, commentary, editing, or creative structure, this update likely won’t require changes. But those leaning on low-effort or highly repetitive content strategies may be at increased risk of losing monetization.

Looking Ahead

The updated policy will take effect on July 15. Channels that continue to publish content flagged as mass-produced or repetitive after this date may face removal from the Partner Program.

While Richie’s clarification aims to calm fears, it doesn’t override the enforcement language in the original announcement. Creators still have time to review their libraries and adjust strategies to ensure compliance.


Featured Image: Roman Samborskyi/Shutterstock

YouTube Adds New Viewer Metrics To Track Audience Loyalty via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern

YouTube is rolling out a new audience analytics feature that replaces the “returning viewers” metric with more detailed viewer categories.

The update introduces three viewer types: new, casual, and regular. This is designed to help creators better understand who’s engaging with their content and how often.

Breaking Down The New Viewer Categories

YouTube now segments viewers into:

  • New viewers: People watching your content for the first time within the selected time period.
  • Casual viewers: Those who’ve watched between one and five months out of the past year.
  • Regular viewers: Viewers who have returned consistently for six or more months over the past 12 months.
Screenshot from: YouTube.com/CreatorInsider, July 2025.

In an announcment, YouTube clarifies:

“These new categories provide a more nuanced understanding of viewer engagement and are not a direct equivalent of the previous returning viewers metric.”

There are no changes to the definition of new viewers. The new segmentation applies across all video formats, including Shorts, VOD, and livestreams.

What This Means

The switch to more granular segmentation addresses a long-standing limitation in YouTube’s analytics.

Previously, creators could only distinguish between new and returning viewers. That was a binary distinction that didn’t capture the full range of audience engagement.

Now, with casual and regular viewer categories, creators can identify which viewers are sporadically engaged versus those who form a loyal base.

YouTube cautioned that many channels may see a smaller percentage of regular viewers than expected, stating:

“Regular viewers is a high bar to reach as it signifies viewers who have consistently returned to watch your content for 6 months or more in the past year.”

Strategies For Building A Loyal Audience

YouTube suggests that maintaining a strong base of regular viewers requires consistent publishing and community engagement.

The platform recommends the following tactics:

  • Use community posts to stay visible between uploads
  • Respond to viewer comments
  • Host live premieres and join live chats
  • Maintain brand consistency across videos

These strategies reflect broader trends in the creator economy, where sustained engagement is becoming more valuable than viral reach.

Looking Ahead

The new segmentation is now rolling out globally on both desktop and mobile, with availability expanding to all creators in the coming weeks.

For marketers and brands, the added granularity offers a clearer picture of a creator’s influence and audience loyalty.

As YouTube continues refining its analytics tools, the emphasis is shifting from raw numbers to actionable insights that help creators grow sustainable channels.


Featured Image: Roman Samborskyi/Shutterstock

YouTube Tests AI Features To Improve Search & Discovery via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern

YouTube is rolling out two AI-driven features designed to enhance content discovery and deepen user engagement.

The experimental tools include an AI-powered search results carousel for Premium users and a conversational AI assistant now expanding to some non-Premium accounts in the U.S.

AI Search Results Carousel (Premium Only)

Premium subscribers in the U.S. can now access an AI-generated search results carousel for select query types.

The carousel surfaces curated video suggestions along with brief topic descriptions, helping users explore subjects more efficiently.

For example, searching for “best noise canceling headphones” might trigger a carousel like the one you see below:

Screenshot from: YouTube, June 2025.

This experimental feature:

  • Supports English-language videos
  • Focuses on shopping, travel, and local activities
  • Is available on iOS and Android
  • Will run through July 30

Conversational AI Assistant Expands

YouTube’s conversational AI tool, previously available only to Premium users, is now being tested with select non-Premium accounts in the U.S.

The tool allows users to:

  • Ask questions about the video they’re watching
  • Get recommendations
  • Quiz themselves on key concepts in educational videos
Screenshot from: YouTube, June 2025.

Implications for Creators and Marketers

Videos related to shopping, travel, or local activities may benefit from prominent placement in AI-curated carousels.

The focus on commercially relevant search types aligns with content that often drives conversions, making this a potentially valuable for affiliate marketers and small businesses.

While promising, both tools are being deployed with restrictions. The carousel is exclusive to Premium members and only supports a narrow range of queries. The conversational tool remains in limited testing with no timeline for wider release.

These limitations suggest that YouTube is still in the data-gathering phase, evaluating how users interact with AI-generated suggestions and whether these tools improve search satisfaction.

Looking Ahead

As YouTube experiments with AI in discovery and learning, creators should focus on producing content that is topically rich and well-structured, especially in categories such as shopping and travel.

Expect further refinements as YouTube incorporates user feedback ahead of potential broader adoption.

The 30 Most-Subscribed YouTube Individuals (Q2 2025) via @sejournal, @theshelleywalsh

In Q2 2025, MrBeast has retained his top spot as the most-subscribed YouTube individual on the social media platform.

After MrBeast overtook PewDiePie in late 2022 to shake up the top-most subscribed on YouTube leaderboard, there has been even more movement in the second quarter of 2025.

At the beginning of YouTube, it was a long journey for individuals to reach 100 million subscribers, but now MrBeast is the first individual YouTuber to crack 200 million subscribers.

On YouTube, way back in 2006, Judson Laipply was the first recorded individual to have the most subscribers, with mere thousands.

In the same year, Brookers was the first channel and individual to reach 10,000 subscribers – and that was a big deal.

Today, MrBeast is the most-subscribed individual, just above T-Series – an Indian record label and film studio that was once the number one most-subscribed channel on YouTube.

T-Series was the first channel to reach 100 million subscribers in 2019 and the first to reach 200 million in 2021.

While T-Series held twice as many subscribers as the top individual YouTuber last year, it has now been overtaken by the most popular content creator.

Being an influencer is big business.

Who Is The No. 1 Most Subscribed YouTuber?

As of June 2025, MrBeast is the most-subscribed YouTuber, with 399 million subscribers.

Kid-friendly content channel Like Nastya is now the second most-subscribed YouTube individual with 128 million subscribers.

PewDiePie has retained third place with 110 million.

The Top 30 Most-Subscribed YouTubers, June 2025

Channel Videos Language Subscribers (In Millions)
1 MrBeast 874 English 399
2 Like Nastya 952 English 128
3 PewDiePie 4,820 English 110
4 김프로KIMPRO 3,200 Korean 106
5 Alan’s Universe 1,370 English 92.7
6 A4 1,000 Russian 80.8
7 Justin Bieber 249 English 75.4
8 UR · Cristiano 102 European Portuguese 75.2
9 KL BRO Biju Rithvik 3,100 Hindi 72.8
10 Mark Rober 212 English 68.5
11 Fede Vigevani 1,510 Spanish 67.3
12 Topper Guild 1,170 English 65.8
13 EminemMusic 198 English 65
14 Alejo Igoa 1,190 Spanish 64.5
15 ISSEI / いっせい 3,630 Japanese 61.5
16 Taylor Swift 285 English 61
17 PANDA BOI 1,180 Multilingual 58.6
18 Zhong 1,950 English 58.3
19 Marshmello 534 English 57.9
20 Acharya Prashant 13,700 Hindi 56.7
21 Ed Sheeran 607 English 56.4
22 Mikecrack 2,120 Spanish 56.4
23 Ariana Grande 229 English 56.1
24 Billie Eilish 161 English 55.8
25 Bispo Bruno Leonardo 7,530 Portuguese 55.5
26 Jess No Limit 2,680 Indonesian 54.2
27 JuegaGerman 2,310 Spanish 53.4
28 Alfredo Larin 1,900 Spanish 52.8
29 LUCCAS TOON – LUCCAS NETO 3,200 Portugese 52.1
30 BETER BÖCÜK 1,900 Turkish 51.5

*Data Sources (SocialBlade, YouTube), June 2025

Please note that this is a list of the most subscribed individuals, not the most subscribed channels. It excludes “brand” channels that don’t focus on an individual personality, artist, or influencer.

Who Are The Top 10 Most-Subscribed YouTubers?

The list of the top 30 most-subscribed individuals features many successful music artists but has a majority of native YouTube influencers.

With the channel becoming an integral part of marketing and distribution for music artists, it’s no surprise that top artists feature highly.

Justin Bieber, the top individual artist, leveraged YouTube from an early age to gain mainstream attention on his own terms.

MrBeast has over 323.6 million more subscribers than Bieber, which highlights just how much attention the channel can achieve – and that, today, being a YouTube influencer is the same as being a traditional celebrity.

To get a better understanding of who all the influencers are, we’ve included a summary of the top 10 most-subscribed YouTuber influencers below.

1. MrBeast

U.S.-based Jimmy Donaldson started MrBeast as MrBeast6000 in 2012 when he was only 13.

He also holds five other channels, including Beast Reacts, MrBeast 2, Beast Philanthropy, and MrBeast 3 (inactive). MrBeast Gaming also sits in the top 100, with just under 47.5 million subscribers.

MrBeast’s early videos include counting to 10,000 non-stop (a 44-hour stunt), which quickly went viral but is now best known for videos that involve elaborate stunts, charity donations, or cash giveaways.

In one video, he gave away $1 million and has done several big philanthropic stunts, such as “I Built 100 Wells in Africa” and “I Rescued 100 Abandoned Dogs.”

When reaching the 200-million subscriber milestone in October 2023, MrBeast took to X (Twitter) to say how stunned his 13-year-old self would be and that he planned to continue making content for decades.

When he reached 300 million subscribers in July 2024, he posted on X (Twitter) to say he remembered freaking out when he hit 300 subscribers 11 years ago.

In his usual philanthropic style, he also gave away a private island for his 100-million subscriber milestone, which is probably part of the reason he originally took the top position from PewDiePie in December 2022.

Jimmy Donaldson’s channel brings in between $600 and $ 700 million a year, but his mother is the person who looks after his bank accounts.

He still resides in his hometown of Greenville, North Carolina, and employs many local people in the production of his videos.

2. Like Nastya

Anastasia Sergeyevna Radzinskaya is the only individual child YouTuber on the list. She was born in January 2014 and is the youngest influencer with the most followers, now overtaking PewDiePie by 18 million to take the No. 2 spot.

It’s worth noting that another channel, Vlad and Niki, is very popular with 140 million subscribers – but as a duo rather than an individual, they aren’t included in this list. Despite being featured in last year’s rankings, Ryan’s World has now fallen out of the rankings.

Although Radzinskaya was born in Russia, she has since moved to the U.S., and her videos are produced in English. The channel is for children and covers educational entertainment and vlogging.

Some of her success is down to the channel being dubbed in several languages, enabling her to reach a wide audience.

Radzinskaya’s parents help her manage the Like Nastya channel, but she is the face and star of the show.

3. PewDiePie

PewDiePie, otherwise known as Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg, held the most-subscribed position on YouTube for nearly 10 years until 2022. He was the original YouTube influencer who crossed over from online to be famous offline.

Swedish Kjellberg registered PewDiePie in 2010, and started out with play-by-plays of video games – a genre known as “Let’s Play.” It only took three years for him to be the most-subscribed channel on YouTube, and he was the highest-earning YouTuber in 2016.

Alongside “Let’s Play” content, PewDiePie has also experimented with comedy, commentary, music, and shows.

Following the rising success of his channel, Kjellberg also released his own game and published a book.

In 2022, his content shifted more towards lifestyle content after moving to Japan, with another shift in 2023 as he became a father. These changes to the types of videos PewDiePie produces could be the reason for his slightly waning subscriber count.

4. 김프로KIMPRO

KIMPRO (real name: Kim Dong-jun) is a South Korean content creator who is best known for his comedic and financial content. His two sisters often appear as guest stars in his videos.

His channel exploded in popularity in recent years, thanks primarily to his comedy clips. Meanwhile, his TikTok account, kimpro828, gained a massive following of 4.3 million followers in recent years.

He started in August 2022, which makes these numbers all the more impressive. Using special effects, viewers are drawn to his mix of viral recreations, including mukbangs, vlogs, challenges, and video reactions.

Though all of his content is in Korean, his relatable comedy has earned him a large and loyal subscriber base. His success demonstrates that niche content, particularly when made entertaining, can compete with the gaming and music genres on YouTube.

5. Alan’s Universe

Alan Chikin Chow is an American content creator, actor, and producer who became famous for his simple yet comedic sketches and bold storytelling.

His channel, “Alan’s Universe,” is a high school collective series. His videos feature himself and his classmates as recurring main characters, facing bullies and winning with the power of love. This theme has resonated with younger audiences.

His success has been largely driven by YouTube Shorts, where his high-quality production and positive energy align well with viewer expectations.

Alan has also appeared in TV shows and commercial ads, and he continues to bridge the gap between social media and traditional entertainment.

He has partnered up with streaming platform, Roku, and his series has been available since March 24, 2025, bringing his universe to new platforms and broader audiences.

6. A4

Belarusian content creator Vladislav Andreyevich Bumaga, known online as Vlad A4 or simply A4, holds the position of one of the most popular Russian-speaking YouTubers.

He created his channel back in 2014, with A4 being a play on his last name, Bumaga, meaning “paper.”

In 2016, he released a video called “24 Hours in a Trampoline Centre,” which took his subscriber count from 200,000 to his first 1 million.

Now, with just over 80.8 million subscribers, he continues to upload a wide variety of challenges and vlog content featuring his friends, as well as promoting his branded products.

7. Justin Bieber

Canadian Justin Bieber is the musical artist with the most followers on YouTube. He joined YouTube in 2007 and, after coming second in a local singing competition, began posting himself performing song covers.

After his channel started to grow, he got the attention of his now manager and his record label. In 2008, he signed a recording contract.

Bieber continued to focus on his YouTube channel and growing his followers, known as “Beliebers.”

This most likely contributed to his early and continued success. He continues to post videos on YouTube alongside his music videos and promotional content, although his last upload was now over two years ago.

8. UR · Cristiano

No surprises here – Cristiano Ronaldo was already the most legendary footballer possibly of all time, way before YouTube.

Being very social savvy, he has cultivated a massive following across social platforms, and YouTube is no exception.

His channel features a mix of personal highlights, behind-the-scenes training footage, interviews, commentaries, and sponsored content. Additionally, his collaboration with the number one most subscribed YouTuber, Mr. Beast, amassed 59 million views.

While he is not a traditional vlogger or influencer, Ronaldo’s global fan base ensures that any content he posts gets millions of views.

As a newcomer in this top 10 list, he demonstrates the power of celebrity, and that in itself can drive subscriber numbers, even with infrequent uploads.

9. KL BRO Biju Rithvik

KL BRO Biju Rithvik is an Indian content creator from Kerala, featuring his daily life. The channel features family-friendly short films and skits.

They are a family-centered content that features relatable and silly moments, resonating with a wide audience in India.

The rise of YouTube Shorts in India has played a significant role in its massive growth, with each Short amassing millions of views. YouTube CEO Neal Mohan notes the milestone for Shorts in India:

“YouTube is number one in reach and watch time in India. And we just passed a huge milestone. Shorts, which we first launched in India, now have trillions of views here.”

10. Mark Rober

Science can be fun and suitable for everyone, as former NASA engineer turned YouTuber Mark Rober proves with his spot on this top 10 list.

As the current founder of Crunchlabs, a STEM subscription box and learning platform for kids and adults. His science-focused videos do combine education with entertainment.

From jumping on a moving train (a la Tom Cruise) and building his own indoor rollercoaster to glitterbombs for car thieves, each video documents and explains how the engineering works.

Not to mention, every project is unique, with a step-by-step process that makes it accessible for aspirants to do the same.

With high-quality production, he says he leans heavily on his community to support his initiatives. Back in 2019, he partnered up with MrBeast for his #TeamTrees project to help raise $20 million for 20 million trees.

Why YouTubers Are Significantly Influential For Online Marketers

Achieving a most-subscribed status on YouTube cements you as an influencer and enables you to make serious income.

Not only can YouTubers earn from ads on the videos, but they are also in demand as brand ambassadors for product placements, product reviews, and product collaborations.

Mere mentions of products and brands by an influencer can drive traffic and sales for brands.

Smart influencers use the exposure to diversify into many mainstream areas of collaboration and business to supplement their income and ensure longevity.

Much like top-level sports stars have always been in demand as brand ambassadors, influencers can be used for brand alignment.

Influencer marketing doesn’t have to be just for the big brands; influencers with only a few thousand engaged followers can help spread messages.

And for smaller brands, elevated exposure on social media can be a major benefit.

More Resources:


Featured Image: Roman Samborskyi/Shutterstock

YouTube Analytics Updated With Saved Reports & New Interface via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern

YouTube is rolling out updates to its Advanced Mode analytics in YouTube Studio.

The changes are designed to make data easier to access and interpret, particularly for creators and marketers who may not use these tools regularly.

Among the new features are custom report saving and a simplified interface that reduces visual clutter without removing functionality.

YouTube’s Advanced Analytics: What’s New?

New Interface

YouTube’s analytics team walked through the updates in a recent video, which you can see below:

The redesigned layout includes a new sidebar that puts filters, breakdowns, and metric selectors in one place. This allows you to make changes from any analytics page.

Save Your Favorite Reports

You can now save custom report configurations. This feature eliminates the need to reset filters and metrics every time you check the same data.

After configuring a report, click the Save button and assign a name to the report. Saved reports are accessible from the top navigation and are private to the logged-in user on that channel.

For example, a creator monitoring traffic sources for long-form content can save that specific setup and return to it without rebuilding the report.

Smarter Search & Filtering

The update improves how you find and sort content in Advanced mode:

  • Search by title: Quickly locate specific videos within analytics.
  • New sorting options: Sort by video length or publish date.
  • Multi-metric selection: Add or remove several metrics at once.
  • Hide chart view: Focus on data tables without visual distractions.

The updated breakdown picker includes options like geography, content type, and revenue sources. New filters help narrow down data to the most useful metrics.

Easier Access to Common Reports

YouTube has added shortcuts to frequently used reports. These include:

  • First 24 Hours: Compare video performance during the first day after publishing.
  • Audience Retention: Access viewer engagement data more easily.
  • Comparison tools: Compare metrics, videos, content groups, or audience segments like age and gender.

Like other reports, these can also be saved for future use.

Why This Matters

These changes make it easier to track performance without needing to reconfigure data views.

For example, the ability to compare playlists and demographic groups can support more targeted content planning. Saved reports help streamline recurring tasks like client reporting or internal reviews.

Teams can also experiment with formats and strategies more efficiently by using the built-in comparison tools to analyze what works best.

Availabilitiy

The updates are rolling out to creators gradually. Once available, the redesigned Advanced Mode can be accessed from any analytics page in YouTube Studio.

YouTube Reports 200 Billion Daily Views For Shorts Format via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern

YouTube CEO Neal Mohan announced that the platform’s short-form video format now generates 200 billion daily views during a keynote address at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.

The milestone comes as the Google-owned platform marks its 20th anniversary and faces increasing competition from TikTok and Instagram Reels in the short-form video space.

Key Platform Metrics Revealed

During his presentation, Mohan shared several performance metrics:

  • YouTube Shorts averages 200 billion daily views
  • One billion viewers watch podcasts monthly on the platform
  • Over one billion hours of YouTube content are viewed on television screens daily
  • TV screens are now the primary viewing method for more than half of the top 100 YouTube channels

The television viewing data represents an evolution from YouTube’s mobile-first origins, with creators increasingly producing content formatted for larger screens.

New AI Features Coming to Platform

YouTube will introduce Veo 3, Google DeepMind’s video generation model, to Shorts creators later this summer.

The tool enables users to create AI-generated backgrounds and video clips, building upon the existing Dream Screen feature.

The company also reported that its Auto Dubbing feature has processed over 20 million videos since launch six months ago. The tool currently translates content across nine languages, with 11 additional languages planned.

Industry Context

YouTube’s announcements come as the platform competes for creator attention and viewer time with TikTok, which popularized the short-form video format, and Meta’s Instagram Reels.

The emphasis on television viewing and longer-form content may represent an attempt to differentiate from mobile-first competitors.

While YouTube leads in platform breadth and viewing hours, TikTok still holds a cultural edge in mobile-native short video. YouTube’s push toward TV-based viewing and AI creation tools may help retain creator loyalty and expand monetization opportunities across formats.

The AI tools announcement follows similar features from competitors, including TikTok’s AI effects and Instagram’s creative tools.

Looking Ahead

The shift toward television viewing and serialized content marks a departure from YouTube’s roots as a platform for amateur video uploads.

As YouTube enters its third decade, the platform’s strategy appears focused on supporting professional content creation while expanding its technological capabilities through AI integration.


Featured Image: Screenshot from: blog.youtube/news-and-events/neal-mohan-cannes-2025/, June 2025. 

YouTube Begins Showing Posts In The Shorts Feed via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern

YouTube has announced that Posts will now appear in the Shorts feed. This change allows users to see and interact with Posts while watching short videos.

How the Feature Works

You can now see Posts while scrolling through Shorts on YouTube.

In the screenshot below, you can see that the layout keeps the same vertical aspect ratio. While scrolling, the video gets smaller, using half the screen for Posts.

Screenshot from: YouTube.com/CreatorInsider, June 2025.

You can like and comment on these Posts without stopping your video.

See more about it in YouTube’s video announcement:

Background on YouTube Posts

YouTube has had posts as part of its creator toolkit for several years. These posts let channel owners share polls, quizzes, GIFs, text updates, images, and videos.

Posts are found in a special tab on the creator’s channel. They can also show up on subscribers’ homepages or in their subscription feeds.

Potential New Exposure

This update gives creators a new way to reach their YouTube audience with posts.

Further, this gives creators a way to reach Shorts viewers without creating vertical videos.

If you only publish traditional long-form content on your channel, you can potentially get into the Shorts feed by publishing text or images.

Looking Ahead

With this update, YouTube is experimenting with combining other content types with its most popular features.

It’s possible that YouTube is making this change because it’s competing with Instagram and TikTok, which mix videos with different types of content. Combining content formats has the potential to boost user engagement and keep people on YouTube longer.

For creators, this provides an additional distribution channel with a bare minimum cost to entry. Writing a text post may now get you in the same feed as a fully produced Short.

YouTube hasn’t announced specifics for how Posts will be selected or how often they’ll appear. Creators will have to do their own testing to see how this impacts visibility.


Featured Image: Roman Samborskyi/Shutterstock

Google Lens Integration For YouTube Shorts: Search Within Videos via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern

Google has integrated Lens into YouTube Shorts.

Now, you can search for items you see in videos directly from your phone.

How The New Feature Works

Here’s how to use Google Lens in YouTube Shorts:

  • Pause any Short by tapping the screen.
  • Select “Lens” from the top menu.
  • Circle, highlight, or tap anything you want to search.

You can identify objects, translate text, or learn about locations. The results appear right above the video. When you’re finished, just swipe down to continue watching.

Here’s an example of the interface:

Screenshot from: YouTube.com/CreatorInsider, May 2025.

The feature works with products, plants, animals, landmarks, and text. You can even translate captions in real-time. Some searches include AI Overviews that provide more detailed information about what you’re looking for.

Google shared an example in its announcement:

“If you’re watching a short filmed in a location that you want to visit, you can select a landmark to identify it and learn more about the destination’s culture and history.”

See a demonstration in the video below:

Important Limitations

There are some key restrictions. Google Lens won’t work on Shorts with YouTube Shopping affiliate tags or paid product promotions.

The support docs are clear:

“Tagging a product via YouTube Shopping will disable the lens search.”

Search results only show organic content, meaning no ads will appear when you use Lens. Google also states that it doesn’t use facial recognition technology, although the system may display results for famous people when relevant.

The feature is only compatible with mobile devices (iOS and Android). Google says the beta is “starting to roll out to all viewers this week,” though it hasn’t shared specific dates for different regions.

What This Means For Marketers

This update presents several opportunities for content creators and marketers:

  • Visual elements in your Shorts can now boost engagement.
  • Travel and hospitality businesses receive free visibility when their locations feature in videos.
    Educational creators can benefit as viewers explore the topics presented in their content.

The ban on affiliate content poses a challenge. Creators who rely on YouTube Shopping must carefully consider their monetization strategies. They will need to find a balance between discoverable content and their revenue goals.

Looking Ahead

Google Lens in YouTube Shorts signals a shift in how people interact with video content. You can now search within videos, not just for them.

For marketers, this means visual elements matter more than ever. The objects, locations, and text in your videos are now searchable entry points.

The exclusion of monetized content also sets up an interesting dynamic. Creators must choose between affiliate revenue and visibility in visual search.

Start planning your Shorts with searchable moments in mind. Your viewers are about to become visual searchers.

YouTube Tests AI Overviews In Search Results via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern

YouTube is now testing AI-powered video summaries in its search results, a feature similar to Google Search’s AI overviews.

The new tool helps users find relevant videos faster by highlighting specific clips that best match their search criteria.

New AI-Powered Search Experience

YouTube’s test introduces a new video results carousel that appears when you search for specific topics. This feature uses AI to find the most helpful parts of videos related to your search.

As YouTube explains:

“This new feature will use AI to highlight clips from videos that will be most helpful for your search query.”

The AI summaries will mainly show up for two types of searches:

  • Product searches (like “best noise cancelling headphones”)
  • Location-based searches (such as “museums to visit in San Francisco”)

Limited Testing Phase

Right now, only “a small number of YouTube Premium members in the US” can see this feature, and only for searches in English.

If you’re part of the test group, YouTube wants your feedback. You can rate the feature using the three-dot menu, where you can give it a thumbs-up or thumbs-down.

Part of YouTube’s Experimental Process

This test follows YouTube’s standard approach to new features. The company regularly tests ideas with small groups before deciding whether to roll them out more widely.

YouTube explains:

“YouTube product teams are constantly testing out new tools and features.”

These tests help users “find, watch, share, and create content more easily.”

The company uses feedback from these experiments to decide “if, when, and how to release these features more broadly.”

What This Means

YouTube’s AI Overviews present opportunities and challenges for SEO pros and content creators.

On the positive side, the feature may help users discover content they might have missed. This could especially benefit creators who make detailed, information-rich videos.

However, there are also concerns similar to those with Google’s AI Overviews:

  • Will these summaries reduce click-through rates by answering questions directly in search results?
  • How will the AI choose which content to feature in these summaries?

These questions may change how creators structure their YouTube videos. Some might start creating clearly defined segments that AI can identify and highlight.

Looking Ahead

YouTube’s test is another step in transforming search across Alphabet’s platforms.

YouTube hasn’t announced when the feature might launch more widely. However, based on how quickly Google expanded AI Overviews, successful testing could lead to a broader rollout in the coming months.


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