
How the YouTube Algorithm Works in 2026 (Plain English Guide)
How every layer of the YouTube algorithm works in 2026 — home page, search, Shorts, suggested — what signals each one responds to, and the practical levers every creator can pull.
Hi — I’m Alan Spicer. I’m a YouTube Consultant, growth strategist, data obsessive, and certified YouTube expert based in the UK.
I have 2 decades working at the intersection of YouTube, social media, analytics, and growth systems — helping creators, brands, and media companies turn attention into something sustainable.
2007 – Co-founded a web development agency. Started in sales and social, then went deep into SEO, UX, analytics, and performance.
2012 – Discovered YouTube and never looked back. It’s the perfect mix of storytelling, community, and data.
2013 → now – Full-time YouTube consultant, educator, affiliate marketing specialist and channel builder.
Since then, I’ve:
Personally published and guest-hosted 3,000+ videos,
Helped scale hundreds of creators and businesses
Worked on channels with millions of monthly views
Earned SIX YouTube Silver Play Buttons for clients
Built repeatable systems for CTR, retention, and monetisation
I’m a UK-based, YouTube-certified expert, accredited by the YouTube Creator Academy in:
Audience Growth
Channel & Asset Management
Content Ownership & Monetisation
I’m a former member of the vidIQ Customer Success team, where I coached and audited hundreds of channels across every major niche.
I’ve also consulted for and worked alongside:
Media brands and creators in crypto, education, entertainment, and kids’ content
Tool platforms including TubeBuddy, TubeAI, Taja.ai, GigaStar, and Gyre.pro
Industry-leading brands in high-pressure media niches like Crypto Banter, The Coin Bureau, Trade Travel Chill, Lily & Loaf, and AthleanX
Scaled Woof & Joy to 350k+ subscribers in under a year, built Coin Bureau Finance from 0 → 20k in 2 months, and grew Coin Bureau Trading from 15k → 100k+ in 8 months — all through retention-led systems, CTR optimisation, and data-driven packaging, not viral luck.
I help creators and brands:
Grow views, watch time, and subscribers predictably
Fix retention and packaging problems that are killing performance
Build content systems instead of chasing viral luck
Turn YouTube into a reliable business asset, not a gamble
I work with:
Solo creators
SMEs
Media brands
In-house teams that need a second brain
If your channel is stuck, plateaued, or scaling chaotically — that’s usually where I come in.
If you want serious, data-led YouTube growth — get in touch – No hype. No shortcuts. Just systems that work.

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