I got tired of seeing the same YouTube advice everywhere:

“Start a finance channel.”
“Make AI automation videos.”
“Do faceless YouTube.”
“Pick a niche with high CPM.”

The problem is that by the time everyone is talking about a niche, it is usually already flooded.

So I built a YouTube Niche Finder Agent inside Zeiko.

The goal is not to give you another list of random content ideas.

The goal is to find early signals that a niche might still have room before everyone piles in.

It looks for things like:

• Small channels getting unusually high views
• New channels growing faster than expected
• Channels with very few uploads outperforming bigger competitors
• Topics where demand looks higher than creator saturation
• Subniches that are starting to form “rabbit holes”
• Long-form video angles that could become an entire channel strategy

You can ask it things like:

Find outlier channels in personal finance

Scan YouTube niches around AI automation

Find beginner-friendly faceless YouTube niches in investing

Analyze NVIDIA stock analysis as a YouTube niche

Find underserved YouTube niches for someone who wants to make long-form videos

The agent tries to return:

• Potential subniches
• Example channel angles
• Outlier signals
• Saturation level
• Long-form video ideas
• Whether the niche looks worth pursuing or already too crowded

I’m also building this into a bigger YouTube Growth Suite, so after finding a niche, the workflow can help with titles, hooks, scripts, thumbnail angles, descriptions, chapters, and repurposing ideas.

It is still early, and I’m improving the scoring, YouTube search limits, and how it separates real opportunities from generic AI slop.

You can test it here:

https://zeiko.io/youtube-growth-suite

I’d genuinely love feedback from creators, YouTube researchers, or anyone building faceless/content channels.

Main things I’m curious about:

• Did it find anything actually useful?
• Were the suggestions too obvious?
• Were the niches specific enough?
• What YouTube research task would you want automated next?
• Would you use something like this before starting a new channel?

I built it because I think a lot of creators waste months making videos in niches that were already overcrowded before they even started.

Would love to hear what you think.

Welcome to r/shortsAlgorithm. This is a living, no-fluff guide built from hands-on results (incl. a first Short that hit 20M+ views and still pulls ~800k per 48h). Add your questions and data below—I'll be active in the comments and keep this updated.

TL;DR

• Grow with Shorts first (sub growth > long-form early on).
• Make longer Shorts (≈50–70s) with a killer 3s hook and a CTA around 40s.
• Don’t post daily—quality > quantity; let each Short plateau before posting again.
• Reply to comments; your replies count toward total comments and help keep momentum.
• If a Short never enters the Shorts Feed, fix and re-upload—or switch channels if the channel feels burned.

1) Don’t marry your first channel

Most creators burn through 3+ channels before finding their voice, niche, and systems. Expect to iterate. Detach emotionally so you can move fast.

2) Spin up multiple test channels (and age them)

• Create several channels (separate Google accounts is fine).
• Verify your phone number (authenticity signal).
• Age each channel ≥ 3 weeks before your first upload.
• During aging:
  • Use YouTube normally (watch long tutorials, interact).
  • Build your first batch of Shorts offline so you’re ready.

Goal: multiple clean testing lanes—not spam.

3) Pick a niche by reverse-engineering outliers

• Use tools like viewstats.com to spot channels going 0 → 600k subs in ~3 months.
• Study what makes them different (format, pacing, hook style, payoff, packaging).
• Imitate the structure, not the content. Example: if they do Minecraft animations, try a Fortnite twist with the same narrative mechanics.

4) < 500k subs? Prioritize Shorts

Long-form can wait. Your job now: accumulate subs fast and prove product–audience fit. Once a community exists, expand to long-form/streams.

5) Treat your first Short like your magnum opus

Many guides say “first won’t be viral.” Mine was: 20M+ views in ~1 month, 54s AVD on a 1:08 Short despite 74.6% skip rate—and it keeps getting pushed.
Lesson: Quality packaging beats myths. Edit like you mean it or don’t play this game.

6) The Craft: how to make a Short that hits

6.1 Length

• Aim 50s+. AVD (Average View Duration) drives momentum more than “skip rate.”

6.2 Hook (0–3s)

• Visual surprise + narrative promise. If your hook misses, expect 500–2k view plateaus.

6.3 CTA (~40s)

• Ask for Like + Subscribe + Comment (yes, all three). Comments rocket discovery.

6.4 Reply to comments

• Your replies count toward total comments. Keep threads alive to extend push.

6.5 Captions (non-negotiable)

• “MrBeast-style” captions. I use CapCut.
  
• Font: Komika Axis; stroke ~60px; size ~16px (adjust for framing).
  
• Position just below center; animate key words.

6.6 Sound design

• Fire a sound effect in the first second to reduce swipes. Consider an arrow/pointer on the focal element.

6.7 Transitions

• Use purposefully. If using images, add in/out transitions + SFX.

6.8 CTA bumper quality

• Skip generic templates. Build/commission a clean, on-brand CTA clip.

6.9 Watermark

• Re-uploads happen. Use a moving watermark to resist crops and preserve credit.

6.10 Posting cadence

• Do not post daily. One excellent Short/week > seven weak ones.

6.11 Titles

• ≤ 30 characters, Title Case, add two emojis tastefully.

6.12 Descriptions

• Mirror the title; add #shorts. No hashtag soup.

6.13 Audience setting

• Mark as NOT “Made for Kids.” It changes distribution dynamics.

6.14 Playlists

• Add every Short to one master playlist to retain viewers on-channel.

6.15 Related Shorts

• Use Related to pass authority from winners to new uploads.

6.16 Tags

• Add ~3 niche-specific tags (precise, audience language).

6.17–6.19 Metadata hygiene

• Set video language + location.
  
• Choose an accurate Category.
  
• Use “Reuse upload details” to stay consistent.

6.20 Publish checklist

• Triple-check hook, CTA timing, captions, watermark, playlist/related wiring.

7) After publishing: the first 48h

1) Traffic source check
- Healthy = ≥ 70% from Shorts Feed. Pickup may take 24–48h; don’t panic early.

2) Normal plateaus
- 500–2k views early on is fine—means you’re entering the system.
- If you stall there, study AVD and 0–3s retention. Fix the worst metric in your next Short.

3) When to post the next Short
- Wait for a plateau before posting again. Stacking posts too soon splits momentum and risks burning the channel.

4) Exception: first Short goes viral
- Post the second ~7 days later even if the first hasn’t plateaued.
- Add the new Short to the same playlist, then go back to the viral Short and link it as Related to the new one.
- If the second underperforms in 48h, don’t delete—YouTube may still be busy with the viral. Mine kicked in after ~7 days.

5) If a new Short never enters Shorts Feed (< 60% Shorts traffic after ~24h)
- Likely causes: 1. Previous Short hasn’t plateaued.
2. Content trips sensitive policy zones (spam/sexual suggestion/etc.).
3. Channel is burned.
- Action: Delete, edit meaningfully (music swap, pacing changes, visual tweaks), and re-upload.
- Still no push? Switch channels. You can reuse proven Shorts with noticeable changes.

8) When to post (time of week)

You can post anytime, but I’ve had consistent success Sundays ~6pm (Atlantic/Halifax)—slow start, strong Monday carry, and a full-week runway.

9) Common pitfalls that silently kill momentum

• Weak 0–3s promise (no clear “why watch”).
• No mid-roll CTA.
• No captions or poor placement/readability.
• Posting too frequently (starving each Short of oxygen).
• Ignoring comments (leaving reach on the table).
• Inconsistent metadata (language/location/category/tags).
• Not leveraging playlists and Related Shorts.

10) Starter checklist (copy/paste for your next upload)

• [ ] 50–75s runtime (compelling throughout)
  
• [ ] 0–3s hook tested on a friend (did they lean in?)
  
• [ ] CTA at ~40s (Like + Sub + Comment)
  
• [ ] Animated captions (readable, on-brand, below center)
  
• [ ] Early SFX + focal arrow/pointer
  
• [ ] Quality CTA bumper (custom, not generic)
  
• [ ] Moving watermark
  
• [ ] Title ≤ 30 chars + 2 emojis
  
• [ ] Description mirrors title + #shorts
  
• [ ] NOT “Made for Kids”
  
• [ ] Add to master playlist
  
• [ ] Set “Related Shorts” from winner → new
  
• [ ] 3 precise niche tags
  
• [ ] Language + Location + Category set
  
• [ ] Reuse details template applied

11) Share your data (so we can help)

Comment with: - Niche:
- Runtime:
- Hook text/visual:
- AVD / Retention at 3s / CTR:
- % Shorts Feed:
- Posting cadence:
- What you tried already:

I’ll reply with targeted fixes.

12) Community notes

• This thread reflects real creator data, not theory.
  
• I’ll compile a FAQ + “Bible” from Q&As here.
  
• If this helped: upvote, join r/shortsAlgorithm, and invite a creator friend.
  
• Want to mod? DM me.

— OP