---
title: 'YouTube CEO Just Changed the Game for Small Channels'
source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=GjG7Y2m_2eY'
video_id: 'GjG7Y2m_2eY'
date: 2026-07-18
duration_sec: 569
channel: 'Dan the creator'
---

# YouTube CEO Just Changed the Game for Small Channels

> Source: [YouTube CEO Just Changed the Game for Small Channels](https://youtube.com/watch?v=GjG7Y2m_2eY)

## Summary

YouTube has released a new experimental feature called 'Ask YouTube,' a conversational AI search tool that provides personalized video recommendations based on user prompts. This tool, currently available only to Premium members in the US, aims to transform how viewers discover content and offers small creators a new opportunity for visibility.

### Key Points

- **New Feature Announcement** [00:02] — YouTube released 'Ask YouTube,' an experimental conversational AI search tool that answers questions and recommends videos using long-form content, text, and shorts.
- **Availability** [00:45] — Currently only available for Premium members in America, but expected to roll out globally if successful.
- **How to Use Ask YouTube** [01:26] — Click on 'Ask YouTube' on the homepage, then either select a prompt or type a question. The AI provides a summary and recommends relevant videos with timestamps.
- **Small Creators Can Appear** [03:43] — Videos with as few as 1.5k views or even 22 views have been recommended, showing that channel size does not matter.
- **Example: British Empire** [05:06] — A second example shows how the tool can handle niche topics like the history of the British Empire, providing chronological video recommendations.
- **Benefits for Viewers** [06:42] — Viewers get personalized recommendations without lengthy searches, as the AI directly matches prompts to the best videos.
- **Benefits for Creators** [07:10] — Small channels have a new discovery opportunity; appearing in Ask YouTube results can lead to higher watch time and subscribers.
- **Algorithm Selection Criteria** [07:51] — The algorithm uses Gemini AI to analyze video content word-for-word, matching it to user prompts regardless of view count.
- **Strategy for Creators** [08:34] — Creators should niche down and make each video about one specific topic to increase chances of appearing in results.

### Conclusion

Ask YouTube represents a significant shift in content discovery, leveling the playing field for small creators. By focusing on niche, specific content, creators can leverage this tool for growth in 2026 and beyond.

## Transcript

released a brand new feature, and I think it's the most exciting one yet. Now, this new update will give everyone an entirely new way of finding and watching content. So, if you're someone who loves finding new videos to watch,
or if you're a small creator trying to grow your channel, trust me, this is big. Now, the new feature is this thing here, Ask YouTube, and it's basically an experimental conversational AI search tool that actually transforms how people
find and interact with video content. So, instead of the traditional way of just showing you like lists of videos when you search for something, this new tool actually answers your questions and talks back to you using a mix of like
long-form videos, text, and shorts. It's like YouTube is now taking on ChatGPT and Claude in the way of giving you personalized results to your questions and hand-picking the best videos to help you personally. Now, it's important to
know that currently, because this is still being tested by YouTube, it's only available for premium members in America, but I've heard if it's successful, they will roll out to everyone else very soon. So, it's
important that even if you don't have access to this yet, you need to watch this video so you can be prepared to take advantage when you do get it. So, let me show you exactly how to use it. So, on the homepage, literally just
click on Ask YouTube, and then you'll be taken to this screen. Now, to get a response, you can either click on one of these prompts, or you can write something in this text box down here. Now, this can be as short and as basic,
possible, and I'm going to show you two examples. So, the first one, let's say, examples. So, the first one, let's say, can be really basic. Uh I want to learn can be really basic. Uh I want to learn how to write YouTube titles. So, what
happens now is this AI here is going to pick out the best titles, videos, and how to write high click-through rate YouTube titles. Writing effective YouTube titles in 2026 is less about
triggering a viewer's emotional response or curiosity. To maximize your views, aim between aim for titles between 7 and 11 words. So, it's already given me a ton of information on how to write the best titles. And then it gives me loads
of different videos here that we're going to go through that helps me funnily enough, I actually come through with the top here. So, course strategies for viral titles. So, it's broken it down into emotional triggers, which is
rule, which is kind of like what they said here, which is April and Alston video that comes up. Or benefit-driven language. So, now I you've already got three different examples of videos to click on that's completely related to
high click-through rate YouTube titles, which is insane. Like, we've never had this before. And then down here, you've got proven title framework. So, the AI has gone to even a bit deeper and said, "If you want a proven framework, watch
"If you want a proven framework, watch this video." So, the Witness Fame. but it's by VidIQ. And then you got the transformation and the access frame. So, this is basically this whole video is all to do with titles and they've broken
it down into a framework that you can follow along. So, that's quite cool. And then you've also got common mistakes to avoid. So, not only is it going to teach me how to write titles with these videos here, it's then showing me what to avoid
and all the common mistakes when it comes to titles. So, being too wordy, making viewers likely to skip over your video. That's quite cool. Uh mismatched content, using all caps. So, now I've also got three new videos.
And the best thing is it's even timestamped where it happens in the video here. Now, you might be thinking to yourself, "Well, all of these videos that are popping up here are from bigger creators, and that's not true at all. If
videos popping up here, that's completely possible because if we go down here, this video has got 1.5 thousand views, and it's come up with one of the most generic biggest like questions ever. Anyone like so many
people are going to write this. It's not exactly very specific. And you've got a video here from uh Drost video 4 years ago, 1.5k views. So, it just goes to show you that matter how big or small your video is,
here, you've also got quick tips with title optimization. So, it's then going to suggest loads of shorts again related to this question. So, down here, we've got quick tips title optimization. You've got free YouTube title creator,
blah blah blah. And then even this one here, this is a short with only 136 views, and it's still been recommended, which is quite cool. And this one here, 22 views, uh high click-through rate formula.
So, then you could even go a bit deeper, and you could ask like how to AB test it's then going to suggest loads of new videos on how to run actual YouTube AB Now, like I said, I'm going to show you two examples. This one was a basic one
question, but let's go a bit deeper. So, if we go back and then ask YouTube Studio. So, this one, let's say I want to learn about how the British Empire
completely different niche. Um and let's say I want to learn about history and how the British Empire started. So, now we've got how the British Empire started, Origins and Early Expansion. So, it's gone right back to the late
15th and 16th century, and it's given me The Spark, A Kingdom Turns Outward, 1497 to 1600. So, this is only got 5,000 views, and it's a year old, and it suggested The British Empire Explained Full
Documentary, which is exactly what I wanted to learn. And then down here we've got key stages of early growth of the British Empire, so early colonial efforts, blah blah blah. So it's showing you kind of like chronological order the
best videos for me to watch for this question. Now again, you've got us a mix of both short That's even an AI faceless short there, which is quite cool. Um got a mix of both shorts and long-form videos. Now if you wanted to go a bit
deeper, I could then be like, "How did it end?" And we could go through the it end?" And we could go through the entire British Empire's history just by we've got the decline and fall of the British Empire, and every video that
pops up here is all to do with the end of the British Empire, whereas every video here is the start. So what does all of this mean and why is it so good and exciting? Well look, for viewers, it gives a brand new, exciting, and
personalized way of finding content. It means YouTube will now provide you with the most personalized recommendations based on your prompts, and you can literally ask it for anything, no matter how specific or niche you think you're
being. So now, basically to find a video that you want to watch, you don't have results for like 10 minutes before you find something that might actually be the right fit for you, because all you have to do type in a prompt, and it's
going to give you the best videos for your specific like question. And secondly, for creators, especially small channels, this opens up a whole new world of having your videos discovered. Now if you can get your videos popping
up here, which is completely possible for all of you, I promise, it will be the fastest way for you to grow in 2026 and 2027, because if you're the video that pops up when someone searches for something specific, you've actually got
a far higher chance of that viewer watching your video for longer, and also actually subscribing to you, because your content directly answers their questions and is the best to fit for them, which is what YouTube has been
missing for so long now. So, how does the algorithm choose which videos show up here in the results? Well, look, the good news is that it has absolutely nothing to do with how big your channel is or how many views your videos have
got. Like, it will never just select a video just because it's got like 300,000 views. Instead, it's a completely level playing field for everyone. Now, as you may or may not be aware, YouTube has recently integrated Gemini AI into the
algorithm. So, now the algorithm can analyze literally every single word said in your video, and can then use the AI to match those words against other people's prompts. So, if your video is able to answer their question, you will
show up here, whether you've got 10 views or 10 million views. So, what you need to do now is you need to niche down. You need to make sure that every single video you make is only about one specific thing, and like one thing only.
Do not try and target everyone with a very loose niche. The more niche and specific you can be with your videos, the better chance you have of showing up here. It's as simple as that. Anyway, if you want any more help with growing your
YouTube channel and taking advantage of these trends before they arrive for everyone else, come and join in my academy. We've got thousands of members, and they're very busy community section of everyone giving feedback and asking
nearly a hundred different lectures, and I promise you there's so much good content there. Well, look, if you're not ready for that yet, which is fine, watch this video here where I give you six easy ways to get your videos pushed out
and boosted by the algorithm. I'll see you there.