How Does The Medium Algorithm Work

Summary

The provided text outlines the functioning of Medium's content recommendation algorithm, detailing how it curates reading suggestions based on user interactions and content preferences.

Abstract

The article titled "How Does The Medium Algorithm Work" explains the intricacies of Medium's content curation system, referred to as "Algo." It describes how Algo personalizes a user's feed by tracking the stories they read, the authors they follow, and the content they write. The algorithm prioritizes content similar to what a user has previously engaged with, including topics and genres. It also considers the activity of authors followed by the user and promotes stories that resemble the user's own writing. The article emphasizes the importance of tags, as they influence the type of content suggested by Algo. Additionally, it points out that Algo will recommend stories that a user has started but not finished, and it encourages writers to use titles and subtitles effectively to improve visibility. The text also corrects some misconceptions about Algo, such as the belief that it does not give full credit for articles that are not read in their entirety and that it disfavors short articles or lists.

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How does the Medium algorithm work? I’m betting a lot of you would like to know. Here’s what I know.

I just thought the stuffed animals were cute, that’s all. I’m no programmer, nor a Medium insider, but in my 3 months of writing here I’ve begun to notice some trends in how the algorithm decides what it determines to be your interests, and how you get paid.

1. Algo (that’s my name for the algorithm) tracks the stories you read on Medium and selects it’s recommendations accordingly. Read stories about Medium and you’ll end up with more stories about Medium, read stories about dogs and you’ll end up dogged with stories about dogs.

2. Algo also knows who you follow and promotes their stories to you. Perhaps you’ve noticed the tag, “From your network” in your feed? Your network consists of writers you follow. The more writers you follow the more you’ll be served stories written by people in your network.

3.Algo gives you what you write. Write poetry and you’ll be served poetry. Write porn and Algo will serve you more porn. Look for the tag, “Based on your reading history” in your feed.

4. Algo assumes you want to read the same content that is read by those writers you follow. If someone you follow comments or clicks on an article there is a very good chance Algo will wave that juicy article in front of your face soon thereafter.

5. Algo also reads what you write and serves up stories that taste like your stories.

6. I doubt anyone doesn’t know that Algo reads your tags as well. If you use the “Crypto” tag you’re going to get a mouthful of Cryptospammers piled high on your plate.

7. Algo will serve you second helpings of the stories you started reading but never finished. Clean off your plate, children.

8. Algo doesn’t understand that your stories might end before your pleas for Ko-Fi tips, links to the Wackemall Dictionary, ads for books, classes, Medium affiliate links, Medium Publications, and other products and services begin. Algo will not give you full credit when someone reads but does not finish reading your article. That means you earn nothing from a reader who reads 9 minutes of your 10 minute story. (Correction: Algo gives you partial credit when someone only reads part of your story.) Need an example? Here’s a screen grab from an article titled How Reliable are Medium’s Stats by Y. Chwyldro.

See the little circles at the bottom right of the screen grab? That’s how far any reader must read before Algo will pay the author for a read. (Again, this is incorrect.)

9. Algo likes to see titles and subtitles on your posts. You see, Algo, and the various search engine bots searching the entire world wide web, place more weight on titles than the actual content of your articles. Thus the reason why scammers, con men, and crappy writers use click bait titles not only here at Medium, but all across the Internet. It’s not Algo’s fault he wasn’t written to run off click bait titles.

10. Algo doesn’t like lists. Thus the reason I didn’t title this article, 10 Things The Medium Algorithm Searches For In The Articles You Read And Write. (Correction: Algo does like lists.)

Bonus:

11. Algo doesn’t like short articles, poems, and stories. Remember, my article doesn’t end until you see the little balls on the right below.