
YouTube Searches For Health Topics To Show Personal Stories – Search Engine Journal
YouTube is updating the way it delivers search results for health-related queries, adding a section dedicated to personal stories from patients.
In an announcement, YouTube says it’s making this change in response to the way in which people search for videos related to health conditions.
“Many times, people aren’t coming to Youtube . com with a health question at all, ” YouTube states. “Instead, they come with a human question: how do I live with this? ”
YouTube search patterns indicate people living with chronic health conditions don’t always come to the site seeking information. They look for support from others who are going through the same thing.
“… they were all getting in the same human element: we help each other get through things. The need for connection and belonging is an universal one, and that’s proven along with data – the science of peer support shows that social connectedness positively impacts both physical and mental wellness. ”
YouTube Individual Stories Shelf
To foster the type of link people seek, YouTube is launching a personal stories shelf in research results.
When you look for topics associated with a health condition, Youtube . com will return a carousel of videos with people sharing personal stories about the condition.
The individual stories shelf is interspersed with other lookup results, as you can see in the particular example below:

With regard to a video to be eligible to appear on the shelf, this must focus on a personal, authentic lived experience that is relevant to a specific physical or mental health condition.
Promotional content, or even content that spreads misinformation, is not eligible for the particular personal tales shelf.
YouTube says the personal stories rack will first start rolling out for queries related to cancer plus mental wellness topics like anxiety and depression.
The Personal Stories rack is available for users in the US, but YouTube plans to expand it in order to more markets and more types of questions.
Source : YouTube
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