YouTube remains the world’s most-searched term in 2025 with 579 million global monthly searches, according to the latest Semrush and Google data released November 2025. The platform now averages 3.7 billion hours watched monthly as short-form and long-form content coexist.
Top-performing creators in 2025 are seeing 200–300% higher growth by combining YouTube Shorts with immediate long-form follow-ups, Google confirmed in its latest Creator Insider update. Channels that upload a Short within 30 minutes of a premiere see 68% higher audience retention.
Expert tip: Use YouTube’s new “Community Hub” feature to turn top-performing Shorts into automatic community posts – early adopters report 41% more subscribers in Q3 2025. Monetization thresholds dropped again: creators now need only 500 subscribers + 3,000 watch hours OR 3 million Shorts views in 90 days to join the Partner Program.
