The New Skool Trending Page Algorithm, By The Numbers

Skool changed the trending algorithm for Discovery so I pulled all 30 trending groups and ran the math.

The averages

Median size: 624 members
Median price: $99/month
Average size: 1,816 (misleading, see below)
Average price: $137/month
Total on the page: 54,472 members, roughly $3.18M/month gross
Median group revenue: about $85k/month

Ignore the average size. Two groups (27.3k and 7.5k members) hold 64% of everyone on the page. Remove them and the average falls to 700.

Small groups are getting surfaced

6 of 30 groups have under 110 members
The smallest has 26 members
Others sit at 51, 83, 94, 97 and 102
That is 20% of the trending page

An algorithm sorted mainly on size would never show a 26 member group. Something now rewards growth rate or recent activity. If you were waiting until you were bigger to launch, this is the window.

More groups charge $99

Under $50: 7 groups
$50 to $99: 10 groups
$100 to $199: 7 groups
$200 and up: 6 groups
9 of the 30 price between $97 and $99

Price and size barely relate:

A 26 member group charges $250
A 1,700 member group charges $98
The highest priced group ($500/month) has only 566 members and is the second biggest earner on the page

Sitting at $99 because everyone else does is a choice, not a strategy.

Two thirds of trending is AI, ads, or agency

10 of 30 mention AI directly
6 more are paid ads or media buying
25 of 30 are business or money-making offers
Only 5 sit outside that world: psychiatry education, feminine energy, posture and mobility, natural health, SAT prep

The copy formula they all use

Outcome, plus timeframe, plus risk reversal.

3 groups use nearly the same line: first client in 90 days or your money back
3 more lead with a dollar figure of results produced
"Learn Facebook ads" is a topic. "Your first client in 90 days or your money back" is a promise

One caveat

This is a single snapshot taken after the change, so it shows what the algorithm rewards now, not exactly what moved. Track one number for the next two weeks: the share of groups under 200 members. If it stays near 20%, small groups have a real opening.

Your turn

What do you notice that's changed? Are you moving up or down in trending?

6 comments

The New Skool Trending Page Algorithm, By The Numbers