When you manage Display campaigns, you recognize the importance of awareness initiatives. To amplify brand awareness for my clients, I leverage YouTube extensively. However, selecting placements for video campaigns differs significantly from how we do so on the Display Network.

Let me present three key points to remember for choosing optimal placements for your Google Ads video campaigns. (For advice specifically related to the pandemic and YouTube Advertising, refer to my post on YouTube advertising during COVID-19.)

1. Video Campaigns: The Name Says It All

It’s fine to refer to your video campaigns as “YouTube campaigns”—I do it often myself. However, the term “YouTube campaigns” isn’t entirely accurate. While a significant portion of your videos will appear on YouTube, they can also be displayed across various other placements.

Here are the current options:

Beyond YouTube channels and videos, you can choose placements on Display Network websites, apps, and specific app categories. Even if you target specific websites with corresponding apps, your YouTube ads might still pop up on those apps. Therefore, despite having more choices than just YouTube placements, our control isn’t absolute. This leads us to my next point…

2. Placement Options Aren’t as Precise as They Seem

Since Google retired the Display Planner with the new UI launch, we lost the ability to see which website placements actually offer video ad space. Allow me to illustrate with an example.

Observe this image:

When exploring potential website placements for the keyword “baseball equipment,” Google Ads presents an extensive list of targeting options. While this might initially seem advantageous, it requires caution. The list encompasses all recommended placements on the Display Network, not just those offering video ad space. Consequently, you might choose numerous website placements for your video campaigns, only to find your videos never appearing on them.

It can get worse. Consider this cautionary note from Google support.

Imagine adding several website placements as targeting options for your video campaigns. You then refine (or believe you’re refining) your campaign targeting by layering in a few topics. If your video isn’t eligible to appear on those Display Network placements, or if you’ve selected placements without video ad space, Google will solely rely on the limited topics chosen to display your videos. A bit unnerving, right? Now, picture running a placement-only ad group lacking any safety net layers, only to have chosen website placements that won’t even display your video ads.

I understand; it’s a bit unsettling. When employing any placement targeting for YouTube ads, regularly monitor those ad groups after launch to ensure they appear on the intended sites.

3. Don’t Shy Away from Negative Targeting in Video Campaigns

Given that our video ads might not appear on all anticipated placements, proactive measures are crucial to prevent unwanted traffic from consuming our video campaign budgets. Beyond unsuitable placements, we also need to guarantee our ads reach the intended audience. Here are ways to proactively incorporate exclusions into your video campaigns.

Prioritize Content Exclusions When Setting Up Video Campaigns

Even before launching a YouTube ad, we have some control over where ads appear within the campaign settings. The “Content exclusions” section offers three adjustable exclusion types (now streamlined with Google Ads dynamic exclusion lists). Let’s briefly examine each. Inventory Type: “Ensure your ads appear on content suitable for your brand”

Excluded content: “Exclude specific sensitive content categories”

Excluded types and labels: “Prevent your ads from appearing on content that doesn’t align with your brand

While YouTube ads have a vast reach, you have numerous options to ensure they don’t appear on specific content types, like games, potentially inappropriate categories, and more. Exclude any content categories that misrepresent your brand or could waste your budget. Addressing this pre-launch will save you time and money.

Focus on Device Categories

If you have many videos on your YouTube channel, check your YouTube analytics (YouTube Studio) to analyze your videos’ performance across different device types.

Here’s a glimpse of the basic stats within YouTube Studio:

Reviewing this data might reveal specific device types with exceptionally good or poor performance. Use this insight to exclude certain devices pre-launch for new campaigns or (my recommendation) leverage the device data in your analytics to proactively set device bid modifiers before launch, giving every device a fair chance.

Minimize Ad Exposure to Children

As a parent myself, I adore children. However, they constitute a significant portion of YouTube’s millions of viewers, which can complicate matters. Let me explain. It’s not uncommon for advertisers to open placement reports and encounter results like this…

It’s never pleasant explaining to a client that their YouTube videos failed to generate leads because children, not the intended adult audience, were watching them. Parents often share devices with their children. So, while you might be targeting the right Google account, the wrong person could be viewing your ad. To mitigate this, I compiled a list exceeding 1,000 kids YouTube channels to exclude in Google Ads entries. Get a head start by blocking as many children’s YouTube channels as possible pre-launch.

Implementing These Tips for Enhanced Video Ad Placements

Hopefully, you now have a clearer understanding of how placements function for YouTube ads. Use these suggestions to ensure your video campaigns reach your desired audience. Proactive planning is advantageous when launching video campaigns, but consistent placement performance monitoring remains essential. These tips will help you achieve your campaign objectives more rapidly.

Don’t forget to measure your progress! Explore these resources:

• Four Underrated YouTube Metrics to Quantify Your Video Marketing Success
• 4 Incredibly Useful YouTube Studio Reports You Won’t Find in Google Ads.