--- name: ads-youtube description: "YouTube Ads specific analysis covering campaign types, creative quality, audience targeting, and measurement. Evaluates video ad performance across skippable, non-skippable, bumper, Shorts, Demand Gen, and Connected TV formats. Covers VAC→Demand Gen migration, Shorts creative requirements, and CTV shoppable ads. Use when user says YouTube Ads, video ads, pre-roll, bumper ads, YouTube campaign, Shorts ads, or CTV ads." user-invokable: false --- # YouTube Ads Analysis ## Process 1. Collect YouTube Ads data (Google Ads export filtered to Video campaigns) 2. Read `ads/references/google-audit.md` for YouTube-relevant checks (incl. G-DG1 through G-DG3, G-CTV1) 3. Read `ads/references/platform-specs.md` for video specifications 4. Read `ads/references/benchmarks.md` for YouTube benchmarks 5. Read `ads/references/scoring-system.md` for health score algorithm 6. **Validate**: confirm at least one active video campaign exists before proceeding 7. **Check**: flag any remaining Video Action Campaigns (VAC). All auto-upgraded to Demand Gen by April 2026 8. Evaluate campaign setup, creative quality, targeting, and measurement 9. **Validate**: verify all campaign types identified before generating report 10. Generate YouTube-specific findings report with health score ## Campaign Types Assessment ### YT-01: Skippable In-Stream (TrueView) - Length: 12s minimum, 15-30s recommended (can be longer) - Bidding: Target CPV or Target CPA - Skip rate benchmark: 65-80% is normal - View rate: ≥15% is good - Evaluate: hook quality in first 5 seconds, CTA card usage ### YT-02: Non-Skippable In-Stream - Length: up to 60s (expanded 2025; previously 15s/20s) - Bidding: Target CPM - Best for: brand awareness, reach campaigns - Evaluate: message completeness, frequency capping, optimal length testing ### YT-03: Bumper Ads - Length: exactly 6s (non-skippable) - Bidding: Target CPM - Best for: reach extension, brand reinforcement - Evaluate: single-message focus, brand visibility throughout ### YT-04: YouTube Shorts Ads - Format: vertical 9:16 (1080x1920 recommended) - Length: up to 60s, sound-on required - Music/voiceover increases conversions by **over 20%** - CTA button appears at **3 seconds** for PMax/App/Demand Gen, **10 seconds** for Video View/Reach - Top-performing Shorts ads feel organic, authentic, and creator-like - YouTube Select Shorts lineups deliver 90% longer viewing vs competitor platforms (MediaScience data) - Placement exclusions for Shorts only work at **account level** (not campaign/ad group) - Best for: younger demographics, mobile-first, action campaigns ### YT-05: Demand Gen (fully replaced Video Action Campaigns, April 2026) - **All VACs auto-upgraded to Demand Gen by April 2026**. Flag any remaining VAC campaigns as deprecated - Placements: YouTube Home Feed, Watch Next, Discover, Gmail, Google Display Network (with channel controls) - Multi-format critical: advertisers uploading **both video AND image assets** see **20% more conversions** at same CPA vs video-only (G-DG1 check) - DoorDash case study: 15x higher conversion rate, 50% lower CPA vs VAC - **Major limitation: frequency capping is NOT supported** in Demand Gen. Significant loss from VAC. Only workaround: Video Frequency Groups (alpha). Flag former VAC campaigns that relied on frequency caps (G-DG3 check) - Evaluate: creative diversity (video + image), product feed quality, audience signals, frequency monitoring ### Connected TV (CTV) - YouTube's fastest-growing surface: ~150 million Americans watching on TV screens - **75% of YouTube ad spend** now on CTV (Brandcast 2025) - 30-second non-skippable ads available exclusively on CTV - Co-viewing metrics rolled out globally for comparison with linear TV - **Shoppable CTV (2026)**: uses Merchant Center feeds with QR codes - **Critical limitation: Floodlight conversion measurement DOES NOT work on CTV devices** (G-CTV1 check). Use Google Ads conversion tracking or GA4 instead - Evaluate: CTV-specific creative (larger text, simpler visuals for TV viewing distance), QR code shoppability, measurement strategy ## Creative Quality Assessment ### YT-06: Hook Analysis (First 5 Seconds) - Does the video capture attention immediately? - Brand mention within first 5 seconds (recommended for awareness) - Problem/benefit statement upfront (recommended for action campaigns) - No slow intros, title cards, or logos-only openings - ABCD framework: Attention (hook immediately) → Branding (show up early) → Connection (humanize) → Direction (explicit CTA). Ads following ABCDs deliver 30% lift in short-term sales likelihood and 17% lift in long-term brand contribution (Google/Kantar) ### YT-07: Production Quality - Audio quality: clear, professional, background music appropriate - Visual quality: HD minimum (1080p), proper lighting - Subtitles/captions: present (85% of Facebook video watched muted, ~30% on YouTube) - End screen: CTA, subscribe button, related video cards ### YT-08: Creative Volume - ≥3 video variations per campaign (different hooks, lengths, messages) - Mix of lengths tested (6s bumper + 15-60s non-skip + 30s skippable) - Vertical (9:16) and horizontal (16:9) versions available (YT-09) - Refresh cadence: every 4-8 weeks for top-performing campaigns ## Audience Targeting ### YT-10: YouTube-Specific Targeting Options - **Custom Intent**: target users searching for specific terms on YouTube/Google - **In-Market Audiences**: users actively researching purchase categories - **Affinity Audiences**: broad interest-based targeting for awareness - **Customer Match**: first-party list upload for retargeting - **Similar Audiences**: expansion from Customer Match seeds (if available) - **Placement Targeting**: specific channels, videos, or topics ### YT-11: Remarketing Setup - Separate campaigns for prospecting vs retargeting - Layer audience signals in Demand Gen campaigns - Exclude converted users from prospecting campaigns ### YT-12: Frequency Management - Use frequency capping (3-5 per week for awareness, 1-2 for direct response). For Target Frequency campaigns, set up to 4/week. 95%+ of campaigns achieved their goals. Nielsen MMM: brands can increase frequency from 1 to 3/week with consistent ROI - **Triscuit case study**: Target frequency 2/week = 93% higher absolute ad recall lift at 40% cheaper cost per lifted user - **Note**: Demand Gen does NOT support frequency capping. DV360 lifetime frequency caps deprecated after Feb 28, 2025 (max period now 30 days) ## Measurement ### YT-13: Key YouTube Metrics | Metric | Benchmark | Notes | |--------|-----------|-------| | View Rate (skippable) | ≥15% | Higher = better hook | | CPV (skippable) | $0.01-0.10 | Varies by targeting | | VTR (bumper) | 90%+ | Non-skippable, should be near 100% | | CPM (non-skip) | $6-15 | Varies by market | | CTR (Demand Gen) | ≥0.5% | Image+video combined | | Brand Lift | Measurable | Requires Google Brand Lift Study | ### YT-13 (continued): Attribution Considerations - YouTube is upper/mid-funnel; don't judge by last-click alone - Use data-driven attribution in Google Ads - Track view-through conversions (important for video) - Consider Brand Lift Studies for awareness campaigns (YT-14) - Cross-channel impact: YouTube often assists Search/Shopping conversions ### YT-15: CTV Measurement - **Critical**: Floodlight conversion measurement does NOT work on CTV devices (G-CTV1 check) - Use Google Ads conversion tracking or GA4 for CTV attribution - Co-viewing metrics available globally for comparison with linear TV - CTV Brand Lift studies recommended for awareness campaigns on TV screens ## Health Score ### YouTube Ads Health Score (0-100) Weighted assessment from `ads/references/scoring-system.md`: ``` Category Weights: Creative Quality: 30% ██████████ Campaign Setup: 25% ████████░░ Audience Targeting: 25% ████████░░ Measurement: 20% ██████░░░░ Grade: A (90-100), B (75-89), C (60-74), D (40-59), F (<40) ``` ## Shorts Hook Template High-performing Shorts ad pattern: 1. **Problem identification** (0-2s): Open with a relatable pain point or attention-grabbing question 2. **Product reveal** (2-5s): Show the product/solution in context 3. **CTA with urgency** (final 2s): Clear next step with time or quantity pressure ## Quick Wins | Check | Fix | Time | |-------|-----|------| | YT-05: Demand Gen migration | Upgrade remaining VACs to Demand Gen with video+image | 15 min | | YT-04: Shorts vertical | Create 9:16 vertical cuts of existing ads | 10 min | | YT-09: Add image assets | Upload image assets to Demand Gen (20% more conversions) | 10 min | | YT-12: Frequency monitoring | Set Target Frequency to 4/week for awareness campaigns | 5 min | ## Output ### YouTube Ads Report ``` YouTube Ads Assessment Campaign Types: ████████░░ Active formats evaluated Creative Quality: ██████████ Hook, production, volume Audience Targeting: ███████░░░ Strategy and coverage Measurement: █████░░░░░ Attribution and tracking ``` ### Deliverables - `YOUTUBE-ADS-REPORT.md`: Campaign-by-campaign analysis - Creative quality scorecard per video - Audience strategy recommendations - Measurement gap analysis - Quick Wins for immediate improvement ## Deprecated (v1.5) - **Video Action Campaigns**: Fully deprecated April 2026, replaced by Demand Gen - **Overlay ads**: Discontinued April 6, 2023 - **Rule-based attribution** (first click, linear, time decay, position-based): All auto-upgraded to DDA - **DV360 lifetime frequency caps**: Max period now 30 days (changed Feb 28, 2025)