ads-youtube

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, and Demand Gen formats. Triggers on: "YouTube Ads", "video ads", "pre-roll", "bumper ads", "YouTube campaign", "Shorts ads", "YouTube audit"

/ads youtube — YouTube Ads Analysis

Campaign-by-campaign analysis of YouTube advertising across all video formats.

Usage

/ads youtube

Process

1. Collect YouTube Ads data (Google Ads export filtered to Video campaigns)
2. Evaluate campaign setup, creative quality, targeting, and measurement
3. Generate YouTube-specific findings report with health score

Campaign Types Assessment

Skippable In-Stream (TrueView)

• Length: 12s minimum, 15-30s recommended
• 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

Non-Skippable In-Stream

• Length: up to 60s (expanded 2025)
• Bidding: Target CPM
• Best for: brand awareness, reach campaigns
• Evaluate: message completeness, frequency capping

Bumper Ads

• Length: exactly 6s (non-skippable)
• Bidding: Target CPM
• Best for: reach extension, brand reinforcement
• Evaluate: single-message focus, brand visibility

YouTube Shorts Ads

• Format: vertical 9:16 (1080x1920)
• Length: up to 60s
• Best for: younger demographics, mobile-first
• Evaluate: native feel, sound-on optimization

Demand Gen (replaces Discovery)

• Placements: YouTube Home Feed, Watch Next, Discover, Gmail
• Formats: image + video carousel, product feeds
• Evaluate: creative diversity, audience signals

Creative Quality Assessment

Hook Analysis (First 5 Seconds)

• Does the video capture attention immediately?
• Brand mention within first 5 seconds (awareness)
• Problem/benefit statement upfront (performance)
• No slow intros, title cards, or logos-only openings

Production Quality

• Audio quality: clear, professional
• Visual quality: HD minimum (1080p)
• Subtitles/captions present
• End screen: CTA, subscribe button, related video cards

Creative Volume

• =3 video variations per campaign

• Mix of lengths tested (6s + 15-60s + 30s)
• Vertical (9:16) and horizontal (16:9) versions
• Refresh cadence: every 4-8 weeks

Audience Targeting

• Custom Intent: target users searching for specific terms
• In-Market Audiences: users actively researching
• Affinity Audiences: broad interest-based (awareness)
• Customer Match: first-party list retargeting
• Placement Targeting: specific channels, videos, topics
• Frequency capping: 3-5/week awareness, 1-2/week DR

Key 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
CPM (non-skip)	$6-15	Varies by market
CTR (Demand Gen)	>=0.5%	Image+video combined

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)
• Cross-channel impact: YouTube often assists Search/Shopping

Health Score Weights

Category	Weight
Creative Quality	30%
Campaign Setup	25%
Audience Targeting	25%
Measurement	20%

Output

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