YouTube is the world’s second-largest search engine, and its ads are bought and measured through Google Ads — the same account, the same conversion tracking, the same audiences as your search campaigns. In most formats you only pay when someone actually watches, which makes video far cheaper to test than most advertisers expect.
What YouTube ad formats are available?
Skippable in-stream ads
Runs before or during a video, and the viewer can skip after five seconds. You pay only if someone watches at least 30 seconds (or the whole ad, if it is shorter) or interacts with it. The workhorse format: broad reach with almost no wasted spend.
Non-skippable and bumper ads
Fifteen-second non-skippable spots and six-second bumpers, priced per thousand impressions. Best for a single, memorable message — brand recall rather than a detailed pitch.
In-feed video ads
Appear next to related videos and in YouTube search results. The viewer chooses to click, so the audience arrives with genuine interest — strong for demonstrations, comparisons and explainer content.
Video remarketing
Reaches people who already visited your site, watched your videos or abandoned a cart. Usually the most cost-effective YouTube campaign type, because the audience already knows you.
Who is YouTube advertising right for?
It fits when your product needs showing rather than describing, when you are entering a market where nobody searches for you yet, or when you want to stay present between purchases. It is a weaker fit if you only want to harvest existing demand — that is what search campaigns are for. In practice the two work best together: search captures people already looking, YouTube creates the demand that sends them looking.
What our YouTube campaign management includes
- Targeting strategy — custom and lookalike audiences, in-market segments, keyword and placement targeting.
- Campaign build and bidding matched to the goal: views, traffic, leads or sales.
- Conversion tracking through GA4 and Google Ads, so you see what the video actually produced.
- Ongoing optimisation — placement exclusions, audience refinement, creative rotation.
- Plain-English monthly reporting: enquiries and revenue, not view counts.
We do not produce the video itself, but we will tell you plainly what works and what does not before you spend money filming: what the first five seconds need to do, how long the ad should run, and what the closing frame must contain.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a professionally produced video?
No. Clear, honest footage that gets to the point in the first five seconds routinely outperforms polished brand films on YouTube. Start with what you can make, measure it, and invest in production once you know which message works.
How much does a YouTube campaign cost?
There is no mandatory minimum. In skippable in-stream campaigns you pay per view, and cost per view is typically a fraction of a search click. You set the budget; our management fee is fixed and takes no percentage of your ad spend.
Can YouTube campaigns be measured properly?
Yes, though not the same way as search. Alongside direct conversions we track view-through and assisted conversions, so you can see the enquiries and sales that video influenced even when the purchase happened later through another channel.
Can I target specific countries or languages?
Yes. Targeting can be set by country, region, language and audience interest, so the same video can run in several markets with different targeting and budgets. Ask for a free audit and we will map out what is realistic in your markets.
Last updated: August 2026