Google Ads recently introduced the ability to buy Google TV inventory programmatically. This new connected TV (CTV) placement allows advertisers to expand their video advertising to the living room alongside existing options like YouTube TV.
This article covers how Google TV differs from YouTube TV, the implications of this addition for media buyers, and recommendations on optimizing campaigns leveraging this emerging ad placement.
Google TV: The next stage of video advertisingThe expansion of Google Ads video advertising through YouTube has been remarkably innovative. From the introduction of heavily anticipated Shorts ads to the creative in-feed ad placements, the expansion has been an amazing learning experience for advertisers.
The growth has not stopped. The newest ad placement to arrive – Google TV – is now available through the UI of Google Ads, not relegated to those with access to Google Display & Video 360 (DV360) and their programmatic video buying platform.
The implementation of advertising on Google TV differs from YouTube TV:
While some consider both products similar, there are significant differences, as YouTube TV is available everywhere, while Google TV is not.
Google TV can be accessed only through:
In contrast, YouTube TV is available on:
Adding Google TV inventory to the suite of placements within Google Ads Video indicates a push for more top-funnel new user acquisition after a large focus on down-funnel activities with Performance Max and Demand Gen.
To run on Google TV, you must couple this placement with YouTube but maintain the ability to exclude the display network. In most cases, we try to do this to limit impressions outside the premium environment of YouTube and Google TV.
Google TV requires a non-skippable 15-second ad, so having this is imperative to obtain impressions via CTV. This is important if you are seeking TV impressions; we have observed that the shorter the ad, the better it is for reaching users on the big screen.
Segmenting your device also presents a great opportunity to drive impression volume to the largest screen in the home. However, in our limited testing, we are still seeing more impressions via YouTube and YouTube TV on television versus minimal impressions on Google TV initially.
As we see more Google TV impressions, we will begin to analyze placement reports and, in hopes, also receive key demographic data and engagement metrics (such as earned views, subscribers, and playlist adds), which will be crucial insights for campaigns and brands.
Programmatic CTV buying is not new to our industry. However, considering it within the context of Google Ads, this inventory was typically gated.
As the platform opens its doors to all advertisers, I believe we will see a similar implementation to what we saw with the Google Display Network, where Google TV will primarily house both remnant and premium inventory from a variety of suppliers.
The announcement of Google TV also precedes some key platform video news, with Amazon and others adding ads to their video platforms. With more CTV players entering the market, there is a huge opportunity for arbitrage with Google Ads leading the way, given the number of advertisers willing and waiting to buy OTT placements programmatically.
The big difference, and always the differentiator for Google Ads, is the targeting and insight capability. With the ability to leverage the suite of Alphabet data (Google Search, Google Analytics, YouTube, Android, and Gmail) combined with non-skippable ads in-home, we believe a relevant shift in interest and dollars flows into the Google Ads platform.
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Business email address Subscribe Processing... Optimizing Google TV campaignsWhen advertising on Google TV (YouTube), I’ve always prioritized two optimizations as most important:
Segment early/oftenWithin the Google Ads platform, you can precisely target your audience immediately due to its scalability worldwide and YouTube’s penetration across every demographic.
For Google TV, we have observed inventory shrinkage when segmenting, so we recommend capturing as much Google TV inventory as possible.
It’s advisable to segment some of the audience but not to hyper-segment, as we’ve found this leads to a disproportionately high amount of YouTube inventory versus Google TV.
Variation and iterationIt’s crucial to have multiple videos to test, and always try to introduce variation within the first 5–15 seconds, as everyone starts the video, but not everyone finishes it.
Given the limitation of running only 15-second non-skippable ads, we recommend testing three different versions to potentially secure more Google TV inventory over YouTube. This approach has been effective in some but not all cases during our brief testing period.
Understanding the pros and consThe implications for advertisers with regard to a new placement like this include both pros and cons.
ProsAll advertising platforms continue to show growth, but from 2023 to 2024, Google Ads, specifically within video, has advanced like no other. We will continue to see growth as shopping, creators, and platform user interaction/engagement become more seamless and integrated.
I believe Google TV will be the gateway for many small to mid-sized advertisers to get on the big screen without minimum spend or the need for direct contact/buy with an agency or provider.
For media buyers, we have another tool to create what I believe is the most important attribute to any successful brand: the halo effect. This effect occurs when an impression in one area (Google TV) can cause an action (such as a search, website visit, download, or purchase) in a completely different area.