How do YouTube Discovery Ads work?

YouTube Discovery Ads (now known as Video Discovery Ads) are a type of ad format in Google Ads that help brands reach potential customers in places where they're actively discovering new content on YouTube. Here's a breakdown of how they work:
🔍 What Are YouTube Discovery Ads?

Video Discovery Ads don't autoplay like skippable in-stream ads. Instead, they appear as a thumbnail image and some text, and users click to watch them. These ads are great for grabbing attention in the YouTube search results, watch pages, and the home feed.
📍 Where They Appear:

    YouTube Search Results – When someone searches for something on YouTube, your ad can appear at the top of the results.

    YouTube Watch Page – Your ad can show up as a "related video" suggestion.

    YouTube Mobile Homepage Feed – Users scrolling the home feed may see your ad among regular video suggestions.

🎯 How They Work:

    You create the ad using Google Ads:

        Choose the Video campaign type

        Select the "Video Discovery" campaign subtype

    You provide:

        A video from your YouTube channel

        A thumbnail (YouTube auto-generates options from your video)

        A headline (max 100 characters) and description (2 lines)

    Targeting: You can target based on:

        Keywords (e.g., people searching for "best DSLR under $1000")

        Demographics

        Interests

        Custom audiences

        Topics or placements

    Pricing (CPV):

        You pay only when someone clicks on your ad to watch the video (Cost Per View)

        Not when it's simply shown

📈 Why Use Them?

    Great for product discovery, tutorials, unboxings, or brand awareness

    Works well with high-intent audiences (especially via keyword targeting)

    Lets users opt in to watch, which means they're more likely to be engaged

✅ Best Practices:

    Use clickable thumbnails and compelling headlines

    Target relevant keywords or audiences

    Choose a video that provides immediate value (educational, interesting, or emotional hook)