If you are brand new to video ads for Google, then you should know that Google owns YouTube. Google considers YouTube as one of Google's advertising platforms. The video ads that you see on Google's Video Partner Network are first uploaded to YouTube. Advertisers used to be able to decide if they want to place their video ads on just YouTube, or to include Google Video Partners.

However, you have been advertising on YouTube for a while, you may have noticed a recent shift in Google Ads. Google is starting to limit YouTube-only placements and moving towards pushing the rest of their platform for video ads. 

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Most campaign types with YouTube ads now force you to advertise via responsive video ads and push your ads on Google’s Video Partner Network. In this blog we will cover all of the new video advertising options available for all of Google Ads, not just YouTube Ads. We will also cover how to best optimize and use each placement so you get the best results.

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Responsive Video Ads On Google Explained

The reason we are writing this article is because as YouTube ads media buyers, we are now seeing that responsive video ads (also known as video action campaigns) are becoming mandatory. That means we don’t get to choose whether our ads go to in-stream, or are placed as discovery ads, or even if they are placed outside of YouTube. 

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With responsive video ads, you upload your videos and assets (headlines, images & call to actions) as normal. Then the Google machine learning algorithm automatically generates the best ad combination that it determines will be the most likely to convert. Google can take a video and turn it into an image banner ad, or just a headline ad, or a bumper ad. It then goes further to choose the best combination and places it where it thinks will have the best likelihood of success.

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Where Your Video Ads are Being Shown

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So where exactly is Google placing this “best combination” ad that it has generated using machine learning and AI?

Here are some places where your video ads are being shown within the Google Video Partners network:

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1) YouTube: This is the most common (and default) placement for video ads.

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2) Websites: Google will automatically generate ad combinations for websites. These will be websites with AdSense enabled, and the type of ad displayed will usually be determined by the ad size available on a partner website.

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3) Apps are also another placement Google loves putting ads on.

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Sometimes responsive display ads can also be found on Gmail. For now, responsive video ads have not been placed on Gmail. But we do see some YouTube video ad’s headlines and call-to-actions be turned into a Gmail ad. 

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Which Video Format is available on Google Video Partners

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The follow 4 video ad formats are supported on Google Video Partners:

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1) Skippable in-stream ads: this video ad format is the most common ad type to be placed on Google's video partner network. 

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2) Non-Skippable in-stream ads:  this video ad format is another favorite when it comes to being placed on other websites and apps due to their short duration nature.

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3) Bumper ads

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4) Outstream Ads: These types of ads are available to mobile and tablet devices only, and are placed outside of YouTube.

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If you want your ads to only be placed on YouTube then it might be best that you go with In-feed ads. In feed ads used to be formerly labeled as discovery ads, however with the name change in-feed ads also got a lot more ad placement inventory. They are shown as thumbnail images on the homepage, suggest videos on your watch next feed and sponsored search results. In-feed ads are static ads that rely on your headlines and your thumbnails. 

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