DTC Podcast Ep 556: Fix These YouTube Targeting Mistakes to Stop Wasting Money Building Top of Funnel Awareness
Oct 31, 2025
Dougie, the Head of the Google team at Pilothouse, shares insights on navigating YouTube advertising for DTC brands. He discusses common pitfalls like mis-targeted audiences and device mismatches that waste budget. Dougie emphasizes using placement exclusions to avoid low-quality traffic and the need to audit demographics to ensure alignment with converters. He distinguishes between YouTube for awareness versus demand capture, pointing out that narrow geo-targeting can enhance measurement accuracy. Tune in for actionable strategies to optimize campaigns!
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Episode notes
Targeting Often Misses The Intended Audience
- Many advertisers are not actually reaching the audiences they think they are targeting on YouTube.
- Misalignment arises from platform behaviors and automated settings that change who sees your ads.
Exclude Misaligned Placements And Topics
- Build placement, topic, and keyword exclusions to avoid misaligned content like gaming, kids, and ASMR.
- Use placement reporting to identify low-quality placements and remove them proactively.
Use Placements And Negative Keywords Aggressively
- Use placement lists and negative keywords (e.g., game titles) to reduce serving on irrelevant videos.
- Leverage AI to find frequently served impressions and add those placements to exclusions.