DTC Podcast Ep 577: Why Content Targeting on YouTube Is Beating Cheap CPVs
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Jan 16, 2026 Young Douglas, the Google Lead at Pilothouse specializing in YouTube ads, shares insights on why content targeting with YouTube Select is outshining audience-based methods. He explains the importance of aligning marketing creatives with content for better conversions. Dougie reveals how premium CPMs can lead to superior performance compared to low-cost impressions and discusses the pitfalls of low-quality placements. He also offers tips for scaling YouTube campaigns and emphasizes treating YouTube Select like traditional TV advertising for maximum impact.
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Content Beats Audience Labels
- Content placement matters more than inferred audience interests for ad performance.
- Targeting the content people watch yields more prescriptive relevance than broad interest labels.
What YouTube Select Actually Is
- YouTube Select is premium inventory built from the top 5% of consumed content and delivered as lineups.
- It focuses on placements (content) rather than broad platform-wide delivery.
Pay Up For Premium CPMs
- Accept that YouTube Select charges a substantial premium, often $40–$60 CPM for narrow demos.
- Pay for quality inventory because higher CPMs often deliver measurably stronger performance than cheap eyeballs.