Google Adds Earned Actions in AdWords Reporting for YouTube Advertisers

Google AdWords has added new columns to video advertising reporting, making it easier for advertisers to determine how well the video ads are actually doing via TrueView. Advertisers can now better understand how viewers engage with their ads and how often those viewers take actions, such as continuing to watch more videos in the channel, sharing the video or subscribing.

Formerly, video ads were simply represented by Follow-on Actions, which didn’t really provide a lot of depth or detail for advertisers seeking specifics about how their video ads were performing. This new series of new columns are the first in Google’s plan to expand video ad reporting options, with additional columns coming over the next few weeks.

The new columns are: Earned views, Earned view rate, Earned subscribers, Earned playlist additions, Earned likes and Earned shares.

In order to use these new reporting columns, you need to ensure that your AdWords for video account is linked to your YouTube channel. As part of the change, Google has also made it easier for advertisers to connect their AdWords account with their YouTube channel, so they’re getting the most effective data possible. Accounts that are not linked will not see the new data.

According to the product announcement, Google’s research shows they’ve seen more than 6,000 campaigns over the last six months generate at least one shared view as a result of every two paid views, demonstrating the efficacy of video ads. Luke Segars, product manager of YouTube ad Effectiveness, wrote, “…we know the YouTube audience isn’t shy about sharing brand content: 3 in 4 YouTube users agree ‘If there is a brand I love, I tend to tell everyone about it.’”

The new columns are currently live in Google AdWords, with the additional columns going live over the next few weeks.