Google Ads has introduced a new feature to help advertisers deepen audience engagement on YouTube: follow-on views optimization is now available in Demand Gen campaigns.
What are follow-on views?
Follow-on views occur when someone watches additional videos from your YouTube channel after seeing your ad. This new optimization strategy aims to reach viewers who are more likely to keep watching your content organically, even after the ad ends.
What’s new?
Advertisers running Demand Gen campaigns with the “YouTube engagements” goal can now choose to optimize for follow-on views. This means campaigns can actively target users who are not only likely to watch the initial ad but are also more inclined to continue watching more videos from your channel.
How to enable it
Link your YouTube channel to your Google Ads account (if not already done).
Go to your Conversions Summary in Google Ads.
Under Engagements, click Edit goal.
Find YouTube follow-on views.
Choose one of the following settings:
Primary action – Actively optimize campaigns for follow-on views.
Secondary action – Report follow-on views, but do not optimize for them.
Why it matters
This update gives advertisers a more direct way to grow long-term engagement and build an audience beyond just the first click or view. By focusing on users who show deeper interest in your channel, campaigns can now support both performance goals and organic growth.
Read the official announcement here.
Want more content like this?
Don’t miss out on the latest news and updates from the world of Direct Response advertising! Subscribe to our newsletter today 👇
Want to brainstorm with our team on new ways to scale your business with YouTube Ads (and other performance video platforms)?
Join us for a free YouTube ad brainstorming session:
Like this post? Let's continue the conversation!
Get in touch with us by shooting us a quick email or tagging us on LinkedIn or Instagram, and sharing your thoughts. Your feedback helps us keep our blog relevant and interesting.
Get Our Newsletter
Need Help?
Get in touch with us for an insightful evaluation of your ads + actionable tips to help amp up your direct response revenue
