It’s a delicate balance – ensuring your target audience sees your ad content while avoiding inappropriate channels and videos that don’t align with your brand—familiarizing yourself with how YouTube video and channel placement exclusion functions can help you better align your video ads with the content hosted on this platform.

Strategies for More Suitable Ad Placement on YouTube With the Placement Exclusion List

We’ve highlighted the importance of excluding Kids’ channels for YouTube advertisers because children lack purchasing power and the intent to click or make a purchase when encountering ad content. The same principle applies to steering clear of inappropriate videos and channels on YouTube.

Simply put, your target audience might need to be tuning in to these types of content anyway. This underscores the significance of excluding video and channel placements in YouTube ad campaigns.

One key step in Strike’s commitment to brand safety and suitability is being cautious about where ads appear on YouTube. Discover how to exclude specific YouTube channels from ad campaigns and why this measure is non-negotiable for brands and advertisers.

What is a Placement Exclusion List on YouTube?

Similar to implementing negative keyword targeting for video ads, advertisers can exclude video and channel placements in YouTube ad campaigns.

While YouTube may consider all content suitable for ad placement, not every piece aligns with a brand’s values. Utilizing placement exclusion lists is a proactive step to secure ad suitability, setting your ads alongside content eligible for YouTube ad placements.

Advertisers can create a YouTube placement exclusion list at the account level, applying it to multiple campaigns. This tool empowers advertisers to dictate where their ads appear, maintaining contextual appropriateness and brand alignment.

Which YouTube Ad Placements Can You Exclude from Your Video Ad Campaigns?

As previously emphasized, one fundamental strategy for brand suitability is to exclude video and channel placements in YouTube ad campaigns. Let’s break down what you can exclude:

If you are exploring advertising on Google and the Display Network, you can also exclude:

How Can Specific YouTube Channels and Videos Be Excluded from YouTube Ads?

You can manage your YouTube placement exclusion list on the Google Ads platform. Here are the steps to exclude video and channel placements in YouTube ad campaigns:

1. Login to your Google Ads account.

2. Select Tools, then click on the dropdown for Shared Library.

3. Go to Exclusion lists.

4. On the next screen, click on the Placement exclusion list tab.

5. Click Create List.

6. Enter a name for your list. (e.g., “YouTube placement exclusion list for Kids’ channels”)

7. Under Add placement exclusion, go to the Browse tab.

• In the Search bar, enter the word, phrase, URL, or video ID of the placements you wish to exclude from your YouTube ad campaigns.
  • Enter the channels and videos individually:
    • Click YouTube channels to exclude ads from specific channels and YouTube videos to avoid placements in particular videos deemed unsuitable for your ad.
  • Add from a placement exclusion list:
    • Switch to the Enter tab (instead of Browse) and paste the list into the corresponding field.

8. Once done, click Save.

New exclusions usually take effect within 12 hours. Confirm that you have completed excluding video and channel placements in YouTube ad campaigns by visiting Campaigns > Change history. 

Note: The outlined instructions are for the updated Google Ads user experience. Access the previous design by clicking the “Appearance” icon at the top right of the screen and selecting “Use Previous Design.”

Advantages of Excluding YouTube Video and Channel Placement For Your Video Advertisements

Unsurprisingly, applying a YouTube ad placement exclusion list offers advertisers numerous benefits. Beyond targeting topics and audiences, refining your targeting methods can also be done as you exclude video and channel placements in YouTube ad campaigns.

Achieving Brand Suitability

Strike Social places a high priority on brand safety and suitability in our ad campaigns to ensure that we deliver the best results for our clients and reach the right audience.

When we exclude video and channel placements in YouTube ad campaigns, we fulfill another layer to our safety and suitability controls, which includes:

Efficiency in Ad Spend

As an example, for YouTube video view campaigns, advertisers operate on a cost-per-view (CPV) basis. When ads are displayed on unsuitable content or reach unintended audiences, views are wasted on individuals less likely to engage with intent and convert.

Efficient Campaign Management and Greater Control of Ad Placements on YouTube

Placement exclusion lists can save time by constantly eliminating the need to update and maintain placement exclusions.

The setup is relatively easy, and the lists can be managed at the account level, allowing your YouTube placement exclusion lists to be applied to all your video ad campaigns going forward.

When advertisers know how to exclude YouTube ads from specific videos and channels, they can choose or exempt content where their ads are shown, aligning ad campaigns with their specific goals and target audience.

Shaping Brand Suitability with YouTube Ad Placement Exclusions

It’s time to shatter the notion that you lack control over your YouTube ad placements — because you can take the helm for your video advertising campaigns. Instead of relying solely on the AI algorithm, YouTube has empowered advertisers to be more conscious of where ads should and should not be placed.

We’ve outlined the steps showcasing how Strike Social implements measures to keep your YouTube advertisements away from inappropriate content and aligned with more brand-safe and suitable content. Thus, taking charge of your ad placements on YouTube is entirely feasible.

The responsibility now lies with you to stand for brand suitability when advertising on YouTube. It’s your brand, your message — take charge, exclude strategically, and watch your YouTube ad strategy reach new heights of impact and brand resonance.

Expand your expertise. Browse Strike Social’s latest blogs here:

• 
  Marketing to Gen Z: Social Media Strategies for Performance-Driven Brands
• 
  TikTok News and Updates Q1 2025: What Advertisers Need to Know
• 
  YouTube Shorts Views Are Changing: How You Can Adapt Your Paid Ads Strategy
• 
  7 Social Media Advertising Trends You Should Know in 2025
• 
  Increase YouTube Subscribers with Google Ads: A Step-by-Step Guide
• 
  Easter Day Sales Strategy: Drive More Conversions with Demand Gen Ads

The post Excluding Video and Channel Placements in YouTube Ad Campaigns appeared first on Strike Social.

Do YouTube Category Exclusions Lead to Better Alignment with Suitable Content?

Picture this: your meticulously crafted ads, a testament to your brand identity, unintentionally paired with content that contradicts your message. The potential fallout? Viewers might not just skip your 6-second ad; they could dismiss your brand altogether, associating it with unsuitable content, like an ad for your product sandwiched between scenes of an intense video game shootout.

We’ve touched on the importance of brand suitability on YouTube, recognizing the delicate balance required. Now, we want to equip you with another additional tool to exert control over your ad placements. With category exclusions in YouTube ads, you can be assured of the suitability and strategic positioning of your video advertisements within YouTube’s environment.

Decoding the Mechanism: YouTube Category Exclusions Explained

YouTube categories play an important role in organizing and surfacing videos. Simply put, they define your video’s niche, facilitating easy discovery for your intended audience. When creating content, the goal is clear – you want your content to appear in these categories.

Here’s a snapshot of some key categories that define the diverse content on the platform:

While content creators aim for visibility within these categories, advertisers take on a different avenue. The focus then shifts to strategically choosing category exclusions in YouTube ads. For advertisers, it’s about selecting content you do not want your ads to appear with.

Which Categories Can Advertisers Exclude in YouTube Ads?

Implementing category exclusions in YouTube ads provides an extra layer of control over the videos and channel apps that may not align with your product or brand.

It’s essential for advertisers to be aware that while setting up YouTube category exclusions can restrict campaign performance, it ensures that your ads are showcased alongside more fitting content that aligns with your brand’s reputation and image.

Here are the YouTube category exclusions you can select, as seen on Google Ads settings:

How To Exclude Specific Categories On YouTube Ads

Here’s a step-by-step guide to control where your ads show on YouTube with category exclusions:

1. Log in to your Google Ads account.

2. On the screen’s left side, click Tools and select Content Suitability.

3. Scroll down to Advanced Settings and expand the dropdown.

4. Choose the category exclusion in YouTube ads you wish to set up.

5. Once selected, the changes will be automatically saved for your current and future YouTube advertising campaigns.

Remember that while YouTube strives to exclude related content through content exclusions, there’s no guarantee that all content within such category will be filtered out.

Note: The outlined instructions are for the updated Google Ads user experience. Access the previous design by clicking the “Appearance” icon at the top right of the screen and selecting “Use Previous Design.”

How Strike Social Does It: Which YouTube Category Exclusions Are Standard for Video Ad Campaigns

We are committed to empowering brands with strong controls to manage their ad placements efficiently. Strike Social consistently emphasizes its commitment to ensuring brand safety and suitability. The measures we undertake to ensure brand safety and suitability include:

While excluding specific keywords and topics may require some time, for advertisers seeking to exclude entire categories – the process becomes more efficient.

Consider this scenario: your bakery shop’s target audience is moms, young adults, and teenagers. Instead of manually entering each related keyword, you can apply category exclusions to filter out content on Tragedy & Conflict, Sensitive Social Issues, and Sexually Suggestive Content in one go. 

For these categories, this eliminates the need to input each keyword individually, providing a more streamlined approach for applying category exclusion targeting in YouTube advertisements.

At Strike Social, we recognize the significance of precision in advertising. Our approach to YouTube category exclusions is a testament to our commitment to providing advertisers with the tools they need for brand safety and strategic ad placements.

Take Greater Control of Ad Placements Through the Use of YouTube Category Exclusions

YouTube’s content can easily span from the sublime to the controversial, and advertisers must be wary of where ads should appear. Casting your ads across the extensive array of YouTube Inventory without proper exclusions is a strategy fraught with risks.

This approach can result in numerous irrelevant impressions from audiences outside your target demographic. More importantly, you aim to be associated with content that is deemed safe and suitable for your brand.

Utilizing category exclusions in YouTube ads is one of the methods for achieving complete brand suitability in your YouTube advertisements. As a component of Strike Social’s comprehensive 5-step strategy, each step must be carefully considered to align your brand perfectly with suitable content on the platform. 

Choose not just visibility but strategic brand resonance. The blueprint for brand suitability on YouTube starts with deliberate choices – make them wisely.

Expand your expertise. Browse Strike Social’s latest blogs here:

• 
  Marketing to Gen Z: Social Media Strategies for Performance-Driven Brands
• 
  TikTok News and Updates Q1 2025: What Advertisers Need to Know
• 
  YouTube Shorts Views Are Changing: How You Can Adapt Your Paid Ads Strategy
• 
  7 Social Media Advertising Trends You Should Know in 2025
• 
  Increase YouTube Subscribers with Google Ads: A Step-by-Step Guide
• 
  Easter Day Sales Strategy: Drive More Conversions with Demand Gen Ads

The post Utilizing Category Exclusions in YouTube Ads appeared first on Strike Social.

Discover how excluding trending negative keywords ensures that your ads only surface alongside content that aligns with your brand, giving you greater control over your YouTube advertising placements.

Improving Targeting by Excluding Trending Negative Keywords in YouTube Ads

What seems like an attractive keyword and suitable content today may quickly become unsuitable tomorrow. For instance, Russia was a popular tourist destination before the pandemic and before the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. As a travel agent, targeting terms related to Russian tourism was beneficial then. However, with the current news about Russia, obtaining searches and leads for travels to Russia may be close to zero.

Optimizing YouTube ads with trending negative keywords is often overlooked in exclusion strategies. While establishing a negative keywords list sets a solid foundation, the dynamic nature of YouTube advertising demands a continuous effort to stay relevant. Therefore, integrating the practice of optimizing YouTube ads with trending negative keywords ensures your campaigns align with current user preferences.

What Are Trending Negative Keywords in YouTube Advertising

To understand the function of trending negative keywords, it’s essential first to grasp the fundamental concept of negative keywords. In simple terms: 

“Negative keywords are specific words or phrases designated during campaign setup to ensure your ads don’t appear when these words or phrases are searched.”

When structuring your YouTube advertising campaign, you can include up to 5,000 negative keywords on your exclusion list. Particularly in expansive campaigns targeting a broad audience, it’s seldom practical to utilize the full 5,000. Here’s where the optimization of YouTube ads with trending negative keywords comes into play. This strategic approach involves keeping your list updated with emerging news and current events, making sure your ads steer clear of undesired placements.

This practice entails the routine addition of new keywords reflecting current events. For instance, if you’re a media buyer representing a banking company, it becomes prudent to distance your ads from searches related to interest rate rises and news on financial crises.

How To Identify Trending Negative Keywords For YouTube Ads

When it comes to pinpointing trending negative keywords for your YouTube video ads, there are two distinct methods you can utilize:

Using these methods, how can you accomplish a trending negative keyword list in YouTube ads?

Let’s start with this example:

Brand: Real estate agent for luxury properties in Chicago.
Campaign: Back-to-school sale for a property near a school district.

A. Identify the most relevant trending negative keywords for YouTube ads based on search queries

1. For example, take one of your selected target keywords, “Top Chicago school districts” and enter it into Google News.

• Tip: Add the closest timeframe to your campaign launch to make it more timely and relevant. e.g. “Top Chicago school districts 2024”

2. As you search, examine the trending news related to your chosen topic. This could encompass both positive and negative trends.

To focus on the negative aspects, refine your search by adding the phrase “negative news”.

3. From the results, you can identify and add the following to your trending negative keywords list for YouTube ads:

• School shootings
• State of emergency

B. Predict upcoming trending negative keywords for YouTube ads with AI tools and analytics

Drawing insights from the web, Bard, Google’s AI tool, offers users accurate and high-quality responses when looking up trending negative keywords. Its integration with Google enhances efficiency, delivering comparable results in less time with the right prompts.

Going back to our example:

Brand: Real estate agent for luxury properties in Chicago.
Campaign: Back-to-school sale for a property near a school district.

To utilize Bard effectively, you can input a tailored prompt to obtain a trending list of negative keywords for your YouTube advertisements.

Sample prompt for Bard:

I am a real estate agent for luxury properties in Chicago. I am launching a campaign for back-to-school sales for a property near a school district. My main target keyword is “luxury real estate Chicago 2024”.

What are the trending negative keywords this 2024 that I should avoid? Copy

Advantages Of Implementing A Trending YouTube Ad Negative Keyword List

Incorporating a trending YouTube ad negative keyword list into your campaigns holds numerous advantages, particularly during heightened interest or hype periods. Let’s explore the key benefits:

Efficient management of your trending negative keywords list in YouTube ads is an ongoing process that requires continual upkeep and fine-tuning. Consider the following recommendations:

How Trending Negative Keywords Contribute to Brand Suitability on YouTube

At its core, your main goal may be to attract views and conversions through your YouTube advertisements. However, it’s crucial to understand that viewers form perceptions based on the content linked to your video ads. This connection is what makes a lasting impression on them.

Maintaining the suitability of your ads for viewers is a continuous effort, mirroring the continuous change in the landscape of YouTube advertising. Adapting to these shifts is essential for media buyers. Incorporating a trending list of negative keywords into your YouTube ads is a significant step toward achieving overall brand suitability for your campaigns.

Expand your expertise. Browse Strike Social’s latest blogs here:

• 
  Marketing to Gen Z: Social Media Strategies for Performance-Driven Brands
• 
  TikTok News and Updates Q1 2025: What Advertisers Need to Know
• 
  YouTube Shorts Views Are Changing: How You Can Adapt Your Paid Ads Strategy
• 
  7 Social Media Advertising Trends You Should Know in 2025
• 
  Increase YouTube Subscribers with Google Ads: A Step-by-Step Guide
• 
  Easter Day Sales Strategy: Drive More Conversions with Demand Gen Ads

The post Optimize YouTube Ads with Trending Negative Keywords appeared first on Strike Social.

In this blog, we’ll provide a comprehensive overview of leveraging YouTube ad topic exclusions to exclude specific topics and ensure your ads only appear where they matter most—preventing them from showing on irrelevant channels and videos. It’s time to refine your approach and make your brand stand out in the right context.

Can YouTube Ad Topic Exclusions Ensure Brand-Suitable Content?

Shaping your brand’s presence goes beyond just targeting specific topics for your video advertisements – it extends to the strategic use of YouTube ad topic exclusions. These exclusions offer a counterintuitive approach, allowing you to refine your brand’s suitability by clarifying topics that don’t align with your product or service.

Contrary to common belief, viewers don’t immediately encounter your ad creative upon entering YouTube; instead, they first engage with the content they’ve chosen to watch or actively searched for. It’s at this moment that your video ad makes its entrance. The critical factor here is the topic surrounding your ad, setting the tone for the viewer’s perception.

• Topic Exclusions: What Does This Mean For YouTube Advertisers?
  • How To Exclude Specific Topics From YouTube Ads
• Why Advertisers Should Exclude Content By Topic in YouTube Advertising

Topic Exclusions: What Does This Mean For YouTube Advertisers?

YouTube ad topic exclusions play a crucial role in the meticulous process of campaign construction, especially for Strike Social, where brand suitability is a top priority.

At its core, applying topic exclusion lists allows advertisers to steer clear of specific content categories such as news, politics, religion, controversial regions, drugs, crime, and mature men’s interests. These exclusions are not one-size-fits-all but adaptable building blocks that form the foundation of brand-conscious campaigns.

Let’s look at two different brands, for example:

Certainly, while some topics may overlap, each brand typically maintains a unique list of targeted topics. Conversely, the default topic exclusion lists are designed to steer clear of content featuring profanity, sexualized material, violence, and drugs.

Consider the news app, which aims for broad coverage; it might not employ additional YouTube ad topic exclusions. In contrast, the travel app, tailored for tourists and families seeking vacation plans, can craft a specific exclusion list. This list may include topics like business news, finance, sports, and politics. Such exclusions ensure that the app’s video advertisements don’t appear in searches related to current events, allowing them to surface on more relevant content such as travel vlogs and vacation recommendations.

The beauty of topic exclusions lies in their adaptability. Your topic exclusion lists can vary not only between different brands but also within campaigns and across seasons. Campaign-specific and ad group-specific lists ensure that YouTube ad topic exclusions evolve in tandem with brand needs and the unique goals of each advertising initiative.

How To Exclude Specific Topics From YouTube Ads

To build your topic exclusion lists for your YouTube ads, here’s a step-by-step guide:

1. Begin by accessing your Google Ads account and navigate to Display campaigns from the Views bar at the top.
2. In the navigation menu at the left side of the screen, click on the Campaigns icon.
3. Click the Audiences, keywords, and content.
4. Choose Content from the drop-down menu.
5. Once on the “Content” page, locate and click on the Topic Exclusions tab.
6. On the “Topic exclusions” page, identify the topics you want to exclude.
7. Conclude the process by clicking on the Remove button.

Note: The outlined instructions are for the updated Google Ads user experience. Access the previous design by clicking the “Appearance” icon at the top right of the screen and selecting “Use Previous Design.”

Why Advertisers Should Exclude Content By Topic in YouTube Advertising

While it’s easy to acknowledge that advertisers benefit from utilizing YouTube ad topic exclusions, understanding its advantages and considerations is essential.

How To Effectively Utilize Topic Exclusions For Enhanced Brand Suitability

Five integral components are at the heart of Strike Social’s brand safety and suitability, forming the robust fortress that ensures effective ad campaigns. Among these, YouTube ad topic exclusions are a crucial pillar, contributing significantly to brand suitability.

Seamlessly integrating YouTube ad topic exclusions with the broader brand suitability controls magnifies their effectiveness. Instead of viewing them in isolation, meticulously study and consider each component, from negative keyword targeting to video and channel placements, as individual steps in crafting a tailored campaign strategy.

Experience the unique benefits of Strike Social for brand alignment and campaign optimization. Book a meeting and connect with us for an insightful discussion. With almost a decade of insights, Strike Social ensures your ads capture attention and leave a lasting imprint. Beyond a typical ad campaign, our campaign handling management harmoniously amplifies your brand’s YouTube reach.

Expand your expertise. Browse Strike Social’s latest blogs here:

• 
  Marketing to Gen Z: Social Media Strategies for Performance-Driven Brands
• 
  TikTok News and Updates Q1 2025: What Advertisers Need to Know
• 
  YouTube Shorts Views Are Changing: How You Can Adapt Your Paid Ads Strategy
• 
  7 Social Media Advertising Trends You Should Know in 2025
• 
  Increase YouTube Subscribers with Google Ads: A Step-by-Step Guide
• 
  Easter Day Sales Strategy: Drive More Conversions with Demand Gen Ads

The post Charting the Path to Brand Suitability: The Strategic Advantage of YouTube Ad Topic Exclusions appeared first on Strike Social.

Reconnect With Your Target Audience By Implementing Negative Keyword Targeting in YouTube Ads

Achieving success in your YouTube ad campaigns hinges on precision – getting your ads in front of the right eyes and steering clear of the wrong ones. The key players in this strategy are keyword targeting and its counterpart, negative keyword targeting.

Keyword targeting ensures your ads align with specific keywords, placing them alongside relevant content. Conversely, negative keyword targeting in YouTube ads acts as a filter, keeping your brand away from content associated with flagged keywords.

By combining these two tactics, you create a hyper-focused campaign. Your ads reach viewers with shared keyword interests while avoiding those looking for terms that don’t align with your brand. In the following discussion, we’ll uncover how negative keyword targeting works and the benefits it brings to advertisers who leverage a well-defined negative keyword list in their YouTube advertising.

What is Negative Keyword Targeting?

Implementing a negative keyword targeting strategy can be commonly overlooked in advertising efforts. This oversight often stems from advertisers concentrating excessively on where they want their YouTube ads to appear. Yet, it is equally crucial to monitor the type of content with which you don’t want your ads associated. Before going through the intricacies of this strategy, let’s take a step back to comprehend the essence of negative keyword targeting.

Negative Keyword Targeting Defined

Negative keyword targeting was first introduced by Google when it was still known as Google AdWords (later rebranded as Google Ads in 2018). Since then, it has become a standard practice, especially in YouTube advertising.

Google defines a negative keyword in digital marketing as a type of keyword that prevents a certain word or phrase from triggering your ad. Applying negative keywords ensures that your ads are not displayed to anyone searching for that specific phrase.

Why Negative Keyword Targeting Matters

By excluding specific words or phrases, you prevent your video ads from appearing in irrelevant searches. Advertisers can create and utilize negative keyword lists to streamline the process across multiple campaigns. 

This process improves your ad targeting in YouTube, ensuring your message reaches those genuinely interested in what you offer. It keeps your ads focused on the right audience, elevating the precision and effectiveness of your YouTube advertising efforts.

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Further Reading

Using Topic Exclusions to Avoid Misaligned Content

Topic exclusions help advertisers filter out content categories like news, politics, religion, sensitive regions, crime, and mature themes. These customizable settings enable campaigns to align better with brand values while maintaining flexibility for different objectives.

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How to Initiate Your Negative Keyword Strategy in YouTube Advertising

To kick off your negative keyword strategy in YouTube advertising, consider adding these keywords at the campaign or ad group level, depending on what aligns better with your objectives. This guide offers a thorough walkthrough on seamlessly integrating negative keywords into your YouTube ad campaigns:

Campaign Level Negative Keywords

By adding negative keywords at the campaign level, advertisers automatically exclude specified terms from all ads within the campaign.

Ad-group Level Negative Keywords

Advertisers can add negative keywords at the ad-group level for a more focused approach. This allows for tailored exclusions, ensuring that selected ads do not appear with undesirable keyword associations.

Contextual Targeting

You can use negative keyword lists to manage and apply negative keywords across multiple campaigns efficiently. This way, you can select the existing list to apply them to your YouTube advertisements.

Limitations of negative keyword targeting in YouTube ads:

• It’s important to note that negative keywords on the Display Network may not be as precise as on the Search Network. Moreover, a maximum limit of 5,000 negative keywords is allowed as exclusions on your YouTube video ads. 
• To further refine your targeting, consider applying content theme exclusions to exclude specific channels and content.

---

Further Reading

Why Excluding YouTube Kids’ Channel Is A Priority

Protecting your brand’s reputation starts with understanding why it’s crucial to keep your ads off YouTube Kids channels and the advantages of taking this precautionary step.

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For a clearer picture, here’s a sample negative keyword targeting list for a luxury watch brand conducting a Winter Collection campaign:

Note: These are sample keywords only. For a more specified negative keyword list, you can utilize Google Bard prompts and prompt it for a negative keywords list that is more aligned with your brand and YouTube advertising strategy.

Need a Head Start? Strike Social Has You Covered.

If you’re unsure about where to begin your negative keyword targeting strategy, Strike Social offers a curated list of 5000+ keywords. This comprehensive list includes terms related to sexual, hot-button, off-color, and NSFW topics. Easily incorporate these keywords at the launch of your campaign for targeted and brand-safe advertising. Get your first 500 keywords here.

Advantages of Negative Keyword Targeting for YouTube Advertisers

Using negative keywords may be counterintuitive. However, the benefits are substantial and can significantly impact the success of your ad campaigns. Here’s a breakdown of why incorporating negative keyword research tools is a smart move:

Elevate Brand Suitability

• A negative keyword list aligns the brand with safe and suitable content, fostering a positive association and avoiding appearances with harmful or undesirable content.
• Strike Social’s brand suitability strategies go beyond just negative keyword targeting. For an overview of the various strategies we employ to ensure brands are aligned with the right content, visit our Strike Social brand safety and suitability guide.

Reduce Wasted Clicks

• Negative keywords enhance click-through rates by ensuring ads appear only for relevant queries.
• Excluding irrelevant search terms minimizes wasted clicks, ensuring ads reach users actively searching for specific keywords, optimizing budget usage.

More Relevant User Experience

• Negative keywords allow you to steer clear of unrelated channels or videos, ensuring your ads are seen by a more relevant audience.

The Positive Effects of Incorporating Negative Keyword Targeting

It’s essential to view negative keyword targeting not as a standalone solution but as a fundamental step in enhancing the suitability of your brand within the platform’s content.

Launching a campaign today is an elaborate process beyond mere clicks and conversions. It demands attention to the positive tone associated with your brand’s visibility. And that’s where negative keyword targeting plays in—a tool in guiding your brand towards positive interactions.

Recognizing and harnessing the positive effects of negative keyword targeting positions your brand for success, ensuring every interaction leaves a favorable impression.

The post Eliminate Irrelevant Impressions: Could Negative Keywords Be the Solution? appeared first on Strike Social.

Achieve More With Less: Applying YouTube Content Theme Exclusions Strategically

Achieving precision in audience targeting is no small feat. Let’s acknowledge the reality – not all content on YouTube is universally suitable for all audiences. Responding to this intricacy comes the implementation of YouTube content theme exclusions. This policy serves as a sophisticated tool, adeptly harmonizing content suitability and audience targeting.

YouTube content theme exclusions are the latest additions designed to fortify brand suitability in video advertising. Far from being just another layer in managing your ad settings, this update signifies a significant leap towards enhancing the suitability of your YouTube ad campaigns.

• What Are YouTube Content Theme Exclusions
  • How YouTube Content Exclusions Affect Ad Reach and Performance
• How to Set YouTube Content Theme Exclusions
• Why You Should Apply YouTube Content Theme Exclusions To Your Ad Campaigns
  • Why “Content Suitable for Families” Exclusion is Essential

What Are YouTube Content Theme Exclusions

YouTube content theme exclusions are a strategic tool for taking control of the environment where your ads appear. These exclusions prevent your ads from being displayed on videos, websites, or apps associated with specific themes that might not align with your brand identity.  It’s a proactive measure to maintain brand alignment and integrity across the expansive landscape of YouTube.

With social networks and video platforms rife with misinformation, these filters offer a shield against content that may compromise your brand’s values. It’s about more than just removing content; it’s about maintaining accuracy and clarity in your brand’s messaging.

How YouTube Content Exclusions Affect Ad Reach and Performance

The impact of brand suitability on your ad campaigns extends beyond YouTube content theme exclusions. These factors can also significantly influence your campaign’s reach and performance:

• Content Types
• Digital Content Labels
• Inventory Types

As you adjust your brand suitability settings, you gain real-time insights into the potential impact on your ad campaigns. This real-time estimate provides information on ad inventory, impressions, and CPM, allowing you to make informed decisions as you make changes.

The impact is substantial for video campaigns, excluding digital content labels (excluding content suitable for families). CPMs (Cost Per Thousand Impressions) for such campaigns are over 80% higher than those that do not exclude digital content labels. These results underscore the significance of making strategic choices in content theme exclusions for optimal campaign performance.

You can navigate the best ad options as you update the YouTube content theme exclusion settings.

How to Set YouTube Content Theme Exclusions

To update your YouTube content exclusion settings, follow the steps below:

1. In your Google Ads account, locate and click the Tools icon.

2. Click Content Suitability.

3. The complete list of YouTube content exclusions can be found on the next screen:

4. To skip to the YouTube content theme exclusions, click on Excluded content themes.

5. Select the YouTube content themes you want your ads to be excluded from.

Here’s an overview of each YouTube content theme exclusion option:

6. Once done, click on Save. These content theme exclusion settings should apply at the campaign level for your YouTube ads.

Note: The outlined instructions are for the updated Google Ads user experience. Access the previous design by clicking the “Appearance” icon at the top right of the screen and selecting “Use Previous Design.”

Why You Should Apply YouTube Content Theme Exclusions To Your Ad Campaigns

Adding YouTube content theme exclusions to your ad campaigns is the best way to ensure the right people see your ads in the right context. Here are some of the key benefits of using content theme exclusions:

Let’s explore practical scenarios demonstrating why you should utilize YouTube ad exclusions:

Aligning Brand Safety and Brand Suitability: Why “Content Suitable for Families” Exclusion is Essential

Brand safety comes into play when safeguarding your brand from potential controversies associated with content alignment. It’s about ensuring a seamless blend of your brand’s story, identity, and where your ads show up.

For instance, the concern arises when your brand risks being linked to political content, inadvertently taking a stance on sensitive issues. The focus here is on maintaining a neutral brand image and steering clear of unintended affiliations.

On the other hand, brand suitability goes beyond avoiding controversial content to ensure that your ads land in safe channels and resonate with your target audience. This is where YouTube content theme exclusions step in.

For example, a kids’ channel like LankyBox may be considered brand-safe, but if your brand specializes in finance, being on a family-centric channel could mean wasted ad spend. While the temptation might exist to target parents through kids’ channels, the unpredictable outcomes make the exclusion of family-centric content a savvy move in the pursuit of efficient YouTube advertising.

To enhance the effectiveness of YouTube content theme exclusions in your ad campaigns, consider these proactive tips:

Transform Ad Precision with YouTube Content Exclusions

YouTube content theme exclusions enable advertisers to filter out inappropriate content and ensure their ads are placed alongside suitable inventories for their target audience. Advertisers can take control of their ad placement by setting up these exclusions while building their brand image. The ability to exclude content means advertisers can maintain better control over where their ad is displayed, preventing damaging or inappropriate associations. 

At Strike Social, we go the extra mile to protect your ads from unsuitable content. Our brand safety measures include excluding negative keywords, topics, categories, and specific video or channel placements that could potentially impede your reach.

By thoughtfully crafting your exclusions list, you can make sure your ads find their place in contexts that authentically complement the brand narrative and resonate positively with your intended audience.

Expand your expertise. Browse Strike Social’s latest blogs here:

• 
  Marketing to Gen Z: Social Media Strategies for Performance-Driven Brands
• 
  TikTok News and Updates Q1 2025: What Advertisers Need to Know
• 
  YouTube Shorts Views Are Changing: How You Can Adapt Your Paid Ads Strategy
• 
  7 Social Media Advertising Trends You Should Know in 2025
• 
  Increase YouTube Subscribers with Google Ads: A Step-by-Step Guide
• 
  Easter Day Sales Strategy: Drive More Conversions with Demand Gen Ads

The post Avoid Advertising in Kids’ Channels and Elevate Brand Suitability with YouTube Content Theme Exclusions appeared first on Strike Social.

Understanding YouTube Brand Safety in Video Advertising

A few years ago, a well-known British newspaper, took a drastic step by blacklisting YouTube. The cause? Their ads had been inadvertently displayed alongside hate speech and extremist content. The repercusion were immediate and far-reaching, as major household brands like Toyota, Proctor & Gamble, AT&T, and Verizon promptly withdrawing millions in advertising dollar from YouTube.

This watershed event not only tarnished YouTube’s reputation but also dealt a heavy blow to the advertising industry. Advertisers were thrust into an unwelcome spotlight, their carefully crafted brand messages aligned with harmful and inappropriate content.

Fast forward to six years later, a pressing question emerges: What proactive steps has YouTube taken to protect brands advertising on their platform from another brand safety crisis?

What Role Does Brand Safety Play In Your YouTube Ads Strategy?

As brands increasingly lean on video advertising to establish a foot hold in the market, the aspect of safety and suitability has been in most media plans. Research shows a distinct consumer preference for video content, with an impressive 73% of consumers swayed by a brand’s social media presence in their buying decisions. When consumer resonates with the ad, a highly favorable perception that leads to purchase. However, brand’s association with inappropriate or mismatched content have an opposite impact, potentially driving consumers away.

To further understand the significance of brand safety on YouTube, let’s take a look into the essential roles it plays in shaping your video advertising strategy:

Minimizing Brand and Content Misalignments in YouTube Ads

• Leverage YouTube’s popular and trending content to maximize exposure and reach.
• Note that not all content aligns with a brand’s values or appeals to its target audience.
• Monitor the suitability of ad content closely.
• Ensure a cohesive alignment between the brand’s narrative, identity, and the context of ad presentation.

Asserting Control Over Ad Placements

• Exercise control over ad placements to avoid inappropriate, contentious, or irrelevant content.
• Utilize the power to create entirely tailored video environments for better brand control.
• Enhance brand perception by governing where and how it appears on YouTube.

Protecting Brand Reputation

• Implement brand safety measures for active and vigilant monitoring of brand’s presence on YouTube.
• Leverage Google’s AI, machine learning algorithms, and manual review process to filter out unsuitable content.
• Maintain a safe and respected platform for both viewers and advertisers via YouTube’s robust brand safety features.

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Further Reading

The Crucial Role of Ad Suitability in YouTube Ad Campaigns

In YouTube advertising, brand safety and ad suitability are closely connected. Advertisers must find the right balance between these two aspects to effectively reach their audience and run successful campaigns.

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What Happens When Ads Appear Alongside Inappropriate Content On YouTube?

The appearance of ads alongside inappropriate content on YouTube can have a profound influence on both brand perception and consumer behavior. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to grasp the potential ramifications associated with such occurrences.

A primary repercussion is the adverse influence on consumers’ purchasing choices. Roughly 80% of consumers are inclined to decrease or entirely cease purchasing products advertised alongside extreme or violent content.

In addition, around 90% of audiences perceive the advertiser as ultimately accountable for the placement of their ads. Consequently, any association with inappropriate content can lead to a loss of consumer trust and damage the brand’s credibility. This calls for proactive measures to ensure ad placements occur in settings that harmoniously align with the brand’s values, messaging, and target audience.

It is also worth noting that 37% of media agencies acknowledge that without proper brand suitability measures, ads run the risk of appearing in unsafe contexts. The sheer volume of content on the platform makes it a complex task to ensure complete brand safety. However, it is not impossible to tackle. By utilizing Youtube’s brand safety tools, brands can assert control over their reputation and assure that their ads are displayed in environments that seamlessly align with their brand image.

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Further Reading

What Happens When My Facebook Ads Appear With Inappropriate Content?

With the wide variety of content shared across Facebook, maintaining digital brand safety requires careful oversight. Businesses must ensure a secure and trusted brand presence on the platform, as it significantly influences customer perception and credibility.

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Brand Suitability, Contextual Targeting and Reporting

YouTube offers a range of brand safety tools that have been developed in partnership with carefully vetted third-party providers. These tools are designed to meet YouTube’s stringent brand safety standards, ensuring a trusted and reliable solution for advertisers.

By partnering with these providers, YouTube aims to empower advertisers with the necessary capabilities to enhance their marketing performance and gain a deeper understanding of content trends on the platform.

Putting Your Brand First: Strike Social’s Unyielding Brand Safety Commitment

With Strike Social’s extensive expertise and experience, we prioritize safeguarding brands and their reputation by implementing robust measures to mitigate risks and maintain a secure advertising environment.

From meticulous campaign planning to seamless execution, our dedicated team adeptly navigates the intricacies of the platform to ensure your ads are showcased in suitable contexts. We understand the significance of aligning your brand with relevant content, and we employ advanced strategies to protect your ad placements.

Building Bridges of Trust With YouTube Brand Safety

Integrating brand safety in your YouTube advertising strategy is not just an option but a strategic imperative. 

By prioritizing brand safety, you can deliver more impactful and meaningful advertising campaigns, strengthen your brand identity, and establish trusted connections with your target audience. Consumers appreciate brands that prioritize their well-being and take active steps to ensure a positive and meaningful experience. As a result, brand safety becomes a bridge that connects brands and their audiences in a mutually beneficial relationship.

Building trust through brand safety is not just a one-time effort but an ongoing commitment. It requires staying vigilant, adapting to the changes in the digital market, and utilizing the available tools and technologies to secure your brand’s reputation.

The post Understanding YouTube Brand Safety in Video Advertising appeared first on Strike Social.

However, as the popularity of video marketing grows, so does the need for effective management of harmful content. As a recognized global leader in campaign management, we understand the criticality of brand safety. In this blog, we will explore YouTube’s strategies for managing harmful content and familiarizing ourselves with the controls and settings that empower advertisers to maintain brand integrity.

Know Where Ads Appear: Understanding YouTube Inventory Types

Video marketing has been at the forefront of marketers’ minds over recent years. it’s become an integral part of most marketing strategies. According to the Wyzowl State of Video Marketing Report 2023, 96% of marketers deem it important. Additionally, an impressive 92% reported a positive return on investment (ROI), illustrating the video’s advertising potential.

Businesses and digital marketing agencies can protect their brands by understanding YouTube’s harmful content management and harnessing ad safety controls. Also, they can enhance user experience and drive better results in video advertising campaigns.

This blog will provide insights into the comprehensive measures employed by the platform, such as the YouTube inventory types, allowing advertisers to have greater control over video placements.

• How YouTube Proactively Manages Harmful Content
• Content Exclusions in YouTube Ad Campaigns
• What are the Different Inventory Types
• How to Set Up Content Exclusions
• Other YouTube Brand Safety Tools To Explore

How YouTube Proactively Manages Harmful Content

YouTube, as an open platform, faces the challenge of maintaining a balance between creative expression and protecting the community. By employing their 4 Rs in YouTube brand safety – Remove, Reduce, Raise, Reward – the platform strives to maintain a vibrant and inclusive community while empowering advertisers to safeguard their ads from controversial and sensitive content.

4 Rs – Remove, Reduce, Raise, Reward

	REMOVE: YouTube uses a mix of human moderators and advanced machine learning algorithms to detect problematic content. Automated flagging systems allow the platform to detect and review content before it reaches a wider audience. Additionally, this YouTube brand safety feature encourages its community and experts in the Trusted Flagger program to report potentially problematic content, ensuring a proactive approach to content removal.
	REDUCE: Understanding the impact of borderline content, YouTube changed its recommendation systems. These changes aimed to reduce the watchtime of non-subscribed, recommended content. In the US alone, YouTube saw a 70% drop in watchtime of such content after implementing these changes. Continually refining its algorithmic recommendations, YouTube strives to keep the views of non-subscribed, recommended borderline content below 0.5%.
	RAISE: YouTube acknowledges the importance of authoritative information, particularly in news, politics, medicine, and science. To address this, YouTube’s brand suitability features include elements that prioritize authoritative voices in search results and recommended videos. Features like Breaking News, Top News shelves, and information panels help users make well-informed decisions based on contextual information.
	REWARD: The platform enforces strict brand suitability guidelines to protect against misuse, such as spam or impersonation. Advertisements are kept from controversial or sensitive content, with non-compliant videos facing limited monetization or ad restrictions. Continuous or severe violations could lead to suspension from the YouTube Partner Program.

Video Ad Safety Promise

With the Video Ad Safety Promise, YouTube automatically applies exclusions to prevent ad placements on controversial content, such as terrorist acts, nudity, and recent sensitive events. However, advertisers have additional control over their ad placements by setting up YouTube inventory types, allowing them to align their ads with their brand values and further safeguard their brand.

YouTube’s brand suitability controls are crucial in empowering advertisers to curate their ad placements and establish a safe and suitable environment for their brand messages. By utilizing these settings, advertisers can navigate the diverse landscape of YouTube’s content and avoid associations with content that may not align with their brand values or business objectives. This level of control ensures that their ads are seen in the context they desire, enabling them to reach their target audience effectively.

Content Exclusions in YouTube Ad Campaigns

YouTube understands that even policy-compliant content may remain unaligned with advertisers’ brand values. That’s where these YouTube brand safety settings come into play, providing additional control to exclude specific types of content that may not be suitable.

These settings are designed to empower advertisers with granular control over where their ads are displayed and ensure that their brand is associated with content that aligns with their values.

Content Types

To maintain brand consistency and relevance, advertisers can exclude specific content types from their video campaigns. This feature enables advertisers to avoid associations with content categories that may not align with their brand’s tone or target audience preferences. 

• Embedded YouTube videos: These are videos embedded on websites outside of YouTube’s website. By excluding this content type, campaign reach will only focus on videos hosted on YouTube.
• Live streaming videos: This category includes live events broadcasted on the platform, managed via external streaming software or streamed directly through YouTube. You can exclude this content type so ads will only appear on pre-recorded videos to avoid potential complications associated with live-streaming events.

Digital Content Labels

YouTube employs advanced classification technology to assign digital content labels to websites, pages, videos, and apps within its network. These digital content labels are akin to movie ratings, such as G and PG, and provide an additional layer of information about the suitability of content for different audiences. 

• DL-G: Content suitable for general audiences (can also select “Content suitable for families”)
• DL-PG: Content suitable for most audiences with parental guidance
• DL-T: Content suitable for teen and older audiences
• DL-MA: Content suitable only for mature audiences
• Not yet labeled: Content that hasn’t been labeled yet because they haven’t yet completed the classification process

Inventory Types

YouTube offers different inventory types that advertisers can exclude based on their preferences and brand suitability. The YouTube inventory types include:

• Expanded inventory
• Standard inventory
• Limited inventory

What are the Different Inventory Types for YouTube Ads

By choosing the appropriate YouTube inventory types, advertisers can customize the reach and visibility of their video campaigns. Let’s dive into the various YouTube inventory types and discover how they enhance brand suitability and customization for advertisers.

Expanded Inventory

With the expanded inventory option, advertisers can showcase ads on all YouTube and Google video partners that meet the monetization standards. This choice provides maximum access to a wide range of ad-eligible videos.

Standard Inventory

By default, all Google Ads accounts are opted into the standard YouTube inventory type. This option allows brands to display ads across a diverse range of content suitable for most brands. It includes popular music videos, documentaries, and movie trailers. The content available for ad placement adheres to YouTube’s advertiser-friendly content guidelines, which consider factors such as the strength and frequency of profanity and the appropriateness of subject matter like sensitive events. Ads will not appear on content featuring repeated strong profanity, sexual content, or graphic violence.

Limited Inventory

The limited inventory option provides brands with exceptionally stringent guidelines on inappropriate language and sexual suggestiveness. 

Videos included in this YouTube inventory type undergo additional scrutiny, ensuring an even higher level of scrutiny for inappropriate language and sexual suggestiveness. Consequently, ads will be excluded from appearing on some of YouTube’s most popular music videos and other widely consumed pop culture content across YouTube and Google video partners. 

Explore the following YouTube inventory types to discover the specific content categories included and excluded in each one:

How to Set Up Content Exclusions for Video Ads

By adding multiple exclusions to ad targeting, media buyers can add another layer of security to make sure ads will not appear with harmful content.

Here’s how to set it up content exclusions video ad campaigns:

When creating new video campaigns

1. Log in to your Google Ads account and navigate to the Campaigns section.
2. Click on the Campaigns icon and select the Campaigns dropdown from the section menu. Then, click on Campaigns to proceed.
3. Click the plus button to create a new campaign.
4. Choose one or more goals that best align with your campaign objectives. If none of the predefined goals fit your requirements, select the option to create a campaign without goal guidance.
5. In the “Campaign type” section, select “Video” to create a video-specific campaign.
6. Enter the necessary information to create your campaign.
7. Locate the “Content exclusions” panel within the campaign settings.
   1. Click “Inventory type” and choose the appropriate inventory type that suits your video campaign requirements.
   2. Under “Excluded types and labels,” you can exclude specific content types and digital content labels from your video campaign.
8. Proceed to create an ad group within your campaign and craft a compelling video ad. You have the flexibility to complete these steps later if you prefer.
9. After completing the necessary configurations, click “Save and continue” to finalize your campaign setup.

When editing an existing video campaign

1. Click on the Campaigns icon from your Google Ads account to access the Campaigns section. Then, click on the Campaigns drop-down in the section menu.
2. From the Views bar at the top, select “Video campaigns.”
3. On the left side of the screen, click on the page menu then click on “Settings.”
4. Click on the name of the Video campaign that you want to edit.
5. Configure your settings as follows:
   1. Inventory Type: In the “Content exclusions” panel, click “Inventory type” to select the appropriate inventory type for your Video campaign.
   2. Excluded Types and Labels: Click “Excluded types and labels” and choose the specific content types and digital content labels you want to exclude from your Video campaign.
6. After setting this up, click “Save” to confirm your updated settings.

Setting up for all video campaigns

1. On your Google Ads account, click on the Campaigns icon.
2. Click on the “Audiences, keywords, and content” drop-down in the section menu, then select “Content.”
3. From the tabs at the top, click on “Settings.”
4. At the top of the page, click on “Account settings.”
5. Under Content exclusions, update the settings for the following:
   1. Inventory Type: Click on “Inventory type” and select the inventory type you want to apply to all Video campaigns in your account.
   2. Excluded Types and Labels: Click on “Excluded types and labels” and choose the specific content types and digital content labels you want to exclude for all your campaigns, including Video campaigns.
6. Once you’re done, click on “Save”.

Note: Account-level control of content exclusions is only available in the new Google Ads experience.

Other YouTube Brand Safety Tools To Explore

In 2021, YouTube became the first digital platform to receive content-level brand safety accreditation from the Media Rating Council (MRC). This prestigious accreditation was granted to YouTube again in 2022, solidifying its position as the only platform with such recognition.

YouTube has actively collaborated with advertisers and agencies to understand their requirements better and establish best practices. This collaborative effort led to developing strategies like utilizing the different YouTube inventory types and reevaluating the necessity of excluding specific content categories. Advertisers who learned to navigate the YouTube brand safety controls effectively witnessed various performance benefits, including increased reach, higher view-through rates, and reduced cost-per-view.

The diversity of YouTube brand safety options presents greater control over ad placements across the Display Network and YouTube.

These additional brand suitability features are available for the setup of ad campaigns. However, note that these settings might influence the campaign’s performance.

Excluded Sensitive Content

Applying content exclusion prevents ads from appearing next to content categories deemed sensitive for some brands. These exclusions apply to all campaigns running on the Google Display Network, except Video campaigns.

The following categories can be excluded: 

• Tragedy and conflict
• Sensitive social issues
• Profanity and rough language
• Sexually suggestive content
• Sensational and shocking

Excluded Content Keywords

Content keyword exclusions ensure that ads do not display on videos, channels, websites, and apps related to specific words. These exclusions apply to all YouTube or Google Display Network campaigns. Up to 1,000 content keywords can be excluded at the account level.

Keep in mind that content keyword exclusions only support exact matches. Additionally, it’s important to consider that certain words may have multiple meanings. When excluding a content keyword, ads will be prevented from appearing on any content related to that word, even if the context differs from your intended targeting.

Excluded Placements

Placement exclusions prevent ads from appearing on specific videos, channels, websites, and apps that may not align with the brand or product. Up to 65,000 placements can be excluded, which applies to all campaigns running on YouTube or the Google Display Network.

Note: While exclusions are done to the best of YouTube’s ability, the platform cannot guarantee that all related content will be excluded.

Reinforce Brand Safety with YouTube’s Ad Safety Resources

Ensuring YouTube brand safety and maintaining integrity are crucial considerations for advertisers. Fortunately, the platform has recognized this need and taken proactive steps to address it. Through their commitment to managing harmful content and implementing YouTube inventory types, YouTube provides advertisers with powerful tools to protect their brands and deliver a safe advertising environment.

By understanding the intricacies of the different YouTube inventory types, you can make informed decisions about where your ads appear. This knowledge empowers media buyers and advertisers to align ads with suitable content, confidently navigate the platform, and ensure brand safety while advertising on YouTube.

The post Know Where Ads Appear: Understanding YouTube Inventory Types appeared first on Strike Social.