YouTube Ads Not Running? Here’s How To Solve It

Various factors could contribute to YouTube ads not running as planned.


For instance, your ad may not meet YouTube's advertising requirements, your target audience may be too specific, or your budget may be insufficient.


Diving deeper into these issues will help you determine the root cause and make appropriate corrections to your campaign.


Addressing these problems not only ensures your ads run effectively but also maximizes your return on investment (ROI).


Identifying which factors are hindering your YouTube ad performance and finding solutions to overcome them helps your business remain competitive in the ever-evolving digital marketing landscape.

Reasons Why YouTube Ads Are Not Running

Approval Status

Firstly, check your YouTube ad's approval status.


Google reviews ads before they go live to ensure they comply with their advertising policies.


Your ad might be disapproved, causing it not to run.


To confirm if your ad is approved, visit your Google Ads account and check the approval status column. If you find any issues, resolve them and resubmit the ad for review.

Budget and Bidding Strategy

Another reason your YouTube ads might not be running is due to issues with your budget and bidding strategy.


Ensure that you have allocated a sufficient daily budget for your ad campaign.


If your budget is too low, your ads might not get enough impressions or show at all.

Moreover, consider your bidding strategy. Opt for a competitive bid to increase your ad's chances of showing.


If you use cost-per-view (CPV) or cost-per-thousand impressions (CPM) bidding, adjust your bids accordingly to improve your ad's visibility.

Targeting Settings

Your YouTube ad's targeting settings can also affect its performance.


If you have set narrow targeting criteria, your ad might have limited reach and impressions.


Evaluate your targeting options, such as demographics, interests, and placements, and adjust them if necessary.


This will help your ads reach a wider audience and increase their chances of running.

Technical Issues

Lastly, your YouTube ads might not be running due to technical issues.


Check for issues such as incorrect ad format, video length, or file size that might be causing your ad to be ineligible.


Make sure your video meets YouTube's requirements for advertising.


If you encounter any technical problems, fix the issues and resubmit your ad for approval.

Optimizing YouTube Ads Campaign

With proper setup and optimization, YouTube Ads can significantly boost your outreach efforts in no time.


Let's discuss the most effective methods of optimizing a successful YouTube Ads campaign - from keyword research tips to selecting cost-effective ad types.

Effective Audience Targeting

Begin by selecting the most suitable audience for your ads.


Consider demographics, interests, and purchase behaviors to pinpoint the audience that will be most likely to engage with your content.

Remember, YouTube is part of the Google Ads ecosystem, so you have access to Google's vast data sets for targeting.


Use layered targeting to get even more specific with your audience selection.


For instance, combine demographics with interests to create a tailored group.


Layered targeting enables more efficient use of your advertising budget and drives a higher return on investment (ROI).

Strategic Placements and Keywords

Once your target audience is defined, consider where your ads will be placed on YouTube.


Strategic placements can significantly enhance the performance of your ads.


Conduct research to identify the most relevant channels, videos, and content creators that align with your brand and target audience.

Additionally, utilize YouTube's powerful keyword targeting tool to identify high-volume search terms that are relevant to your product or service.


This will ensure your ads appear alongside content that matches these searches, enabling greater traffic and extended reach for your campaign.

Choosing the Right Bidding Strategy

Last but not least, selecting the appropriate bidding strategy is essential for ad campaign success.


YouTube offers multiple bidding strategies, such as target cost per acquisition (CPA), maximum cost per view (CPV), and target return on ad spend (ROAS).


Evaluate your goals and objectives to help decide which strategy best aligns with your desired outcomes.


For example, if your primary goal is to generate conversions, target CPA bidding might be the best approach.


On the other hand, if you're looking to build brand awareness through video views, a maximum CPV strategy would be appropriate.


By carefully selecting audience targeting, strategic placements and keywords, and an appropriate bidding strategy, you will be well on your way to creating a high-performing YouTube ads campaign.

Measuring and Analyzing Performance

By tracking the impact of your ads, you can gain insight into which campaigns are hitting your target audience and which ones are not.


This data can then be used to adjust the content of your ads, refine your target audience, or modify your budget to maximize your ROI.

Tracking Metrics and Conversions

To effectively measure and analyze the performance of your YouTube ads, it's crucial to track metrics and conversions.


These insights help you understand the effectiveness of your advertising efforts on the platform.

Key metrics to monitor include impressions, which show the number of times your ad was displayed, and cost per view (CPV), which indicates the average cost you pay each time someone views your ad.


Additionally, monitor the advertising revenue generated from your YouTube ads campaign, ensuring you're spending your marketing budget wisely.


To track conversions, you can use Google's conversion tracking tools, which enable you to measure actions such as website visits or purchases resulting from your ads. Tracking conversions allows you to better understand the ROI from your YouTube ads, helping you optimize your campaigns and bid strategy.

Making Data-Driven Decisions

Having a data-driven approach is essential for maximizing the effectiveness of your YouTube ads.


By analyzing metrics and tracking conversions, you can make informed decisions about the content and format of your ads, as well as allocate budget to the most effective campaigns.


For example, analyzing bumper ads performance alongside your other ad formats assists you in understanding which types of ads resonate with your audience.


By comparing various ad formats, you can allocate your marketing budget to the most effective strategies and improve the ROI of your YouTube advertising.


When optimizing your campaigns, ensure you're considering factors such as target audience, video content, and bid strategy.


Utilize insights from the metrics and conversion data to optimize your campaigns and refine your targeting, bidding, and ad creatives to reach your desired goals.


Remember, continuous analysis and optimization are critical for maintaining a successful YouTube ads strategy.

Conclusion

Ultimately, it’s important to stay aware of the many potential factors that could contribute to YouTube ads not running as planned, and troubleshoot accordingly.


No matter the issue, be sure to thoroughly review your campaign and take whatever steps necessary to ensure it meets YouTube's policy requirements.


Carefully assess your budget and bid strategy, focusing on creating more effective targeting settings tailored toward the audience you wish to reach.


Going through this process can help alleviate any technical difficulties you may have while allowing your ad campaigns to progressively grow.


Don’t forget that proper preparation will lead to better results for your future campaigns - so don't be discouraged if you experience minor errors or rejections along the way.


With proper strategy and planning, anyone can create a superbly targeted, high-performing ad that will stand out amongst their competition!


Click the link below to learn more about Google Ads so you can start growing your business!

SHARE

Subscribe now

Sign up for our newsletter to get the most interesting stories of the day straight to your inbox before everyone else

ABOUT

Jason Whaling, Christian entreprenuer out to prove that ANYONE can take their skills and turn it into a profitable business.

Privacy policy Terms of service • | © 2025, ACT Marketing, LLC