Podcast Summary: Win With Paid Ads – Episode #105

How YouTube Uses Search History In Targeting Ads

Host: Ashley Brock
Date: February 5, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, Ashley Brock explores how YouTube leverages users’ Google search history and other behavioral data to create powerful, precise ad targeting capabilities. The discussion is geared toward entrepreneurs and small business owners who may be underutilizing YouTube’s advertising platform in favor of Facebook and Instagram, despite YouTube’s robust and often more affordable targeting options. Ashley walks through the six main targeting approaches available on YouTube, demystifies ad types and pricing, and shares a real-world client story to illustrate effectiveness.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why YouTube Ads Are Unique

• YouTube vs. Other Platforms: Many advertisers focus almost exclusively on Facebook and Instagram, but the majority of agency clients actually invest heavily in Google properties—where YouTube is included due to Google ownership.

  • Ashley (01:34): "90% of my clients spent 90% or more of their budget on Google properties like on Google advertising. And so YouTube is actually able to be done through Google because Google owns YouTube..."

• Data Power: YouTube accesses not just on-platform activity but all public search and browsing actions from the Google ecosystem for ad targeting, dramatically increasing relevance.

2. The Breadth of YouTube Targeting

Ashley details several nuanced audience-building options available through YouTube, far beyond interests or demographics:

• Search Behavior Targeting: Reach people based on the actual Google searches they’ve recently made.

  • Ashley (03:30): "You can target people based on their search behavior."

• Competitor Targeting: Serve ads to those who have visited competitor websites.

  • Ashley (04:10): "With YouTube you can target people if they've been to other competitor websites."

• App Usage Targeting: Target users by apps they've installed, focusing on extremely specific use-cases.

  • Ashley (04:45): "You can really be so specific with the types of apps that people have downloaded..."

• Video & Channel Targeting: Reach viewers of particular competitor videos or channels.

• Intent-Based Over Interest-Based: This direct intent targeting makes ads feel “psychic,” reaching people at peak moments of interest or need.

  • Ashley (06:37): "This is why YouTube ads can actually feel like you're a psychic when you do it the right way."

3. The Six Core YouTube Targeting Buckets (08:21)

Ashley outlines the main approaches to targeting:

• 1. In-Market Audiences: People in the process of researching or shopping for something specific (e.g., searching for cars, looking up financial products).

  • Ashley (09:18): "You are actually capturing someone not mid scroll, but mid decision. Like they're in the middle of making a decision and you get to be right there."

• 2. Custom Audiences: Define a segment by combining visited websites, downloaded apps, and search behaviors—great for capturing brand demand generated by competitors.

• 3. Placement Targeting: Target specific videos or channels—ideal for piggybacking on trusted content.

  • Ashley (13:12): "You can say, here are 10 or 15 videos from that person. You can do that, which is super crazy."

• 4. Keyword & Content Targeting: Target the underlying themes or keywords featured in a video, rather than just the search query.

• 5. Combination Targeting: Join multiple targeting attributes for increased specificity (but at higher ad costs).

  • Ashley (15:34): "...the more specific you get with your data, the more expensive it's going to cost...but not all leads are created equal."

• 6. First-Party Audiences: Retarget users from your email list, YouTube channel, or past customers—treating them differently from new prospects.

  • Ashley (16:24): "Retargeting...I really like being able to have a different message for each of those different types of people because they have different types of intent."

4. Types of YouTube Ads: Skippable vs. Non-Skippable (18:09)

• Skippable Ads: Only pay when a viewer watches a set length or clicks, not just for impressions—Ashley highlights the upside of users skipping.

  • Ashley (19:01): "I freaking love when people skip my videos on YouTube because...you're not paying for those people."

• Non-Skippable Ads: Higher engagement and view-through rates since viewers are compelled to watch all the way through, but these come at a steeper cost.

• Payment Models:

  • CPM (Cost per thousand impressions) – pays for any served impression.
  • CPV (Cost per view) – only pays if a viewer watches at least 30 seconds (or the full length if shorter), or clicks.

• Cost Effectiveness: CPVs can be less than $0.10—a highly affordable way to build video audiences and retarget.

  • Ashley (21:17): "CPVs can typically be less than 10 cents. So the question is, are you willing to pay less than 10 pennies for someone to see your ad..."

5. Real-World Example: The Veterinarian (22:15)

• Ashley shares a story of a veterinary client who ran a basic YouTube retargeting ad (cell phone video) and achieved $15 cost per lead—a great benchmark for small business owners.

  • Ashley (22:52): "She got leads from that. In fact, her cost per lead on YouTube that I saw in the last week was $15 a lead."

• Lesson: Even a simple, authentic video can perform well if targeting is sharp.

6. The Strategy Mindset: Doing It Right (24:01)

• Ashley stresses the necessity of strategic training and practice, likening it to the difference between "watching golf" and "playing golf well."

  • Ashley (25:27): "Just because you launched an ad and it did okay doesn't mean you know exactly why it worked, how it worked, or how to replicate it over time."

• Precision over Guesswork: Move beyond experimentation into deliberate precision—otherwise results may be accidental and non-repeatable.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On YouTube’s psychic-like targeting:
  "This is why YouTube ads can actually feel like you're a psychic when you do it the right way. It's like, how did you know I was looking for this?" — Ashley Brock (06:37)

• On the cost of high-quality leads vs. quantity:
  "...not all leads are created equal...so what if you can get a dollar cost per lead on a bunch of people that aren't likely to buy, but you pay $50 a lead for the high quality person, that's totally fine." — Ashley Brock (15:44)

• On loving ‘skipped’ ads:
  "I freaking love when people skip my videos on YouTube because...you're not paying for those people." — Ashley Brock (19:01)

• On the importance of doing over watching:
  "You can watch YouTube videos about golf all day and be terrible at golf. Because there is a difference between watching versus doing." — Ashley Brock (24:01)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• YouTube vs. Other Ad Platforms: 01:34
• Data-Driven Targeting Capabilities: 03:30 – 07:00
• Six Core Targeting Buckets Introduced: 08:21
• In-Market & Custom Audiences Explained: 09:18 – 12:52
• Video, Placement, & Keyword Targeting: 13:12 – 15:08
• Combination & First-Party Targeting: 15:34 – 16:49
• Types of YouTube Ads (Skippable/Non-Skippable, CPV/CPM): 18:09 – 21:17
• Veterinarian Client Story: 22:15 – 23:40
• Analogy – The Importance of Strategy: 24:01 – 25:27
• Overall Challenge/Invitation: 26:00

Final Thoughts

Ashley wraps up by encouraging listeners to move from "indecision mode to precision mode" and to consider testing YouTube’s affordable, intent-driven ad options. The episode is a call to action for small business owners to take advantage of YouTube’s underutilized yet highly effective ad platform, using real audience data rather than relying on interest-based guessing. The episode also invites listeners to join the upcoming "Win with Paid Ads Challenge" for deeper learning.

Next Episode Preview: Advertising directly for properties like AirBnB or VRBO listings.
Ashley’s Sign-Off: "Go advertise your name, make it rain, and I'll see you soon."