Google restricts TrueView video ad rotation settings to “Optimize for views” only

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If you’re running video campaigns on Google properties and have set ad rotations to Optimize for conversions or to Rotate evenly, you’ll want to take note that Google will be switching your rotation setting to Optimize for views — if it hasn’t already.

Advertisers are seeing a notice in AdWords that Optimize for views is now the only ad rotation setting available for video campaigns and that all campaigns will be automatically changed to that setting in January.

A notice in AdWords is now alerting advertisers to the change in ad rotation for TrueView campaigns.

Under campaign settings for video campaigns, Optimize for conversions and Rotate evenly options are listed as no longer supported.

Click to enlarge.

Google actually started making the switch this month, as noted on the AdWords support page about ad rotation settings: Note: To simplify ad serving and campaign management, ad rotation settings will no longer be available for video campaigns starting in December 2016. Instead, all video campaigns will be optimized for views by default.

The change is significant for performance advertisers that run video campaigns with a goal of generating conversion actions, not just views, and those who have been using Rotate evenly for A/B testing ads for outcomes other than views.

A video view is counted when a user watches 30 seconds of a video ad — or the full video if it’s shorter than 30 seconds — or engages with a video ad in some way.

About The Author

Ginny Marvin

As Third Door Media’s paid media reporter, Ginny Marvin writes about paid online marketing topics including paid search, paid social, display and retargeting for Search Engine Land and Marketing Land. With more than 15 years of marketing experience, Ginny has held both in-house and agency management positions. She provides search marketing and demand generation advice for ecommerce companies and can be found on Twitter as @ginnymarvin.