YouTube is improving its Advertising tool, allowing creators to target potential viewers by interests, not just age, gender, or location.
What’s new. Creators can now target users by interest categories such as Food & Dining. These categories are composed of aggregated, anonymous signals, including search behavior and viewing habits.
- Example: Users who frequently search for recipes and view cooking content may be grouped by food-related interest segment.
How does this work.YouTube uses patterns across Google services to find interests, then uses those signals at scale — without revealing individual user data.
Why do we care. Creators who pay to promote videos can now reach users based on what they actually care about – a change that makes promotions more efficient and competitive with traditional Google ads.
Big picture. YouTube promotions have historically been vague tools, relying heavily on demographics. Interest-based targeting brings the tool closer to full-funnel advertising and makes paid promotion more attractive:
- Growing channels trying to find their first real audience
- Established creators are introducing new formats
- Brands are using creator-led content for reach
What’s next:
- The feature is only on desktop for now
- A mobile release is expected in the future
It was first seen. This update was first spotted by Google Ads expert Georgi Zayakov who shared on LinkedIn
Bottom line. YouTube gives creators better tools to find the right viewers — not just the most viewers — and bridges the gap between creator marketing and traditional digital advertising.
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