The short answer
To run YouTube ads for leads or sales, create a Demand Gen campaign in Google Ads. Link your YouTube channel, upload vertical and horizontal videos, choose an audience such as your customer list, website visitors, lookalike segments or custom segments, and pick a conversion-based bid strategy. Demand Gen shows ads on YouTube (including Shorts and in-stream), Discover, Gmail and the Display Network.
Before you start
By the end of this SOP
A Demand Gen campaign with video ads, the right audiences and conversion tracking.
- Time
- 45–60 minutes
- You’ll need
- A Google Ads account with conversion tracking, a YouTube channel, and at least one vertical (9:16) and one horizontal (16:9) video.
- Who does this
- The Google Ads or video ads specialist.
About this SOP: why it matters, where and when
Why it matters: YouTube reaches most Indian internet users, and Demand Gen lets you run video and image ads with conversion goals in one place.
Where: Google Ads → New campaign → Demand Gen, and YouTube Studio.
When: When Search is working and you want to reach people before they search, or to retarget visitors with video.
Stage 1
Prepare channel and videos
- 1
In Google Ads, Tools → Data manager (or Linked accounts) → YouTube → link your channel. The channel owner approves it in YouTube Studio.
- 2
Upload ads to YouTube as Unlisted: a 15–30 second vertical video for Shorts and a 15–60 second horizontal video for in-stream.
- 3
Hook in the first 5 seconds (before the Skip button), show the product or result, then a clear call to action with captions.
Stage 2
Create the Demand Gen campaign
- 1
Campaigns → New campaign → Leads or Sales → Demand Gen.
- 2
Choose the conversion goal you track (lead form, call, purchase) and Maximise conversions as bidding to start.
- 3
Budget: as a starting rule, a daily budget of at least 10× your target cost per conversion helps the campaign learn.
Stage 3
Choose audiences and ads
- 1
Ad group 1: website visitors and YouTube viewers (warm). Ad group 2: lookalike of customers or a custom segment built from search terms buyers use (cold).
- 2
Set locations and languages (English and Malayalam if your videos use both).
- 3
Create a video ad with your YouTube URLs, headline, description, logo, call to action and final URL. Add an image ad too for Discover and Gmail.
- 4
Exclude existing customers from cold ad groups.
Stage 4
Measure and improve
- 1
Wait 2–3 weeks before judging. Look at conversions and cost per conversion, plus view rate and engaged-view conversions.
- 2
Compare with Search on cost per qualified lead from your CRM, not platform conversions alone.
- 3
Refresh videos every 4–6 weeks or when view rate falls.
Practice & check
Now do it for real
Reading is not doing. Open your own account and complete this task before you move on.
Practice task (5 min)
Write a 20-second YouTube Shorts script for a local business: hook (first 3 seconds), proof, offer and call to action.
Prove it
Two questions. Get both right and this SOP is done.
Common questions
How much do YouTube ads cost in India?
Costs vary widely by audience and goal. Start small, measure cost per qualified lead and compare with your other channels.
Do I need a YouTube channel to run YouTube ads?
Yes. Video ads use videos hosted on a YouTube channel; they can be unlisted.
Should I use Demand Gen or Performance Max for YouTube?
Demand Gen gives more control over audiences and creative on YouTube; PMax mixes all channels.
Done. That’s a real skill, not a certificate.
Next: SOP 343 — Set Up Call Ads, Call Assets and Call Tracking in Google Ads →
Want to do this on real client budgets, with a mentor checking your work? That’s Level 2 at Unlearn. See the Digital Marketing track