Google introduces engaged-view conversions for YouTube advertisers
Google’s new standard for conversion measurement on YouTube could prove to be a boon for advertisers struggling to measure cross-format impact.
In a move that could potentially transform how advertisers measure video engagement on YouTube, Google, last week introduced a new non-click conversion metric – engaged-view conversions (EVC). Google says EVCs offer a more robust measurement alternative than view-through conversions (VTCs), an industry standard that measures conversions that takes place once a person has viewed an impression of an ad but hasn’t clicked.
The announcement will have advertisers heave a collective sigh of relief because measuring cross-format impact of video ads has proved to be a constant challenge. Google will position EVCs as the standard for measuring conversions for TrueView skippable in-stream ads, local campaigns, and App campaigns.
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“Our vision for the coming year is to give you more transparent reporting across both click and engaged-view conversions, aggregated and anonymously, and new configurability options for conversion measurement to make data-driven media decisions for your business,†writesOpens a new window Nicky Rettke, director of product manager at YouTube Ads.
Why Google Is Betting on Engaged-View Conversions?
Video is a customer favorite when it comes to content consumption formats – and YouTube has traditionally been a platform that advertisers have used in their digital strategies to drive brand awareness.  About 70 percent of peopleOpens a new window  say they bought a brand as a result of seeing it on YouTube. For advertisers, measuring video campaigns and conversions accurately has never been more important—or more complex—given all the different paths the consumer journey can take.
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The company stated that over the years it has found the casual impact of video ad campaigns to be undervalued when based on clicks alone. “We found that most incremental conversions come from engaged users who are given the option to skip, but choose to watch your ad,â€Â says Rettke.
According to YouTube global data 2019, over 60% of all skips on YouTube direct response in-stream video ads occur within the first 10 seconds. So, the decision to watch 10 seconds of a skippable ad could be considered user choice that signifies ‘engaged-view’. When these engaged-views result in conversions within a set amount of days, engaged-view conversions are included in the conversion report.
Google’s incremental studies also revealed the default attribution window for engaged-view conversions. The default attribution window is tailored based on consumer behavior for each campaign goal and is set to three days for TrueView for action, two days for App campaigns for Install and one day for App campaigns for engagement. EVC also enables advertisers to set attribution windows based on their customer’s behavior and campaign goals over 2021.
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The company has made some of the mentioned features available in beta and marketers interested can contact their Google representative for more information.