The Smart Marketer’s Guide to Boosting SEM Performance with YouTube Ads

As a paid search marketer working for a brand/business, you’re pouring time, budget, and creativity into your Google Ads campaigns. Your keywords are spot on and ad copy sings. 

Yet, you feel like you’re leaving something on the table, like there’s a whole slice of audience attention you haven’t quite tapped into.

Here’s the truth: Search ads win when they’re teamed up with video ads.

In today’s visually driven digital landscape, combining YouTube ads with search engine marketing (SEM) isn’t just smart; it’s essential if you want to dominate search results, build your brand, and optimize conversions.

But how exactly do you boost SEM with YouTube ads without burning budget or getting lost in the sea of cute dog videos and cooking tutorials?

You’re in the right place. In this blog, with our 13+ years of experience in the SEM sphere, we at Mavlers will walk through exactly how YouTube advertising for search marketing can give your SEM performance the lift it deserves, backed by real strategies, not just vague advice.

Let’s get into it.

Why YouTube ads and SEM are the power couple you didn’t know you needed

First, let’s talk about why this duo works so well together.

YouTube isn’t just a video-sharing site anymore; it’s the second-largest search engine after Google itself. That means people aren’t just watching videos; they’re actively searching for solutions, ideas, and inspiration, just like they do on Google Search.

When you smartly integrate YouTube ads for SEM, you can:

• Increase brand awareness: Warm up audiences before they even start searching.

• Retarget and remind: Keep your brand top of mind with users who have already visited your site.

• Drive branded search: Spark curiosity and drive more people to type your brand name straight into Google.

The bottom line?

Digital video advertising is no longer optional. It’s the secret sauce that makes your search campaigns taste (and perform) even better.

5 game-changing ways to use YouTube ads to boost your SEM results

Alright, now that you’re sold on the why, let’s move on to the how, an insight into the real tactics that work.

1. Capture attention at the top of the funnel

YouTube is the playground for users in research mode, those early-stage prospects who don’t know they need you yet.

By creating educational, engaging, and problem-solving video content, you gently introduce your brand before users even consider searching for it on Google.

We recommend using skippable ads, also known as TrueView ads. You only pay when someone watches for at least 30 seconds, meaning you’re spending money only on genuinely interested viewers.

This is especially powerful given the rise of online video advertising trends, where users prefer to discover brands through bite-sized, value-packed videos instead of hard sales pitches.

2. Tap into custom intent audiences

Want to go straight for the good stuff?

Custom intent audiences let you target users who have recently searched for keywords related to your product or service.

Here’s how to crush it:

• Build custom intent audiences inside Google Ads based on your most valuable search terms.

• Serve YouTube video ads that directly address those users’ pain points.

This approach is a beautiful confluence of YouTube ads, SEM strategy, and smart keyword targeting, meeting users exactly where they are in their decision-making journey.

3. Retarget website visitors with video magic

Ever had a user visit your website, poke around… and then disappear forever? Painful, right?

Source

Retargeting with YouTube Ads gives you a second (or third) chance to win them over, and it’s way more engaging than a static display banner.

Here are some Mavlers’ recommended best practices:

• Create retargeting lists inside Google Ads based on the specific pages users visited.

• Then, craft personalized video content that reminds them why your brand is the answer.

This move is crucial in today’s digital video advertising market, where consumers often require multiple touchpoints before making a conversion.

4. Promote special offers to drive conversions

Got upcoming limited-time deals? Flash sales? Exclusive discounts?

Consider using YouTube ads to shout about them. Visual storytelling is insanely effective when you want users to act fast. Plus, when your audience then searches for your brand on Google, seeing consistent messaging across platforms (SEM + video) massively boosts trust.

Here’s a pro tip: create a strong Call-To-Action (CTA) that directs viewers straight to a landing page optimized for conversion.

Consistency is key here; reinforce the same promotions in your search ads and your video campaigns to create a cohesive, high-impact customer journey.

5. Analyze, measure, and optimize (relentlessly)

Finally, let’s talk measurement, because great marketing is 50% creativity, 50% cold, hard data.

Here are the key metrics to track the impact of YouTube ads on SEM:

• Branded search volume lift (Are more people Googling your brand after seeing your videos?)

• Click-through rate (CTR) improvements on your SEM campaigns

• Conversion rate lifts across your SEM landing pages

• Deeper customer journey insights via Google Analytics

Please remember, OTT video advertising and YouTube ads may not always get the last-click credit, but they absolutely influence buying behavior. Stay patient, measure holistically, and optimize ruthlessly.

Crafting YouTube ads that actually move the needle

Not all video ads are created equal. If you want your YouTube advertising for search marketing to truly deliver, here’s the cheat sheet:

• Hook them FAST: You’ve got about 5 seconds before most users skip, make it count.

• Highlight your USPs: Don’t waste time, quickly show how your product solves real-world problems.

• End with a clear CTA: Tell people exactly what to do next, such as visiting your website, checking out your deal, or signing up.

The most successful brands today are staying ahead of video advertising trends by creating snackable, actionable content that feels less like an ad and more like a valuable discovery.

The road ahead

If you need a ready reference on how to plug Google Ads into your BigCommerce store, we recommend reading ~ How to Plug Google Ads Into BigCommerce: A Step-by-Step Guide.