Question

I’m running TrueView discovery ads, and while impressions are high, engagement is almost zero. The thumbnail and title are optimized. Could there be an issue with how users are landing on the video page?

Answer 1

Many advertisers have seen TrueView Discovery performance decline sharply in recent years, and here's why:

1. Shift Toward Shorts & In-Feed Ads

   • YouTube’s algorithm and user behavior have shifted massively toward Shorts and in-stream content.

   • Discovery ads (which show up in search results and “related” areas) are getting less visibility and fewer placements.

2. Reduced Inventory

   • Google appears to be reducing Discovery ad real estate in favor of Performance Max and YouTube Shorts placements.

   • Result: Fewer impressions, higher costs, lower engagement.

3. Thumbnails Still Matter — But Not Enough

   • A strong thumbnail helps, but Discovery click-through rates have dropped platform-wide as users scroll faster and Google tightens its inventory.

Run Discovery,

Only if:

• You're in a very specific niche where search intent still exists (e.g., tutorials, how-to content).

• You’re retargeting people already familiar with your brand.

• You're pairing Discovery with exact-match video titles that align with your keywords.

Otherwise:

• Shift your budget toward:

  • In-Feed video ads

  • YouTube In-Stream (skippable) ads with strong hooks

  • Performance Max (which pulls video into multi-channel placements)

Recommendations:

Issue	What to Try
Discovery under-delivering	Pause and test In-Feed or In-Stream instead
Still want Discovery	Narrow your targeting + align title/thumbnail with popular search queries
Want reach	Use YouTube Shorts ad inventory or Smart Campaigns with video