Google is facing a new problem with online. According to an investigation, the company violated its own standards regarding the distribution of video ads on third-party sites. 80% of video ads appear to not meet the standards promised.
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YouTube, a video platform owned by Google, is one of the most profitable platforms for businesses to run video ads. However, the company also offers the Google Video Partners, through which businesses can place ads on other websites and apps. It promises to place ads on high-quality publisher websites and apps that have been carefully vetted and meet Google’s quality standards. The company guarantees that ads with sound enabled will appear before the main content of the video. Companies will only pay for ads that users watch to the end without skipping, if they are brands.
But according to a study, Google is not delivering on its promises. Adalytics says it helps companies optimize ad placement for better results. It also says that about 80 percent of the time, the company violates its own standards. According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and Adalytics data, ads are often placed in small, silent videos that automatically play alongside the main content of a page. In addition, there are many websites where Google displays video ads from its clients, but these sites do not meet the monetization standards set for the Google Video Partners program.
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According to a new report from Adalytics, over 1,100 advertising campaigns from various companies were observed between 2020 and 2023, the study says. These ads have accumulated billions of impressions in total. The company worked with several advertising agencies and also analyzed data from companies that store historical internet data. Johnson & Johnson, American Express, Samsung, Sephora, Macy's, Disney+ and WSJ have not placed their ads according to the standards. Google violated its own standards for ads targeting government agencies, including Medicare and the US Army.
The WSJ has independently observed similar violations by Google, but could not confirm how common these violations. The Adalytics investigation highlights the lack of transparency in the digital advertising business. Companies are finding it difficult to verify that they are getting what they paid for from brands. As expected, many of them are frustrated and feel cheated.
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Google disagrees, however. A company spokesperson said the vast majority of video ads available for sale are served on YouTube. Additionally, “advertisers can clearly see that their ads may be served on third-party sites and how much is being spent there, and they can easily opt out.” The company also denied Adalytics’ claims.
