Google Aims to Dominate Another Media Staple: TV

Have you ever heard the song ‘Another One Bites the Dust’ by Queen? The 1980 hit featured a driving bass line by John Deacon and the classic vocals of Freddie Mercury. It is a song that comes to mind when pondering Google’s foray into yet another media staple they hope to soon dominate: television.

If there is any doubt as to Google’s designs on the household TV set, just take a look at YouTube. With regular YouTube users combining to view more than 150 million hours of video per day, Google understands that YouTube has a lot more potential to sell ads. And sell they will.

Search Engine Journal’s Matt Southern described what Google is up to in a piece written earlier this month (May 2018). According to Southern, Google has come up with a brand-new type of ad intended specifically to target people who watch YouTube on their TV sets. Furthermore, the search engine giant intends to roll out a new bid manager for AdWords on YouTube TV.

Still, that’s not all. Southern says Google will be introducing a new YouTube series aimed at TV viewers who are less inclined to watch traditional programming along with an ad platform they claim can reach upwards of 85% of all U.S. households.

Giving New Meaning to AdWords

So, what does all this mean for SEO specialist and content marketers? It means an entirely new way of looking at AdWords. This latest move by Google could prove to be as transformative as the decision to develop a mobile-first index.

Internet marketers will soon be tasked with developing new and specialized ads targeting the YouTube TV audience. They will have to learn new ways to bid, new ways to manage ad campaigns, and new ways to track results.

As for consumers, it looks like they will be drawn ever deeper into the confines of the Google universe as they surrender more control over what they consume online. Like it or not, Google looks poised to dominate this market just like they have every other market they have entered.

Time to Monetize Video

Google’s decision to integrate new ads into YouTube on TVs is a wake-up call to content marketers. Webtek Interactive, a Salt Lake City company that specializes in SEO services and content marketing, says that video is going to become a more important player in the months and years to come. They suggest that it’s time to start looking at new ways to monetize video.

How strong will Google’s dominance be on the household TV set? No one knows for sure, but there’s a good chance that they could eventually overpower traditional broadcast technology. Consumers are turning to streaming – and particularly to YouTube – so there’s no reason to believe that Google won’t be a controlling influence for years to come.

The Era of YouTube TV

Online marketers hoping to keep up had better be prepared to get on board with video. Web consumers are gradually growing weary of text-based content that takes too long to read and doesn’t necessarily play well with their mobile devices. They want video. Google is providing it through YouTube.

How about you? How much time do you spend watching content on YouTube? Your own video habits should give you some indication of where this market is heading. Let’s admit it: we didn’t watch much video before YouTube. Now that it’s here, YouTube is a source of both helpful information and entertainment.

You know that, your friends and family know it, and Google knows it. Get ready for the era of YouTube television. It’s here.