Why are my YouTube ads showing on kids' channels and mobile games?

When a video campaign has loose targeting and a bid strategy that values cheap views, the system finds the cheapest views available. Children's cartoons, nursery rhymes and mobile game apps often have plenty of inventory at low prices. The views are real, but they come from children or from adults tapping through to get back to a game, and they are worth nothing to a law firm in Blue Area or a car showroom in Rawalpindi.

Start with the 'where ads showed' report in Google Ads, sorted by cost. It lists channels, videos and apps. Exclude anything irrelevant, either one by one or by building a shared exclusion list you apply to every campaign. Mobile app placements are a common culprit; in many accounts it is worth excluding app categories broadly and adding back only those that prove useful.

Then use the account's content suitability settings. You can exclude content made for kids, choose an inventory type that limits sensitive or borderline content, and exclude certain content labels. Ads on content made for kids are already restricted in how they can be personalised, but excluding it removes a lot of wasted inventory for adult-focused businesses.

Finally, review the network setting. Video campaigns can run on Google video partners, which are sites and apps outside YouTube. Sometimes they perform well; often, for small local advertisers, they deliver cheap views of doubtful quality. Compare results with and without them for a fortnight and keep whichever brings more real enquiries, not more views.