YouTube introduces 'Website Visits' goal for paid promotions

YouTube has rolled out a new feature designed to help content creators and brands drive traffic directly to their websites via paid promotions. The new 'Website Visits' goal, integrated within YouTube Studio’s campaign options, provides a simpler way for channel managers to increase website traffic through video promotions.

This addition is aimed at streamlining the process for smaller-scale campaigns, offering a more direct route to boost engagement on external platforms. Unlike the more advanced tools available in Google Ads, the 'Website Visits' goal allows creators to focus on basic promotional needs without requiring in-depth marketing expertise.

Essam El-Dardiry, Group Product Manager, YouTube Ads Experiences said in an official post, "It’s easier than ever to find your ideal audience and turn video views into site visitors. Right from YouTube, use promotions to meet your growth goals. Provide a few quick inputs like country and language targeting, and you can get your ad up and running. Over time, you can start getting results and track the site visits that you’re generating on the promotions tab in YouTube Studio.”

With this update, the platform offers an easier way to measure the impact of ad campaigns on web traffic, making it a valuable option for those who want to maximise their promotional efforts. Site visits can now be tracked directly in YouTube Studio, allowing content creators to monitor results and adjust strategies accordingly.

YouTube also clarified that the 'Website Visits' goal applies to ads shown across multiple formats, including Shorts, the main feed, and skippable in-stream ads. These videos will be labelled as 'Sponsored' to distinguish them from organic content. However, the platform emphasised that any subscribers or watch time gained from these paid promotions will not count toward YouTube Partner Program eligibility.

For creators looking for more advanced campaign management tools, Google continues to recommend its Google Ads platform. But for those focused on smaller-scale, straightforward promotions aimed at driving traffic from YouTube, the new feature offers a practical and accessible alternative.

This new goal aligns with the platform’s broader efforts to support content creators in monetizing their channels and expanding their reach through paid advertising. As brands and creators seek to capitalise on the platform’s vast user base, tools like the 'Website Visits' goal are poised to offer new opportunities for growth and engagement. 

This feature marks a strategic addition to YouTube’s promotional toolkit, especially for businesses and content creators seeking to drive measurable traffic to their websites with minimal complexity.