How to Optimize DV360 Campaigns for Conversions

If you are running campaigns on Google Display & Video 360 (DV360), you already know it is one of the most powerful tools for programmatic advertising. It allows marketers to buy display, video, and connected TV inventory at scale while giving complete control over targeting, bidding, and creatives. However, many advertisers face a common challenge: getting conversions at an efficient cost.

Optimizing DV360 campaigns for conversions is not just about lowering CPMs or increasing reach; it is about driving actions that matter for your business, whether that is a purchase, lead form submission, app install, or subscription.

In this blog, we will cover everything you need to know to improve conversion performance in DV360, from setting up the right foundation to advanced optimization techniques.

What is DV360 and Why Focus on Conversions?

DV360 is part of Google Marketing Platform and is designed for advanced programmatic media buying. It allows advertisers to access premium inventory, apply granular targeting, and integrate data from multiple sources to deliver personalized ads.

While impressions and clicks are great indicators, they do not guarantee business results. Conversions are the real measure of success because they indicate how many users completed the desired action. Optimizing for conversions ensures that every advertising dollar is spent effectively.

Step 1: Set the Right Conversion Tracking

Before you can optimize for conversions, you need accurate conversion data. DV360 uses Floodlight tags to track conversions, so the first step is setting up Floodlight activities properly.

• Install Floodlight Tags on Conversion Pages: For example, if you want to track a purchase, place the Floodlight sales tag on the order confirmation page.
• Use Different Floodlight Activities for Different Goals: For instance, one for purchases and another for newsletter sign-ups.
• Test Your Tags: Use Tag Assistant or DV360’s preview feature to ensure everything fires correctly.

Pro Tip: If you are using GA4 (Google Analytics 4), integrate it with DV360 to share conversion data for better optimization.

Step 2: Choose the Right Goal in Your Campaign Settings

When creating your DV360 insertion order (IO) and line items, always select “Conversions” as your optimization goal. This tells the platform to prioritize impressions that are more likely to convert, rather than just focusing on reach or clicks.

You can also set a Target CPA (Cost Per Acquisition) or Target ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) depending on your business objective. This is critical for performance marketing because it aligns the bidding strategy with your revenue goals.

Step 3: Use Audience Targeting Smartly

The success of any campaign depends on showing ads to the right audience. In DV360, you have access to multiple audience types:

• First-party data: Your own customer lists or website visitors.
• Google audience segments: In-market audiences, affinity audiences, and demographic segments.
• Custom audiences: Build audiences based on keywords, URLs, or apps relevant to your product.

Best Practice for Conversions

• Start with remarketing lists (people who visited your site but did not convert).
• Expand using similar audiences (lookalikes).
• Layer in-market audiences for users actively researching products like yours.

For example, if you are an e-commerce store selling fitness equipment, you can target:

• People who visited your website but abandoned the cart.
• In-market audiences for “fitness gear” or “home workout equipment.”
• Similar audiences to your highest-value customers.

Step 4: Optimize Creatives for Engagement and Conversions

Your ad creatives play a huge role in driving conversions. Even the best targeting will fail if the creative does not resonate.

• Use Dynamic Creatives: DV360 allows dynamic remarketing ads, which show products users previously viewed.
• A/B Test Different Variations: Try different calls-to-action (CTAs), headlines, and images.
• Use Video Ads for Awareness and Retargeting: Video ads build trust and can be used to warm up audiences before pushing them to convert.

Example CTA for Conversions:
Instead of “Learn More,” try “Shop Now and Save 20% Today” for a clear action-oriented message.

Step 5: Leverage Automated Bidding for Conversions

DV360 offers automated bidding strategies that use machine learning to maximize conversions:

• Maximize Conversions: Great for getting as many conversions as possible within your budget.
• Target CPA: Focuses on conversions at your desired cost per acquisition.
• Target ROAS: Optimizes for conversions that bring higher revenue, not just volume.

Always give the algorithm enough data to learn. A minimum of 15–30 conversions per line item per week is ideal for optimization.

Step 6: Apply Frequency Capping

Showing ads too many times to the same user can lead to wasted spend and lower conversions. DV360 allows you to set frequency caps at the campaign, insertion order, or line-item level.

• For remarketing, 3–5 impressions per day is usually enough.
• For prospecting, you can allow slightly higher frequency to build awareness.

Step 7: Monitor and Adjust Based on Data

Continuous monitoring is key to improving performance. Look at:

• Conversion Rate (CVR): Are users completing the desired action?
• Cost Per Acquisition (CPA): Is it within your target?
• Viewability and Click-through Rate (CTR): Higher engagement usually leads to better conversions.
• Inventory Performance: Identify which exchanges or sites drive the most conversions and shift budgets accordingly.

Step 8: Integrate with Google Analytics and Other Tools

Integrating DV360 with GA4 or other analytics platforms gives you a more holistic view of the customer journey. You can see which campaigns, channels, and touchpoints contribute to conversions and adjust budgets for maximum impact.

Benefits of Optimizing DV360 for Performance Marketing

Performance marketing is all about measurable results. Every dollar spent should drive a quantifiable return, whether in sales, leads, or engagement. DV360 is an excellent tool for performance marketers because it provides:

• Advanced targeting: Ensures you reach users most likely to convert.
• Flexible bidding: Lets you control cost and efficiency.
• Detailed reporting: Gives insights into what is working and what needs improvement.
• Integration with Google stack: Makes attribution and optimization easier.

When you apply the steps we discussed, you are not just running ads—you are creating a performance-driven strategy that maximizes conversions.

Example of DV360 Optimization for an E-commerce Brand

Imagine an e-commerce brand selling home décor. Initially, their DV360 campaign was focused on impressions and clicks, which gave them high traffic but very few conversions.

Here is what they did to turn things around:

• Set up Floodlight tags for purchase and add-to-cart actions.
• Shifted bidding strategy to Target CPA at $15.
• Used remarketing lists and in-market audiences for “home décor” and “furniture.”
• Ran dynamic display ads showcasing recently viewed products.
• Applied frequency cap of 4 impressions per day.

Within 30 days, their conversion rate increased by 35% and CPA dropped by 20%.

Optimizing DV360 campaigns for conversions requires the right setup, smart targeting, strong creatives, and constant monitoring. Start by implementing proper conversion tracking, choose automated bidding, and focus on performance-based strategies. Over time, these improvements will help you reduce wasted spend and achieve a higher return on ad spend (ROAS).