Google Adds View-Through Conversion Optimization To Demand Gen via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern

Google announced two updates to Demand Gen ahead of Google Marketing Live.

View-through conversion (VTC) optimization is now available for Demand Gen campaigns in Google Ads. This setting lets campaigns optimize toward view-through conversions on YouTube.

Google is also expanding Commerce Media Suite to support Demand Gen inventory in Google Ads. This adds Google Ads to existing Commerce Media Suite support in Display & Video 360 and Search Ads 360.

What’s New

VTC Optimization

When enabled, VTC optimization lets Demand Gen campaigns optimize toward view-through conversions on YouTube. A view-through conversion happens when a user sees an ad, doesn’t click, but later converts.

Commerce Media Suite

With the Google Ads expansion, advertisers can use retailers’ first-party catalog and conversion data to reach shoppers. Inventory covers YouTube, Discover, and Gmail.

The Performance Claim

In the announcement, Google cited Fospha’s Demand Gen and YouTube Playbook, a third-party vendor report. Fospha attributes an 18% higher share of new-customer conversions to Demand Gen versus the paid media average. Coverage spans 127 retail brands across fashion, cosmetics, and consumer goods from 2024 to 2025.

Fospha is a marketing attribution vendor with a commercial interest in measurement across advertising platforms. Google didn’t publish its own performance data alongside the announcement.

Why This Matters

VTC optimization brings Demand Gen closer to the capabilities advertisers already use on other ad platforms. For teams running Demand Gen alongside video campaigns on those platforms, the optimization setup no longer has to differ by channel.

The Commerce Media Suite expansion gives Google Ads advertisers access to retailer first-party catalog and conversion data. This adds Google Ads to existing Commerce Media Suite support in Display & Video 360 and Search Ads 360.

Since last year, Google has added Demand Gen optimization levers, including in-store sales optimization and shoppable CTV. VTC optimization and Commerce Media Suite support continue that pattern.

Looking Ahead

This announcement lands ahead of Google Marketing Live, where Google says more Demand Gen solutions will follow.