Google Ads tests ‘View-Through Conversion Optimization’ for Demand Gen campaigns

Google Ads is testing a new “View-Through Conversion Optimization” feature in its Demand Gen campaigns.

What’s new. This test was spotted last week. It adds a setting allowing advertisers to include view-through conversions (VTCs) in their bidding models.

How it works. This applies to YouTube (Image + Video) traffic.

• More channels are “coming soon,” per the early beta.
• The feature could improve early-stage efficiency where clicks are scarce but influence is high.

Why we care. View-through conversions reveal what happens when people see your ad, skip the click, but come back to buy. You can turn it on early to train algorithms faster, boost brand lift, and stretch your creative dollars. This is especially important on YouTube because conversions often trail views by days or weeks.

Zoom out. The move underscores Google’s push to make Demand Gen more competitive with Meta’s Advantage+ and TikTok’s Smart Performance offerings, which both leverage impression-driven optimization signals.

What’s next. Expect broader rollout and performance data as Google fine-tunes how view-through data interacts with its automated bidding systems.

First seen. This update was first spotted by Thomas Eccel, Google Ads specialist at JvM IMPACT.