Running campaigns in Google Display & Video 360 (DV360) is only half the job — the real value comes from measuring performance and understanding what the data tells you. With DV360’s advanced reporting capabilities, marketers can access thousands of metrics, but not all of them are equally important.

In this article, we’ll break down the key DV360 metrics that truly matter when analyzing campaign success, grouped by stages of the funnel.

1. Impressions & Viewability

At the very top of the funnel, reach and visibility are critical.

• Impressions → Total number of times your ad was served.

• Viewable Impressions (vCPM) → Ads that were actually viewable (per MRC standards: 50% of pixels in view for at least 1 second for display, 2 seconds for video).

Why it matters: Large impression numbers don’t mean much if ads aren’t viewable. Always pair impressions with viewability rate to ensure your ads are seen.

2. Clicks & CTR

While not the ultimate conversion metric, clicks still provide insights into ad engagement.

• Clicks → Number of times users clicked on your ad.

• CTR (Click-Through Rate) → Clicks ÷ Impressions.

Why it matters: A low CTR might suggest weak creative or poor audience targeting. In DV360, benchmark CTRs vary by format (display < video < native).

3. Engagement Metrics

For video and rich media campaigns, user interaction goes beyond clicks.

• Video Completion Rate (VCR) → Percentage of users who watched your video to the end.

• Quartile Views → How many watched 25%, 50%, 75% of the video.

• Engagements → Interactions with rich media creatives (expands, hovers, etc.).

Why it matters: A high VCR indicates strong creative quality and audience resonance, even if CTR is low.

4. Conversion Tracking (Floodlight Activities)

Conversions are the backbone of performance measurement.

• Conversions → Number of tracked actions (purchases, sign-ups, downloads).

• CPA (Cost Per Acquisition) → Spend ÷ Conversions.

• ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) → Revenue ÷ Spend (if Floodlight revenue tracking is enabled).

Why it matters: DV360’s conversion data allows you to shift budget toward the most effective line items, creatives, and audiences.

5. Attribution & Path to Conversion

One of DV360’s strengths is tracking the user journey.

• Assisted Conversions → When an ad played a role in conversion but wasn’t the last click.

• Path to Conversion Report → Shows how different touchpoints contribute across channels.

Why it matters: Don’t undervalue upper-funnel media. Display and video often play a supporting role in conversion journeys.

6. Cost Efficiency Metrics

Beyond raw conversions, you need to understand efficiency.

• CPM (Cost Per 1,000 Impressions) → Good for evaluating awareness campaigns.

• CPC (Cost Per Click) → Helps assess engagement cost.

• CPA / CPL (Cost Per Acquisition or Lead) → Key efficiency metric for performance campaigns.

Why it matters: These metrics help identify which line items or strategies deliver the best ROI.

7. Audience Insights

DV360 reporting allows you to dive deeper into who is engaging:

• Demographics (age, gender)

• Geography (country, city, region performance)

• Device Performance (mobile vs. desktop vs. CTV)

Why it matters: Audience breakdowns help refine targeting and optimize spend allocation.

Final Thoughts

DV360 offers a wealth of data, but not every metric deserves equal attention. Focus on a core set: viewability, CTR, engagement, conversions, CPA, and attribution insights. By aligning these metrics with campaign objectives (awareness, consideration, conversion), you’ll make smarter optimizations and achieve stronger ROI.