Google Ads has unveiled a new feature geared specifically towards Android app advertisers: View-Through Conversion (VTC) bidding. As someone who has navigated the trenches of entrepreneurship for over two decades, I can tell you this update is a game-changer for marketers focused on broadening their campaign strategy beyond just a “click-to-convert” mindset. This article will break it all down for you with actionable insights, a step-by-step guide to leveraging VTC bidding, and the biggest pitfalls to steer clear of.
What Is VTC Bidding and Why Does It Matter?
Let me keep things simple. VTC bidding allows advertisers to optimize campaigns for conversions that happen after an ad is viewed but not clicked. For example, a user might watch your app ad on YouTube, think about it, and install your app a few hours later , without clicking. This new method means you’re no longer limited to counting only direct clicks when measuring your campaign’s success.
Before this rollout, Google’s app campaigns emphasized direct response metrics like clicks or installs. But let’s be honest , attention spans differ, and viewers often need time to act. With this shift, Google is clearly acknowledging that views alone can influence decisions.
Real-World Application:
- You’re advertising a fitness app via YouTube video ads. Someone watches, puts their phone away, and later decides to download your app after remembering your ad during their workout. Previously, that wouldn’t have been properly tracked, but now it falls under VTC.
Who benefits from this? Primarily app developers running campaigns where visual engagement is key. Videos on platforms like YouTube or visually strong formats on Google’s Display Network are central to these campaigns.
Key Features of Google Ads’ VTC Bidding
Here’s what makes it worth paying attention to:
- Integrated in App Campaigns for Android only: At launch, this feature is available only for Android apps.
- Focuses on awareness and influence: Ideal for marketers looking to understand how ads impact behavior, even when no clicks occur.
- Compatible with popular channels: Works for YouTube ads and Google Display Network formats like AdMob.
- Scales your reach: By targeting “view” data, you can extend campaigns to broader audiences.
How You Can Use VTC in Your Marketing Stack
You don’t need to overhaul your marketing strategy. VTC gives you extra ammunition to assess broader campaign success metrics. Here's how to incorporate it into your next campaign plan:
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Evaluate which campaigns fit best
Focus on campaigns designed to build awareness. Think upper-funnel activities where visibility counts more than instant-click actions. This works well if you’re targeting new audiences unfamiliar with your app. -
Use Google’s performance tools
Enable the “view-through conversion” setting in your campaign setup. Google Ads now includes detailed explanations in their VTC support guide. -
Monitor reports strategically
Integrate VTC data into your performance tracking. Your metrics dashboard will allow you to see this alongside Click-Through Conversions (CTCs). Always compare the impact of VTC inclusions by viewing historical data.
The Big Mistakes to Avoid
When using VTC bidding, falling into a few common traps could throw off your entire strategy. Let’s avoid those:
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Ignoring the creative aspect
VTC success depends on how compelling your ad is. A flat or boring video won’t drive installs without the pull of a call-to-action. Invest in attention-grabbing videos that resonate emotionally and visually. -
Relying solely on numbers
Don’t blindly trust every view as significant. Not all impressions carry weight, so compare your VTC-driven data against engagement trends to see if the bump in installs truly aligns with your audience’s intent. -
Heavy reliance on a single platform
Just because VTC is available doesn’t mean you pour all allocated budgets into YouTube or Google Display campaigns. Smart marketers diversify across channels for well-rounded outcomes.
Why Should Entrepreneurs and Startups Care?
As someone who built bootstrapped companies and scaled startups, I firmly believe visibility in the market is more critical than ever for low-budget brands. Visual ads drive attention, but their influence is often undercounted when measured solely by clicks. VTC may tip the scales.
For example, if you're launching a gamified mindfulness app, impression-first advertising is a great tool for connecting with users who engage visually before deciding to install. You won’t lose the value of those non-click interactions anymore, which directly benefits creators experimenting with innovative products.
Tips to Get the Most Out of VTC Bidding
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Test in phases
Rather than splurging on a full-blown campaign straight away, test out VTC bidding over smaller ad groups while comparing total conversion patterns. -
Optimize for Android
Until VTC rolls out universally, capitalize on Android-focused app promotions, where the feature is already enabled. -
A/B test creatives
Test two versions of video ads by tweaking the storytelling or visual hooks and see which one better converts via VTC. Insights here can shape all future campaigns.
Final Takeaway
Google’s addition of VTC bidding acknowledges a shift in consumer behavior, making view-based influence measurable. This aligns perfectly with modern marketing, where your ad isn’t just about a single “click moment.” If you’re running app campaigns for Android, this feature lets you make better decisions based on how people discover and act on their interests.
Entrepreneurs, especially those dabbling in products that benefit from high awareness campaigns, should test this feature promptly. It may help you gain deeper insights while maximizing every marketing dollar on upper-funnel activities.
Now it’s over to you. Have you dabbled with VTC yet? If not, this is the time to start adapting and experimenting. After all, staying ahead means being where your audience’s interest begins , not where their clicks stop.
FAQ on Google Ads VTC Bidding
1. What is VTC bidding in Google Ads?
VTC, or View-Through Conversion bidding, allows advertisers to optimize campaigns for conversions that occur after a user has viewed an ad but not clicked on it. This approach measures ad impact beyond clicks, particularly useful for video and visual ad campaigns. Learn about Google Ads VTC bidding for apps
2. Which app campaigns can use VTC bidding?
As of now, VTC bidding is available only for Android app campaigns and supports ad formats on YouTube and the Google Display Network. Learn about VTC-optimized bidding
3. Why did Google introduce VTC bidding?
Google introduced VTC bidding to move beyond click-based attribution and include impression-based influence. This shift reflects consumer behavior where ads often drive conversions that are not directly clicked but remembered later. Read insights at Search Engine Land
4. What types of campaigns will benefit the most from VTC bidding?
Video-first app campaigns and those aimed at building brand awareness or engaging audiences will benefit most. This includes campaigns where visual storytelling plays a significant role, such as YouTube ads.
5. How does VTC bidding impact campaign reporting?
With VTC bidding, advertisers can monitor view-through conversions alongside traditional click-through conversions in their campaign dashboards, giving a broader picture of ad performance. Understand Google Ads reporting features
6. What should advertisers do to maximize VTC results?
To maximize results, advertisers should focus on creating visually compelling ads, use A/B testing to refine video creatives, and compare VTC data with historical performance for insights. Learn about optimizing VTC campaigns
7. What are the mistakes to avoid with VTC bidding?
Avoid ignoring ad quality, relying solely on VTC numbers without context, and heavily concentrating on single-platform performance like YouTube instead of diversifying campaigns across different channels.
8. How does VTC bidding complement upper-funnel marketing?
VTC bidding quantifies the impact of upper-funnel strategies by measuring how impressions and ad views contribute to brand awareness and conversions over time, which complements holistic marketing approaches.
9. What changes should marketers expect in their CPA benchmarks?
Marketers using VTC bidding may notice lower direct click-through conversion rates but higher overall conversions. Adjusting CPA goals to include view-through conversion data is vital for proper benchmarking.
10. Can small businesses benefit from VTC bidding?
Yes, small businesses with limited budgets can benefit by running visually engaging campaigns targeted at awareness, where VTC ensures every interaction is counted, adding value to visibility efforts.
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
Violetta Bonenkamp's expertise in CAD sector, IP protection and blockchain
Violetta Bonenkamp is recognized as a multidisciplinary expert with significant achievements in the CAD sector, intellectual property (IP) protection, and blockchain technology.
CAD Sector:
- Violetta is the CEO and co-founder of CADChain, a deep tech startup focused on developing IP management software specifically for CAD (Computer-Aided Design) data. CADChain addresses the lack of industry standards for CAD data protection and sharing, using innovative technology to secure and manage design data.
- She has led the company since its inception in 2018, overseeing R&D, PR, and business development, and driving the creation of products for platforms such as Autodesk Inventor, Blender, and SolidWorks.
- Her leadership has been instrumental in scaling CADChain from a small team to a significant player in the deeptech space, with a diverse, international team.
IP Protection:
- Violetta has built deep expertise in intellectual property, combining academic training with practical startup experience. She has taken specialized courses in IP from institutions like WIPO and the EU IPO.
- She is known for sharing actionable strategies for startup IP protection, leveraging both legal and technological approaches, and has published guides and content on this topic for the entrepreneurial community.
- Her work at CADChain directly addresses the need for robust IP protection in the engineering and design industries, integrating cybersecurity and compliance measures to safeguard digital assets.
Blockchain:
- Violetta’s entry into the blockchain sector began with the founding of CADChain, which uses blockchain as a core technology for securing and managing CAD data.
- She holds several certifications in blockchain and has participated in major hackathons and policy forums, such as the OECD Global Blockchain Policy Forum.
- Her expertise extends to applying blockchain for IP management, ensuring data integrity, traceability, and secure sharing in the CAD industry.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond, launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks and is building MELA AI to help local restaurants in Malta get more visibility online.
For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the POV of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about the best hotels in Italy to work from.