One of the biggest advantages of Display & Video 360 (DV360) is its sophisticated, multi-layered audience targeting system. Unlike traditional Google Ads Display campaigns, DV360 allows advertisers to access exclusive data partnerships, first-party integrations, and custom audience creation tools — all under a single programmatic platform.
As someone managing programmatic campaigns for over 10 years, I can confirm this:
Mastering DV360’s audience targeting isn’t optional — it’s the key to efficient, profitable, and brand-safe advertising in 2025.
In this comprehensive guide, I’ll break down every audience targeting option inside DV360, when to use them, and how to optimize each layer for maximum reach and ROI.
Why Audience Targeting Matters More Than Ever in 2025
With increasing privacy regulations, cookie deprecation challenges, and fragmented consumer journeys, precise audience targeting has become the cornerstone of digital advertising strategy.
In 2025, advertisers need:
And that’s exactly where DV360’s targeting system outpaces other programmatic platforms.
Core Audience Targeting Options in DV360
DV360 offers multiple targeting layers you can combine for precision. Let’s break them down:
1. Google Audiences (Third-Party Data)
Pre-built audience segments from Google based on user intent, interest, demographics, and online behavior.
Types:
Best For:
Quick audience setups for awareness or performance campaigns when you lack first-party data.
2. First-Party Data (Your Own Audiences)
Upload or integrate your CRM data, customer lists, website visitors, or app user data into DV360 via Audience Manager.
Examples:
Best For:
High-performance remarketing, loyalty campaigns, and audience lookalike creation.
Pro Tip:
Integrate via Google Analytics 4 (GA4) or Customer Match for seamless audience sync.
3. Third-Party Data Providers
Access premium audience data through integrated third-party data partners directly in DV360’s Marketplace.
Use Cases:
Best For:
Enterprise advertisers and CTV campaigns requiring additional audience depth.
4. Custom Audiences
Build your own audience segments by combining targeting rules like keywords, URLs, apps, and location data.
Types:
Best For:
Highly personalized audience targeting tailored to specific product categories or campaign goals.
Pro Tip:
Use competitor brand names, product keywords, and category-specific URLs to capture ready-to-convert audiences.
5. Contextual Targeting
Instead of targeting users, target the context of the content where your ad appears.
Target by:
Best For:
Brand-safe placements and privacy-compliant targeting, especially valuable as third-party cookies phase out.
6. Device and Geo-Targeting
Layer your audience targeting with:
Best For:
Localized campaigns, app promotion, or device-specific product offerings.
7. Audience Combination Rules
DV360 allows you to combine multiple audience types with AND/OR/NOT logic, creating hyper-targeted audience segments.
Example:
Target in-market audience for “SUV buyers” AND people aged 30-50 AND NOT existing customers.
Best For:
Complex, high-budget campaigns where audience overlap matters.
How to Optimize Audience Targeting in DV360
· Test Audience Segments Separately
Always isolate custom, third-party, and affinity audiences in separate line items to compare performance.
· Apply Frequency Capping
Limit the number of times your ad shows to the same user to avoid fatigue and wasted impressions.
· Use Audience Insights Reports
Leverage DV360’s reporting tools to identify top-performing audience segments and scale accordingly.
· Combine First-Party + Google Audiences
Overlay your remarketing lists with in-market segments to refine your high-value user pool.
· Adjust Bids by Audience Value
Set higher CPMs for premium audiences, CTV viewers, or high-intent segments to prioritize delivery.
Final Thoughts
Audience targeting is the heart of any successful programmatic strategy — and DV360 offers one of the most flexible, privacy-conscious, and data-rich environments to manage it.
By mastering the audience layers I’ve detailed here and combining them strategically, you can:
The smartest advertisers in 2025 won’t just buy impressions — they’ll buy the right audiences, in the right context, at the right time.
Want to build high-performing, data-driven audience strategies in DV360? Let the programmatic specialists at DVAdLab manage your targeting, deal structures, and cross-channel delivery for maximum results. Contact us today.
