The news: Google is making it easier for advertisers to manage vertical video strategies across channels by unifying inventory in Display & Video 360 (DV360), the company announced in a blog post.

• Advertisers can now use DV360, Google’s demand-side platform (DSP), to programmatically buy vertical video inventory for both YouTube Shorts and open-web channels, such as premium publishers and streaming apps.
• Within DV360, Gemini powers buying, execution, and campaign performance measurement. The AI engine will also manage campaign frequency and optimize reach and bidding, a Google spokesperson told EMARKETER.

Previously, Google required open-web inventory to be purchased separately from YouTube Shorts inventory.

Why this matters: The DV360 update means advertisers can now identify and address inefficiencies like ad overexposure and duplicated reach, which will be clearer to find in a single platform versus navigating between multiple applications.

Vertical video is expanding across streaming, shopping and social—global ad revenues for the format are expected to reach $131 billion this year, up from $93 billion in 2025, per Owl & Co.

And while Meta and TikTok still dominate the category, DV360 now offers a clearer path to maximize performance for YouTube Shorts, which is becoming a bigger player and is expected to reach $16 billion in global revenues this year, up from $10 billion in 2025, per Owl & Co.

Recommendations for advertisers: Use DV360 as both a DSP for purchasing cross-channel inventory and a hub for coordinating vertical video strategy.

• Treat YouTube Shorts and open-web inventory as two pillars of a unified vertical video approach. Since they draw from the same budget and can now be optimized together, spending for one pillar should be decided at least partly based on performance in the other pillar.
• Eliminate inefficiencies that resulted from previous fragmentation between YouTube Shorts and open web by looking for instances of overlap in audience reach. Reduce spending for whichever inventory is driving fewer conversions.
• Monitor how Gemini optimizes spend in DV360 to see if it prioritizes some inventory over others. Defer to third-party optimization tools to verify that Gemini is making the right decisions.