The attribution model is the principle of distributing the value of conversion among all channels of interaction on the way to its achievement. You can see the client’s path to conversion in the Google Analytics report Main paths to conversion, but only the attribution model will help to understand the value of each channel and its role in decision-making. Let’s consider some of them:
- first-click model,
100% of the conversion value is assigned to the 1st click. It gives all credit to the first point of contact between the customer and the Marketing campaign, regardless of whether the conversion was influenced by that campaign or not. Some Marketers use this Marketing Attribution Model to show the role of their top-of-the-funnel Marketing materials in creating the initial awareness, which eventually led to a sale. Aim – brand recognition.
- linear model,
Out of the possible best Marketing Attribution Models, this type of Marketing Attribution Model gives equal credit to all the channels that the user came across in his path to conversion. For example, if the customer came across the ad on Facebook and Instagram, each will be given 50 % Marketing Attribution credit.
- time of contact moment (time-decay model),
In this Marketing Attribution Model, more weight is given to the touchpoint that the consumer interacted with closer to the conversion. Its focus is on the touchpoints at the bottom of the customer’s journey to conversion, although the touchpoints at the middle and the top are also given credit. Clicks that took place on the same day of the conversion are more valuable.
- last-click model.
In this type of Marketing Attribution Model, 100% of the conversion’s credit is given to the last ad campaign that the user interacted with, regardless of the number of interactions made by the user before conversion. Imagine a consumer saw your brand advert on Facebook, clicked it, and viewed the product page on your website. The same consumer also saw your ad on television, but they still decided not to buy the product.
By default, Google Analytics uses the last indirect interaction attribution. This is when all the value of the interaction in the channel chain is assigned to the last indirect landing. But we recommend choosing the model according to your business needs. Attribution in your account settings affects the distribution of conversions between campaigns and ads and optimization decisions. Therefore, a PPC specialist needs to choose the right model.
Keep in mind some key points:
- To properly optimize your ads, think about your account as a whole, not about each campaign.
- Google Ads conversions and attribution models provide answers to questions about the quality of your ads.
- Attribution models in Google Analytics answer questions about your site as a whole and the role of all traffic sources in sales.
Use the right attribution, it will give you the right data to effectively optimize your advertising campaigns!
