Ever feel like you’re doing everything — ads, blogs, emails, social — and still can’t tell what’s actually moving the needle?
That’s where attribution comes in.
Attribution just means figuring out which part of your marketing gets the credit for a sale or a lead.
People rarely see something once and buy. More likely, they’ll scroll past your ad on Instagram, click a blog post a few days later, then finally buy after reading your email. So... who gets credit?
That’s what attribution models help you figure out.
1. First Click Attribution
This model gives all the credit to the first thing someone interacted with.
Let’s say someone finds you through a Google ad, then later buys after reading your email. Even though the email closed the deal, the ad gets all the credit.
Good if you want to know what’s bringing in new people in the first place.
2. Last Click Attribution
Opposite of first click. Here, the last interaction gets all the credit.
So if someone found you through an Instagram post but bought after clicking your email — the email gets full credit.
This model is useful if you care most about what pushes people to take action.
3. Linear Attribution
Every step in the journey gets equal credit.
If someone saw an ad, read a blog, and clicked an email — each of those gets one-third of the credit.
This is helpful if you want to see how all your channels work together.
4. Time Decay Attribution
This model gives more credit to recent actions and less to the earlier ones.
So, if it takes a few weeks for someone to convert, the things they interacted with toward the end of the journey will count more.
Useful when your sales cycle isn’t instant.
5. Position-Based (U-Shaped) Attribution
This one splits credit mostly between the first and last touchpoints.
Usually: 40% to the first click, 40% to the last click, and the remaining 20% spread across the middle stuff.
It's a good middle ground — giving weight to how people find you and what finally makes them act.
6. Data-Driven Attribution
(Feel free to skip this one if you're avoiding AI.)
This model uses machine learning to figure out which interactions matter most, based on real conversion data.
It’s smart — but only works well if you’ve got lots of data. And yeah, it’s AI-driven.
How to Actually See What’s Working
Now that you know the models, here’s how you put this into practice:
- Set clear goals. Know what counts as a “win” — is it a sale, a sign-up, a download?
- Use UTM tags. Tag your links so you can see where traffic is really coming from.
- Connect your tools. If you're using platforms like Google Analytics, Facebook, or email tools — make sure they talk to each other.
- Compare models. One model won’t give you the full story. Look at a few side-by-side.
- Look past just conversions. Some channels build trust, even if they don’t close the sale directly.
Final Thought
Attribution isn’t about finding one magic channel. It’s about understanding how all the pieces — ads, content, email, social — work together.
Once you see the full picture, you stop guessing and start spending smarter.
Leave a Comment