An attribution model is a rule or set of rules, that determines how credit for sales and conversions are assigned to one or more touch points in a conversion path.

ClickMagick Campaigns supports the popular attribution models listed below—including all of the advanced models provided by Google and Facebook Ads—and you can easily switch between them anytime.

  Last Click
  First Click
  Linear
  Position-Based
  Time Decay

Tracking Links support basic conversion tracking, but only the First Click and Last Click attribution models are supported. Generally speaking, you should be using Campaigns as your primary conversion tracking system.

With that being said, here’s an overview of each attribution model and how it might be used …


  Last Click (Default Model)

The Last Click model is the default attribution model in ClickMagick—and in Google and Facebook Ads, and just about every other analytics platform.

The Last Click model is exactly what it sounds like. Last click gives full credit for conversions to the last link or ad the user clicked on.

For example, if a user clicks one of your Google Ads, then a few days later, they convert on your display remarketing campaign, that display ad gets full credit for the conversion—and your Google Ad gets no credit at all.

Despite its limitations, the Last Click model has been used successfully for decades to build wildly profitable businesses online.

If you have a simple advertising strategy, especially when combined with a short buying cycle, the Last Click model may be all you need since it gives you the most accurate picture of what gets users to convert.

If you’re relatively new to online marketing, we recommend sticking with Last Click, at least for a while. There will be plenty of opportunity to experiment with the other attribution models as your business grows and your advertising and marketing become more sophisticated.


  First Click

First Click is just the opposite of Last Click. First Click gives all the credit to the first link or ad a user clicks on.

And let’s be clear, when it comes to measuring conversions, First Click is not the best model to use unless maybe you’re running just a few ads on a single ad network.

But First Click can be great for ad campaigns focused on awareness and “top of the funnel” engagement because it gives you the clearest picture of which keywords or ads were enticing enough for users to engage with.

First Click shows you that you targeted a good audience, had a compelling call to action, your keywords were on point and generated awareness …

And these are the things you probably want to focus on with brand awareness campaigns and testing top-of-the-funnel engagement.


  Linear

The Linear model is the first and simplest version of a “multi-touch” attribution model that gives credit for conversions to more than a single link or ad. The Linear model distributes credit equally to every user interaction before converting.

For example, if you run a campaign focused on driving clicks via Google, sharing blog posts or other content on social media, and remarketing via display ads, the Linear model would give equal credit to all three.

The Linear model gives you a good idea of which channels and ads or keywords work and which don’t …

But it also assumes that each interaction is equally important, which may or may not be true for your business.


  Position-Based

The Position-Based model is probably the “best” model for most businesses, most of the time.

The Position-Based model gives 40% of the credit to the first link, or ad clicked, 40% to the interaction just before the conversion, and the remaining 20% is distributed equally to any additional interactions in between.

This gives you the benefits of a multi-touch attribution model while also focusing on the two most important interactions a prospect makes with your marketing before converting—the first and the last.

This model gives a lot of weight to those links and ads that initially got a user to engage with your business, a lot of weight to the interaction that ultimately led to them converting, and a little bit of weight to any other supporting interactions in between.

This is perfect for finding the right combination of awareness and what closes the sale.


  Time Decay

The Time Decay model is a more sophisticated multi-touch attribution model. It gives more credit to actions closer to the final conversion, using an industry-standard formula based on a 7-day half-life.

For example, if a user interacts with your marketing four times—once each week over 30 days—before converting, the first interaction might get 6.75% of the credit, the following interaction would get 13.5%, the third interaction would get 27%, and the last interaction before the conversion gets 54% of the credit.

The Time Decay model is great if your campaigns and buying cycle are long and your marketing complex.

E-commerce stores probably won’t find many benefits from Time Decay modeling as sales are too quick …

But companies who require detailed education on their offering, such as multiple demos or consultations, can benefit greatly from this model as it gives some credit to each interaction, but more and more credit as a prospect moves through your funnel before converting.


 

Article 165 Last updated: 06/23/2023 11:49:33 AM
https://www.clickmagick.com/kb/?article=165