Attribution is the question of which marketing activities deserve credit for a result, such as a sale or an enquiry. It sounds like a technical topic, but it affects everyday decisions about where to spend time and money. Understanding the basics helps you read your reports with the right amount of caution.
Why attribution is hard
People rarely buy after a single interaction. They might see a social post, search for your name a week later, read a few articles and then sign up after clicking an email. Each of these steps played a part. Deciding how much credit each one gets is not a simple matter.
Common attribution approaches
- Last click: gives all the credit to the final interaction before the result.
- First click: gives all the credit to the first interaction.
- Linear: shares credit equally across all tracked interactions.
- Position-based: gives more credit to the first and last steps, and some to the middle.
- Data-driven: uses statistical models to estimate how much each step contributed.
What attribution cannot see
Every model depends on the data it can track. It cannot see word of mouth, a conversation at an event or an ad someone noticed but did not click. Privacy choices and consent settings also limit what can be tracked. So attribution reports show part of the picture, not the whole truth.
How to use attribution sensibly
- Know which model your tools use by default.
- Compare models to see how the picture changes.
- Use attribution to spot trends, not to settle every budget debate.
- Combine it with other methods, such as controlled tests.
- Ask new customers how they heard about you.
Attribution is a useful guide as long as you remember its limits. If you would like help making sense of your own reports, the Northpeak team would be happy to walk through them with you.
