Attribution
The process of crediting marketing touchpoints with conversions or sales.
Full definition
Marketing attribution determines which channels, campaigns, or touchpoints deserve credit for a conversion. Common models include last-click (full credit to the final touchpoint), first-click (credit to the first touchpoint), linear (equal credit to all), time decay (more credit to recent touchpoints), and data-driven attribution (uses machine learning to assign fractional credit). Choosing the right model is critical because it directly influences budget allocation decisions. With privacy changes limiting cookie tracking, attribution has become increasingly complex and often relies on modelled data and server-side tracking.
Real-world example
A customer sees an Instagram ad, then a Google search ad, then clicks an email link before purchasing. Last-click attribution gives full credit to the email; linear attribution splits credit across all three.
Related terms
Tags added to URLs that let analytics tools identify the source, medium, and campaign driving traffic.
Read definitionGoogle's current analytics platform, using an event-based data model designed for cross-device and cookieless measurement.
Read definitionThe process of measuring specific user actions — purchases, sign-ups, calls — that represent business goals.
Read definitionA framework representing the stages a prospect goes through from initial awareness of a brand to becoming a customer.
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