Before getting on my soapbox and telling you why you should start using a data driven multi-touch attribution model, let me first start by saying Last Click Attribution is not inherently bad. In fact, there are many cases where a Last Click Attribution model can help inform where you should be spending dollars to achieve certain marketing goals/KPIs. However, there are even more cases that using a Last Click Attribution Model is bottlenecking your performance and lying to you. Now, let’s set the stage for when not to use it.
Last click attribution is far and away the most commonly used attribution model. It is also the most traditional and simple attribution model. In a Last Click Attribution Model, all of the conversion’s credit will be given to the last touchpoint before the conversion is completed. In other words, if somebody visits your site 5 times through 5 different marketing channels, whichever was most recent will receive 100% of the credit.
By default, Google Ads uses a last touch attribution model for all of your campaigns. Without knowing where to go, it can be tough to figure out how to move off of Last Click attribution in Google Ads. That is why many campaigns may be using this attribution model type without you even realizing it.
In short, Last Click Attribution is hiding information from you and that is affecting your performance. Let’s look at a few examples of how last click attribution does not show you the whole story of your marketing performance.
There will never be a single attribution model that will answer all of your questions. However, by adopting a data driven, multi-touch attribution model you are ensuring you are looking at every touchpoint along the consumers’ journeys and can allocate budget accordingly.
With DemandJump’s robust attribution solution, you can compare every single-touch and multi-touch attribution model side by side to understand the nuanced differences between them. We have even included our own data driven attribution model that uses advanced probability algorithms to understand what channels should be receiving what amount of credit. Want to see it in action? Get a demo or free assessment today!