Google Ads Attribution Models Explained and Attribution Reports in Google Analytics

Check out our video about Google Ads Attribution Models and Attribution Reports. We talk about Attribution Modeling in Google AdWords, Attribution Search Reports, and the Attribution Model Comparison Tool in Google Analytics. Lastly, you can learn how to understand what Attribution Model is best for driving conversions in your campaigns by using the Google Analytics Conversion reports including your multi-channel funnels report, assisted conversion report, top conversion paths, time lag, and path length Google Analytics reports.

Google Ads Attribution Models Help Page: https://support.google.com/google-ads...

About attribution models:

When a customer actually completes a conversion on your website, they may have clicked on multiple advertisements from your campaigns. Sometimes, people will find your website through organic search, click on an advertisement, and go Direct to your website before they complete a conversion. So how do you attribute credit for clicks along this entire path? That's a question that has been very difficult for advertisers to answer in the past and even today. In Google AdWords, you can attribute credit to each click on the path, the first click, the last click, and even use a data-driven solution.

Google Ads Attribution Models Available:

Data-Driven Attribution Model: With Data-Drive, the credit for conversions is based on all of the data Google Ads has about your conversion path in the past. Credit is going to be distributed as optimally as possible based on the clicks that usually lead to conversions. This data-driven model is only available to advertisers with enough conversion data available in their accounts. Once you can use this model, it is the one I would recommend using.

Last Click Attribution Model: 100% of the conversion credit is given to the last-clicked ad and the keyword that triggered the advertisement. None of the other clicks along the path will receive credit for the conversion.

First Click Attribution Model: 100% of the conversion credit is given to the first-clicked ad and the keyword that triggered the advertisement. None of the clicks after the first click will get credit.

Linear Attribution Model: The credit for clicks is equal across each click on the path that leads to a conversion. If there are 5 clicks on the path, then each click will receive 20% of the credit for a conversion. If there is one click, then that click will be treated like the first-click or last-click model.

Time Decay Attribution Model: Clicks that happen closer on the path to conversion will receive more credit. Clicks that happen further on the path from the conversion, and particularly the first click, will receive the least amount of credit. "Credit is distributed using a 7-day half-life. In other words, a click 8 days before a conversion gets half as much credit as a click 1 day before a conversion."

Position-Based Attribution Model: Google AdWords will give 40% of credit to both the first- and last-clicked ads on the path and the keywords that triggered those ads. The remaining 20% will be spread equally across the other clicks throughout the path.