Digital marketing
Attribution is the question “who made the sale?”. The customer saw an Instagram ad, typed into Google, read a blog post, clicked an ad and bought. What closed the deal? One ad or the whole chain?
In brief
- Last click is Google’s default — it rewards the final channel.
- Data-driven is GA4’s default — it splits value based on the data.
- Position-based gives value to the first and last click.
- Realistic attribution analysis needs a long run of data.
The most common models
- Last click: 100 % to the final touchpoint. Simple but misleading.
- First click: 100 % to the first. Rewards demand creation.
- Linear — splits evenly across every channel.
- Time decay: later touchpoints get more.
- Position-based: 40 % to the first and last, 20 % to the middle.
- Data-driven (GA4) — the algorithm splits value based on the data.
Which is the best model?
There is no single right one. Data-driven (GA4’s default) is usually best, if you have enough data.
But for a small business with only 50–100 conversions a month, data-driven is not statistically reliable.
Practical recommendations
- Online store under 100 conversions a month: position-based
- Online store over 500 conversions a month: data-driven
- B2B with a long sales cycle — first click or position-based
- Impulse purchases — last click
Why do the models show different numbers?
The same sale value can be split across channels differently. 100 % in Google Ads, 40 % in GA4, because they use different models.
Neither is “more correct”. Use the same model consistently for every decision.
Frequently asked questions
What is GA4’s default?
Data-driven attribution. It is much better than Universal Analytics’ old last click.
Can I change the model?
You can. In GA4: Admin → Attribution settings. The change affects all historical reports.
What is attribution used for?
Splitting the budget between channels. If data-driven shows Meta gets 30 % of the value, 30 % of the budget belongs there.
Related reading
External sources:
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