Conversion Optimization | Web Analytics

Is The Performance Of Your Campaigns Really That Bad Or Is It Just The Wrong Attribution Model?

Your social media campaign is not generating any conversions and you are faced with the question: to pause or not to pause? Before you label your campaign as unsuccessful, you should check the attribution model: Perhaps this campaign has contributed significantly to the success of another campaign and achieved a assisted conversion. We’ll show you how to view assisted conversions, how to compare attribution models and what conclusions you can draw for your campaign.

Attribution Models

Below are some of the most commonly used attribution models to help you understand the differences and what they mean:

  • Last Click: The entire value of the conversion is attributed to the last clicked ad and, in search campaigns, to the corresponding keyword.
  • First Click: The entire value of the conversion is attributed to the first clicked ad and in search campaigns to the corresponding keyword.
  • Linear: The value of the conversion is distributed evenly across all ad interactions along the customer journey.
  • Position-based: A percentage of the value is attributed to the first ad interaction, the last ad interaction, and the other ad interactions in the conversion path.
  • Data-driven: The conversion value is distributed based on the previous data for the particular conversion action. This means that the actual value of each interaction in the conversion path is calculated here based on the data already obtained in the account.

Which Attribution Model Is Recommended?

Depending on the knowledge you want to gain from the data analysis, the recommended attribution model also differs. A linear attribution model shows you whether a particular campaign or channel was involved in a conversion in any way. The first-click model, on the other hand, shows you how successful campaigns designed for a user’s first interaction with the website were. So, there’s no blanket answer to which attribution model is best.

Where Do I Set The Attribution Model?

While on the advertising platforms such as Google Ads you can set the attribution model manually (Settings => Measurement => Attribution), in Google Analytics the attribution model cannot be set permanently – but, and this is much more important – you can compare the models. To do this, navigate to Conversions in the left navigation bar, click on Multi-Channel Funnels and then on the Model Comparison Tool. Here you can quickly and easily compare up to three attribution models.

Evaluate Assisted Conversions 

You can find the “Assisted Conversions” report in Google Analytics under Conversions => Multi Channel Funnels => Assisted Conversions. There are three sections in this report. The Assisted Interactions Report shows all conversions where a channel or campaign was responsible for an interaction other than the last click. In contrast, the First Interaction Report shows all conversions where a channel or campaign was the first interaction of a user. Finally, the Conversions Report shows all conversions where a channel or campaign was responsible for the last click or direct conversion.

How Common Is It For Users To Buy Only On The Second Contact

Depending on the nature of your business, the complexity of your products, and the advertising formats you use, it’s more or less common for a user to visit your website several times before making a conversion. With display advertising, for example, the number of visits without a conversion is high. However, this is often because users are seeing your brand for the first time and want to get an idea of your website first. If necessary, they visit your website another time to do dig deeper and eventually buy your product.

Similarly, if you are trying to buy a car online. This is a much more expensive purchase than a book and so potential customers also spend a correspondingly greater amount of time researching before ultimately buying. The type of conversion also plays a big role. For example, subscribing to a newsletter costs the user nothing and is very simple, as they only provide their email address. Buying, especially large devices, is much more time-consuming for the customer and is likely to be done only after several website visits.

Conclusion

Assisted conversions reports allow you to uncover the hidden value of campaigns. They show not only which campaign was the last interaction point before conversion, but also the initial awareness and subsequent interaction points that contributed to the sale, lead generation, or other conversion. Also, use the model comparison tool to show how important your campaign was in the conversion funnel.

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