What Is Attribution Modelling?
Attribution modelling determines which marketing channels deserve credit for conversions. Learn about the main models and how to choose one.
Key Takeaways
- Attribution modelling assigns credit to the marketing touchpoints that influence a conversion.
- Different models (first-touch, last-touch, linear, time-decay) distribute credit in different ways.
- No single model is perfect, but using one is far better than guessing which channels work.
What attribution modelling does
Attribution modelling is the process of assigning credit to the marketing channels and touchpoints that contribute to a customer's decision to convert. A buyer might discover your brand through a blog post, click a retargeting ad a week later, and finally convert after receiving an email. Attribution modelling determines how much credit each of those three touchpoints receives, which directly influences where you invest your marketing budget.
Common attribution models
First-touch attribution gives all credit to the initial interaction. Last-touch gives all credit to the final touchpoint before conversion. Linear attribution splits credit equally across all touchpoints. Time-decay assigns more credit to recent interactions. Position-based models give 40% to the first and last touch, splitting the remaining 20% among middle interactions. Each model tells a different story about what drives conversions.
Choosing the right model
Your choice depends on what question you are trying to answer. If you want to understand demand generation, first-touch reveals which channels introduce new prospects. If you want to optimise closing, last-touch shows what pushes people to convert. For a balanced view across the full journey, linear or time-decay models work better. Many mature marketing teams run multiple models simultaneously and compare the outputs.
Practical limitations
Attribution modelling struggles with offline interactions, cross-device journeys, and long sales cycles common in B2B. A prospect might see your billboard in Nairobi, research on their phone, and convert on a desktop weeks later. No model captures this perfectly. Treat attribution as directional guidance for budget allocation rather than precise accounting. Combine it with incrementality testing for a fuller picture of marketing effectiveness.