A customer may interact with a business several times before making an enquiry or completing a purchase. They might first discover the company through a blog article, return through a social media advert and later search for the brand directly before converting.
Attribution helps businesses decide which marketing channel should receive credit for that conversion.
Two of the simplest attribution models are first click attribution and last click attribution. Both focus on a single stage of the customer journey, but they credit different interactions.
What is first click attribution?
First click attribution gives all the credit to the first recorded interaction someone had with a business.
For example, a potential customer might initially find a website through an organic Google search. They may then see a retargeting advert, click an email and eventually return directly to submit an enquiry.
Under a first click attribution model, organic search would receive full credit because it introduced the visitor to the business.
This model can help identify which channels are generating awareness and bringing new people into the marketing journey. It may be useful when assessing activity such as SEO (search engine optimisation), social media, display advertising or informational content.
However, it does not show what persuaded the person to take the final action.
What is last click attribution?
Last click attribution gives all the credit to the final recorded interaction before a conversion.
Using the same example, the direct website visit would receive full credit because it was the final step before the enquiry was submitted.
Last click attribution is often straightforward to understand and report. It can show which channels are effective at capturing people who are ready to act.
The limitation is that it can undervalue the earlier activity that introduced and influenced the customer. A direct visit or branded Google search may receive the credit even though a blog article, social media campaign or advert originally created the interest.
Why can attribution affect marketing decisions?
The attribution model used can change how campaign performance appears.
First click attribution may make awareness channels look stronger, while last click attribution may favour branded searches, direct visits and other interactions that happen near the end of the journey.
This is important when deciding where to invest marketing budgets. Cutting a channel because it produces few last click conversions could reduce the number of new customers entering the journey in the first place.
Equally, focusing only on first click results may overlook the activity that helps turn early interest into an enquiry or sale.
Look beyond a single interaction
Neither first click nor last click attribution provides a complete picture on its own.
Google Analytics 4 and other reporting platforms can provide additional attribution models and journey data. Customer relationship management systems can also connect website enquiries with later outcomes, including quotations, appointments and completed sales.
The aim should be to understand how different channels work together. One channel may introduce the customer, another may build trust and a third may prompt the final action.
Attribution is most useful when it supports better decisions rather than simply assigning all the credit to one click.
To better understand how your marketing channels contribute to enquiries and sales, get in touch with Engage Web. We can help form a digital marketing strategy that works perfectly for your business.
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