Last click attribution is a method of attributing a conversion or sale to the last marketing touchpoint that a user interacted with before taking the desired action. In this attribution model, all the credit for the conversion is given to the final touchpoint that directly led to the conversion, ignoring any previous touchpoints or marketing efforts.
Some key points
- Focus on the Final Interaction: Last click attribution places emphasis on the last marketing touchpoint that occurred before the conversion. It assumes that this final touchpoint was the most influential in driving the user to take action.
- Simplicity and Clarity: Last click attribution is straightforward to implement and understand since it assigns full credit to the last touchpoint. It provides a clear picture of which specific marketing channel or campaign resulted in the conversion.
- Commonly Used in E-commerce: Last click attribution is commonly used in e-commerce settings where the primary goal is to track and attribute conversions to the specific marketing source that led to the sale. It aligns with the customer behavior of often researching and comparing options before making a purchase.
- Limitations: Last click attribution has several limitations. It overlooks the impact of previous touchpoints that may have influenced the customer’s decision-making process. It does not consider the customer’s overall journey or the role of other marketing channels that contributed to the conversion. It can result in an incomplete understanding of the effectiveness of marketing efforts.
- Biased Towards Direct Response Channels: Last click attribution tends to favor direct response channels, such as search engine advertising or affiliate marketing, where the final click directly leads to the conversion. It may not give due credit to awareness-building channels such as display ads, social media, or content marketing, which contribute to the customer’s path to purchase.
- Alternative Attribution Models: In contrast to last click attribution, other attribution models consider multiple touchpoints along the customer journey. Examples include first click attribution (attributing the conversion to the initial touchpoint), linear attribution (distributing credit equally across all touchpoints), time decay attribution (giving more credit to touchpoints closer to the conversion), and position-based attribution (giving higher credit to the first and last touchpoints).
Choosing an appropriate attribution model depends on the specific goals, marketing strategies, and customer behavior of an organization. While last click attribution provides a simple and direct method to attribute conversions, it’s important to consider the limitations and explore alternative models to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the impact of marketing efforts across the customer journey.
