AnalyticsTerm

Attribution

attribution · attribution model · conversion attribution

Attribution is the distribution of credit for a conversion between the channels that affected it. It depends on the model which channel the lead will “receive” in the report.

Attribution is the distribution of credit for a conversion between the channels that affected it. The client saw an advertisement on VK, came from a search a week later, and bought after the letter. Who brought the sale? The answer depends on the attribution model.

Basic models: last-click (all credit goes to the last touch), first-click (to the first), linear (equally to everyone), data-driven (the algorithm counts the contribution of everyone). Last-click is the most common and the most deceptive: it underestimates the top of the funnel and forces you to cut the channels that actually trigger interest.

After restrictions on third-party cookies, accurate attribution has become more difficult - this is a separate article. My practical approach: do not look for the “only true” model, but look at several at once and do not make decisions based on one last-click.

Frequently asked questions about Attribution

What is attribution?+

Attribution is a model for distributing “credit” for conversion between different points of contact between the client and the brand. If a person saw an advertisement in VK, then searched in Yandex, then went through the contextual one - which of these channels “brought” the sale?

What attribution models are there?+

The main ones: last-click (all credit goes to the last channel), first-click (first), linear (evenly), time-decay (more - closer to conversion), position-based (more - to the first and last), data-driven (algorithmic based on real data).

Which attribution model is better?+

For performance channels and e-com - data-driven (GA4) or time-decay. For content and brand channels, last-click is unfair - it gives everything to the “closing” channel. There is no universal model; it is selected according to the product.

What is end-to-end analytics and why is it needed?+

End-to-end - linking advertising costs with real sales in CRM (including offline). Without it, correct attribution is impossible: you see a click in an ad, but you don’t know whether this person paid. Services: Calltouch, Roistat.

Where is it understood in practice?

Attribution after the death of cookies: 3 working models in Russia 2026

14 min reading

Call tracking in 2026: how to connect and link calls with advertising

9 min reading

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