What You Need to Know About Data-Driven Attribution as the New Google Ads Default

No one individual understands the nuances of every platform

like the back of their hand when it comes to PPC.

I’ll admit that, as a seasoned Google Ads veteran, attribution models were my weak spot—until lately.

Google has roiled the waters once more by making modifications to

the default attribution models across accounts.

This was the impetus I needed to go beyond the basics of attribution modelling.

So I undertook the grunt work of studying Google’s

recent update to address all of your queries, such as:

What is new in Google Ads attribution modelling?

Continue reading to find out!

Data-driven attribution modelling is the new default

On September 27, Google stated that the default attribution methodology

For all-new conversion activities in Google Ads would be changed from last-click

Attribution to data-driven attribution (DDA).

Furthermore, it is eliminating all previously necessary data minimums for

DDA attribution modelling and expanding its availability to include in-app and offline conversions.

A brief refresher on attribution models

To properly comprehend this update,

you should have a good foundation in attribution modelling.

Attribution models assist you in correctly crediting activities

That lead to a conversion, therefore removing some of the conversion

Tracking stumbling blocks that marketers encounter.

When someone converts, they may have engaged

with a variety of advertising up until that moment.

To meet your business needs, the various attribution models credit

Each of those times differently.

There are six types of attribution models:

Last click: attributes a conversion to the final ad and associated keyword

That a user clicked on before converting.

The very first ad (and associated keyword) that a user sees is credited with a conversion.

Linear: Distributes credit for a conversion evenly across all encounters in a customer’s route.

Time-decay attributes a conversion to ad interactions that occurred closer to the conversion.

Position-based conversions attribute 40% of a conversion to

The first and final clicks, and 20% to the remaining interactions.

Data-driven: each conversion is credited differently.

Since it examines a plethora of various data signals that comprise each conversion activity.

While the previous five attribution models are “rules-based,”

DDA uses past data from your account to allocate credit for conversion across

Interactions that may have varying weights

or implications on the overall bottom line.

More details on DDA as the default

Here are a few of the finer points to be aware of about this announcement.

The change is designed to “future-proof” conversion tracking for all

Google stated in its release that “as the market evolves,

last-click attribution will progressively fall short of advertisers’ needs.”

These modifications will make correct conversion credits available to

all sorts of organizations while protecting user privacy.

You may not see the change right away

While Google did not offer an exact date, the shift to DDA as

The default for new conversion activities will begin in October and will be

Phased in over the next few months.

As a result, you may not notice the change in your account straight away.

There may be changes to your existing conversion actions

In the same post, Ginny stated that Google will transition current last-click

attribution activities to DDA “for many advertisers.”

It’s unclear what “how many” implies, but you’ll be alerted “with plenty of notice”

And given the option to opt-out if you want to continue using last-click attribution modelling.

How does DDA compare to last-click attribution?

Because the old default was last-click and the new is DDA,

I thought it would be useful to show you how the two compare and contrast.

There are two primary approaches:

Data-driven attribution can provide more holistic data

In certain respects, DDA can provide a more comprehensive view of your conversion routes.

This will let your account’s underdogs shine.

Remember that even if the final click from those assets did not result in a conversion,

their interactions will indicate that they accomplished something for you.

The last click, on the other hand, is more strict,

Allowing only the ad that brought in the last click to wear the conversion crown.

DDA is less black and white

Second, last click (and initial click) attribution only reports on full conversions.

These can be more easily understood when assessing your advertising ROI.

Meanwhile, DDA will include ad interactions as conversion activities

Even if they do not immediately result in a completed transaction.

A DDA conversion, for example, maybe represented as

1.5 conversions in the conversions column, but the last click conversion

Would only be considered one conversion.

The preceding statement emphasizes the fact that

DDA Examines multiple previous data

points to determine when a contact is truly relevant.

Last click reporting, on the other hand, is black and white.

More questions

When it comes to attribution modelling, even the most experienced

PPC specialists may  caught up.

I’m sure there are a lot of concerns that have arisen as a result of this move,

So let’s answer a few of them:

Do I have to use DDA for new conversion actions?

No. Even though DDA will be the default attribution model for all new conversion activities,

You can manually switch to any of the other five attribution models if you want.

What about my existing conversion actions?

While Google stated that DDR will be the default for new conversion actions,

It also stated that it will be converting current conversion actions to DDA for “many advertisers.”

As previously said, it is unknown whose accounts are affected,

But it will occur in the next months and you will be notified.

How do I opt out of Google changing my existing conversion actions to DDA?

If Google decides to convert your existing conversion activities to DDA,

You will receive several notifications informing you that your actions  going to be converted to DDA.

You will be able to opt-out of such alerts.

How do I know what attribution model I’m currently using?

It’s simple!

Simply choose conversions under measurement in the platform’s tools and settings.

Once there, be sure to modify your columns to incorporate the attribution model.

Because attribution models differ from action to action, you’ll get a breakdown of which actions are on which model.

How do I change my current attribution model?

Within the same area, you can also alter the attribution models for your activities at any moment.

Again, under tools and settings, select measurement and then conversions.

When you get there, click on any individual conversion activity to

Get a drop-down menu where you may modify its attribution model.

What about accounts with a low volume of data?

Remember those data constraints  placed in place for some automatic features in
Google Ads so that the machine learning has something to work with.

Julie Bacchini raises an excellent point: if DDA previously had a minimum

Data required threshold for machine learning to function well, how can we
Be certain that it would perform well for accounts below that barrier?

As Ginny points out in her response, Google has updated its
DDA modelling to be able to pick up faster with less data, allowing it to accommodate lower-data accounts.

However, there have been no case studies to back this up.

Conclusion

It is entirely up to you whether you choose one model over the other as your default model.

It is dependent on your own advertising goals, as well as your conversion

monitoring setup and what makes sense to report on for your firm.

DDA is the way to go if you want Google to assist you to decide whether or

not specific interactions aided you in the conversion game.

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