[GTM glossary](/glossary.md) Marketing attribution model Marketing # Marketing attribution model In short A marketing attribution model is a set of rules that decides how credit for a lead, opportunity, or closed deal is split across the marketing touchpoints a buyer interacted with. It turns a messy journey of ads, emails, events, and visits into numbers you can compare. No model shows the truth. Each one is a lens that answers a different question, so teams pick the model that fits the decision they need to make, such as where to move budget or which channel starts deals. ## Common attribution models * **First touch:** All credit goes to the first interaction. It shows what creates awareness and discovery. * **Last touch:** All credit goes to the final interaction before conversion. It favors bottom-of-funnel channels such as branded search and direct visits. * **Linear:** Credit is split evenly across all touchpoints. Simple, but it treats a banner view like a demo request. * **Position-based:** Extra credit goes to the first and last touches, with the rest split across the middle. The U-shaped and W-shaped variants add weight to key milestones. * **Time decay:** Touches closer to the conversion get more credit. It suits long cycles where recent activity matters most. --- ## How to choose a model Start from the decision, not the model. If you are deciding where to invest in new demand, first-touch and self-reported answers help. If you are tuning conversion tactics, last-touch or position-based views help. Many teams report two models side by side and look at where they disagree. --- ## Example Say a buyer clicks a paid social ad, reads a blog post, attends a webinar, and then books a demo from a branded search. First touch credits paid social. Last touch credits branded search. Linear gives each of the four touches a quarter. The same deal produces four different channel reports. --- ## Common mistakes * **Trusting one model:** Report at least two views so you can see how sensitive the answer is. * **Ignoring invisible activity:** Podcasts, peer chats, and dark social rarely leave a click. Add a self-reported field on forms to capture them. * **Crediting leads instead of deals:** Tie credit to opportunities and revenue, not just form fills. * **Messy tracking:** Inconsistent campaign tagging and missing contact-to-account links break any model. --- ## Marketing attribution model FAQs **What is a marketing attribution model?** A marketing attribution model is a rule set that assigns credit for a conversion or closed deal to the marketing touchpoints a buyer interacted with. Different models, such as first touch, last touch, or linear, split that credit in different ways. **Which marketing attribution model is best for B2B?** There is no single best model. B2B cycles are long and involve many people, so teams often use a position-based or multi-touch view alongside first touch and self-reported attribution, then compare where they disagree before moving budget. **What is the difference between first-touch and last-touch attribution models?** First-touch gives all credit to the first recorded interaction, which highlights discovery channels. Last-touch gives all credit to the final interaction before conversion, which highlights closing channels. Each ignores everything in between. **Why do marketing attribution models disagree?** Each model weighs touchpoints by a different rule, and tracking has gaps such as untracked word of mouth, cross-device visits, and missing contact data. The same deals therefore produce different channel rankings under different models. Share term --- ## More related phrases * [Self-reported attribution](/glossary/self-reported-attribution.md) * [Attribution](/glossary/attribution.md) * [Closed-loop marketing](/glossary/closed-loop-marketing.md) ## Similar phrases * [First-touch attribution](/glossary/first-touch-attribution.md) First-touch attribution gives 100% of the credit for a conversion or deal to the first interaction a buyer had with your brand. * [Last-touch attribution](/glossary/last-touch-attribution.md) Last-touch attribution assigns 100% of the credit for a conversion to the final marketing touchpoint a buyer interacted with before converting. * [Multi-touch attribution](/glossary/multi-touch-attribution.md) Multi-touch attribution assigns credit for a conversion or deal across every marketing and sales touchpoint, instead of giving it all to one interaction. * [B2B marketing attribution](/glossary/b2b-marketing-attribution.md) B2B marketing attribution assigns credit for pipeline and revenue to the marketing touchpoints that influenced a buying group over a long sales cycle. * [W-shaped attribution](/glossary/w-shaped-attribution.md) W-shaped attribution is a multi-touch model that gives most credit to three milestones: first touch, lead creation, and opportunity creation, and shares the rest.