About attribution models in Search Ads 360

Customers may interact multiple times with the same ad or ads from the same advertiser before the final conversion action. Attribution models allow you to choose how you want to split the credit for a conversion between multiple customer interactions in a user path.

Benefits

By default, the new Search Ads 360 credits the last click immediately before a defined conversion action for that conversion and provides the Campaign Manager 360 time-decay model.

But some keywords, biddable items and other interactions may play a large role in driving conversions as well. Attribution models enable you to:

Split credit between these, which may improve your analysis of paths that rely on several interactions.
Increase bids for previously undervalued keywords and the efficiency of your advertising expenses.

Types of attribution models

Use pre-defined basic attribution models built into the new Search Ads 360, create your own data-driven attribution models or import custom attribution models from Campaign Manager 360 or Google Analytics.

Basic attribution models

Campaign Manager 360, Google Analytics and Google Ads provide a set of basic attribution models that you can add to the new Search Ads 360. Examples of these attribution models can be found here.

Models from the previous Search Ads 360 are automatically available in the new Search Ads 360. Before bidding migration, the models from the previous Search Ads 360 will be read-only.

Check the What's available tab in the experience hub to stay up to date on your available features, including bidding.

Data-driven attribution models

A data-driven attribution (DDA) model analyses real data about user interactions from your search campaign to learn how to distribute credit for conversions across all interactions in a conversion path. Learn more about data-driven attribution models.

Import custom attribution models

You can create custom attribution models in Campaign Manager 360 and Google Analytics and then import them into the new Search Ads 360. Some of the options and rules that you can specify in Campaign Manager 360 and Google Analytics are not compatible with the new Search Ads 360.

When using models imported from other sources:

Campaign Manager 360 models can only be used with Floodlight conversion actions.
Google Analytics models can only be used with Google Analytics conversion actions.
Google Ads models can only be used with Google Ads conversion actions.

If you are still using the previous Search Ads 360, review the following articles:

Use attribution models

Apply attribution models from Campaign Manager 360 or Search Ads 360

You can apply Campaign Manager 360 or Search Ads 360 attribution models to conversions recorded by Floodlight, apply Google Analytics models to conversions recorded by Google Analytics and apply Google Ads models to Google Ads conversions.

Google Analytics data-driven attribution models can be created only in Google Analytics.
Google Ads data-driven attribution models can be created only in Google Ads.

The Google Analytics Last Google Ads Click and Last Non-Direct Click attribution models cannot be added to the new Search Ads 360.

Scaled conversion data for Floodlight attribution models

The basic attribution models from Campaign Manager 360 use scaling to account for the conversion data that can't be directly measured. Learn more about how Floodlight counts conversions.

Set attribution model in conversion actions

In the new Search Ads 360, the attribution model is set in each conversion action at the sub-manager account level and optionally in individual campaigns.

If set in a campaign, the attribution model overrides the conversion action's attribution model. Learn more about overriding an attribution model.

Attribution models in your reporting columns

In the new Search Ads 360, conversions are reported in the 'All conversions' and 'Conversions' columns. If you change the attribution model in a conversion action, it only changes the way conversions are counted from that point on.

Attribution applied at the conversion action level (account and campaign level) in the new Search Ads 360 gives the advertiser more control over using the best attribution model for each conversion model and campaign. Custom columns are now part of this attribution model setup.

Note: In the custom conversion columns, you may select one of the following options for attribution:

Account and campaign-level attribution models.
Selecting a particular attribution model from a list of available models.

Selecting a particular attribution model from a list of available models is the default setting to your custom conversion column. Although this default setting is in line with the way that the previous experience worked, and any custom conversion columns that you had from the platform were copied to the new experience, this isn't compatible with certain reporting views and features. Incompatible features include using a custom conversion column on the bid strategy page or in certain segmentations such as hourly, geo or audience. You have the option to switch the attribution setting of the column if you want to use the column in account and campaign level.

Note: The first option for account and campaign-level attribution models may be different from the selected default model and there might be a reporting difference when you make this change.

While going forward, you may not want to use the default attribution model option and instead select the account and campaign-level override option. Custom conversion columns that were migrated from legacy used the default option to ensure alignment during the transition period. The utility of the alignment may disappear in time, making the account and campaign-level setting a useful option.

Attribution models and impressions

Attribution models always ignore impressions of search ads. This applies to the basic models and to custom models in the new Search Ads 360 and in Campaign Manager 360. Basic and any custom models in the new Search Ads 360 ignore impressions of display ads. However, both the same basic models and custom models in Campaign Manager 360 include these impressions, so reports in the new Search Ads 360 and Campaign Manager 360 may not match.

Total number of attribution models per advertiser

Each manager account in the new Search Ads 360 can contain up to 5 attribution models from Campaign Manager 360, 5 attribution models from Google Analytics and 5 data-driven attribution models, for a total of 15 models.

Because Google Ads attribution models can only be used with Google Ads conversion actions, they aren’t counted in the total number of attribution models allowed by the new Search Ads 360.

Remove unused attribution models

To reduce reporting lag time during heavy volumes, it's recommended that you remove any attribution models that you're no longer using.

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