About attribution models for custom Floodlight columns

A custom Floodlight column is a column that you create to report on conversions tracked by a specific Floodlight activity or Floodlight activity group. An attribution model determines the method of distributing credit for a conversion among all of the activity in a conversion funnel. Learn more about attribution models in Search Ads 360.

By default, custom Floodlight columns use the last-click attribution model. That is, the columns attribute all conversion credit to the keyword responsible for the last click. If the last click was on a display ad instead, the Floodlight column will not report the conversion, even if the customer clicked on a paid search ad higher up in the funnel. 

If you want a custom Floodlight column to report some amount of credit for clicks on paid search ads higher up in the funnel, select a data-driven attribution model or an attribution model imported from Campaign Manager 360 when you create the column. For example, choosing an attribution model other than last click can give insight into the keywords that don’t directly drive performance but are part of the funnel that leads to a purchase. This type of reporting:

• Gives advertisers the justification to spend on high-funnel keywords that provide a valuable assist to conversions.

• Prevents you from accidentally pausing strong-assist keywords.

Example of attribution models and custom Floodlight columns

For example, consider this funnel:

1. A customer searches on cars, clicks on a search ad, does some research, and leaves.

2. Later, the customer searches on family cars and clicks another search ad, but is not ready to buy.

3. Finally, the customer searches for minivans and clicks on a search ad, which results in a conversion.
   You're using a Floodlight activity named Request a quote to track this conversion.

A last-click attribution model gives all credit for the conversion to the minivans keyword and ignores all of the preceding activity in the funnel. If you create a Floodlight column to report on the Request a quote activity—and if you use the last-click attribution model for the column—you'll see something like this in a keyword report that includes the Request a quote Floodlight column:

Keyword	Clicks	Request a quote
cars	1500	0
family cars	300	0
minivans	100	1

By comparison, a linear model gives equal credit for the conversion to each click on a paid search ad or display ad in the conversion path. If you use the linear model for the Request a quote Floodlight column, you'll see something like this:

Keyword	Clicks	Request a quote
cars	1500	.33
family cars	300	.33
minivans	100	.33

Each keyword receives equal credit because they were all in the conversion funnel (and because in this example, there were no clicks on display ads).

Attribution models are supported only for some Search Ads 360 features

See which types of attribution models can be used with Search Ads 360 features such as bid strategies and offline conversions. 

Ready to get started?

1. Create a data-driven attribution model in Search Ads 360 or add a pre-defined attribution model (requires agency manager or advertiser manager permissions).
2. Give Search Ads 360 time to generate the data-driven attribution model or sync the pre-defined model.
3. Create a custom Floodlight column and select an attribution model.