It's expected that the number and value of conversions reported by a data-driven attribution model will be different from conversion data reported by a last-click attribution model. For example, when you use a data-driven attribution model in a report, you might see something like this:
The following list summarizes the reasons that the two models may report different conversion data:
- Upper funnel search interactions: For conversion paths that include clicks on multiple search ads, data-driven attribution may spread conversion credit across all of the search ads in the path. Last click attribution only assigns credit to the last search ad in the path.
- Display advertising: If your Search Ads 360 advertiser is associated with a Campaign Manager 360 or Display & Video 360 advertiser, data-driven attribution may spread conversion credit across both display and search channels for conversion paths that include clicks on both display and search ads. Depending on which channel generated the last click, data-driven attribution may report more credit or less credit than last click attribution.
- Natural Search reporting: If you use Search Ads 360 Natural Search reporting and you have chosen equal attribution for natural search, data-driven attribution may spread conversion credit across both natural search and paid search channels for conversion paths that include clicks on both natural and paid search results. Depending on which channel generated the last click, data-driven attribution may report more credit or less credit than last click attribution.
- Shared Floodlight configuration: If your Search Ads 360 advertiser is in a shared Floodlight configuration that includes other Search Ads 360 advertisers, data-driven attribution may spread conversion credit across multiple search advertisers for conversion paths that include clicks on search ads from multiple advertisers.
- Time range of a report: Data-driven attribution models do not show conversions for the current day, while last-click attribute does include conversions from the current day. If you set a report's time range to include today, a reporting column that uses last-click attribution may report more conversions than data-driven attribution.
Search Ads 360 reports don't show how much credit a data-driven attribution model attributes to the display or natural search channels, but a Path to Conversion report in Campaign Manager 360 can show the distribution of credit across display, natural search, and paid search channels.