Attribution is the method used to assign conversion credit to marketing interactions. Google Analytics describes both rule-based and data-driven approaches. Read a report with its model in mind before comparing the credit assigned to different channels. Source: Google Analytics: attribution models

A travel example

Imagine someone follows a social post, later clicks a newsletter and then sends an enquiry. A model that assigns credit to the final eligible interaction may report the journey differently from a model that shares credit. This is an illustrative comparison, not a measured customer journey.

Credit and cause are different questions

We recommend treating attribution as a reporting lens. To investigate whether an activity changes results, define a separate measurement or experiment with appropriate controls. A channel receiving credit in a report does not, on its own, answer what would have happened without that channel.

What to record with a report

Keep the conversion definition, model, date range and relevant reporting settings beside the results. Explain whether the outcome is an enquiry or a booking. These details help colleagues interpret a change in reported credit without mistaking it for a change in sales.

Written and updated by Travelgenix. Sources checked on 16 October 2026. Worked examples and checklists are editorial illustrations and recommendations, not customer results.