Attribution in paid ads is the method you use to decide which ad, keyword, audience, or channel gets credit for a conversion like a call, form fill, booking, or purchase.
In plain terms, attribution answers, “What caused this lead?” and the answer changes depending on the rules you pick. If you only give credit to the last click, Google Ads might look like it “won” the lead, even if the person first found you on Meta, came back through a branded search, then finally called. For Orlando and Central Florida service businesses where people compare options for a few days, that difference can swing budgets in the wrong direction.
What attribution includes in paid ads
Attribution has three moving parts: the touchpoints you count (clicks, views, calls), the window you allow (how many days after the ad interaction you still count a conversion), and the model you use (how credit is split across touchpoints). Some platforms also add “engaged view” or “view-through” credit, which can raise reported conversions even when the person did not click.
Common attribution models and what they mean
| Model | How credit is assigned | When it’s useful | What it can hide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Last click | 100% of credit goes to the final click before conversion | Direct-response offers and simple funnels | Top-of-funnel ads that created demand |
| First click | 100% of credit goes to the first recorded touchpoint | Testing what starts customer journeys | Closing interactions that actually pushed the decision |
| Linear | Credit is split evenly across touchpoints | Teams that want a simple multi-touch view | Which touchpoints mattered more than others |
| Time decay | More credit goes to touchpoints closer to the conversion | Longer consideration cycles | Early touchpoints that introduced your brand |
| Position-based | More credit goes to first and last, less to the middle | Funnels with clear discovery and close stages | Middle touchpoints that did heavy lifting |
| Data-driven | Credit is assigned using observed conversion paths and patterns | Accounts with steady conversion volume | Smaller datasets where the model has limited signal |
Inside Google Ads, attribution is applied at the conversion action level, so you can end up with different reporting depending on how each conversion is configured. Google Analytics can also show a different story because it measures sessions and channels, not only ad clicks, and it has its own attribution settings.
If you want help setting this up cleanly, our PPC management service focuses on tracking that matches how you actually sell, not just what looks good in-platform.
Why your numbers don’t match between platforms
It’s normal for Google Ads, Meta Ads, and GA4 to report different totals. They may use different attribution windows, include view-through conversions differently, deduplicate conversions differently, and handle cross-device behavior in different ways. On top of that, privacy changes (especially on iOS) can reduce what platforms can observe and connect, which often shows up as delayed, modeled, or aggregated reporting.
What we recommend for most local lead-gen businesses
For most local businesses running lead-gen ads (dentists, law firms, pest control, real estate, lawn care), we like a setup that ties ad spend to real outcomes: qualified calls, booked appointments, and form leads that turn into revenue. Practically, that usually means:
- Define conversions that represent real intent (calls over a threshold, appointment requests, quote forms, chat leads).
- Track phone leads with call reporting and a consistent lead naming system so you can match ad leads to outcomes.
- Use UTMs so GA4 can classify traffic and you can see paid vs non-paid behavior clearly.
- Import or connect offline outcomes when possible (qualified lead, booked, closed) so bidding is based on value, not noise.
If you want a quick refresher on what to watch in your reporting so you can spot misleading wins, this FAQ on SEO metrics to track still applies to paid traffic because the business goals are the same: calls, forms, bookings, and revenue.
Bottom line: attribution is not a single “right” number, it’s a set of rules. When those rules match your sales cycle and your tracking is consistent, your paid ads decisions get a lot easier and your budget stops chasing the wrong wins.
