Google Merchant Center will remove the ability to select four rules-based attribution models when setting up the conversion source in 2024. The models being removed are:
- First-click.
- Linear.
- Time decay.
- Position-based.
Starting in April 2024, any conversion sources still using these models will be switched to data-driven attribution.
Marketers not wanting conversions that use data-driven attribution will be able to use the last-click model instead.
Why we care. This change will affect how marketers analyze and attribute conversions, crucial for identifying effective channels, touchpoints and strategies, enabling informed decision-making and resource allocation.
Why now? Google announced this change after confirming it was retiring these attribution models for all properties in Google Ads and Google Analytics in October 2023. A spokesperson explained that adoption rates were “increasingly low” with “fewer than 3% of conversions in Google Ads using these models.” They added:
- “Switching to the data-driven attribution model typically results in a 6% increase in conversions for advertisers.”
Get the daily newsletter search marketers rely on.
Deep dive. Read Google’s Select Attribution Settings documentation for more information on how to choose the reporting attribution model and conversion window for your property.
Contributing authors are invited to create content for Search Engine Land and are chosen for their expertise and contribution to the search community. Our contributors work under the oversight of the editorial staff and contributions are checked for quality and relevance to our readers. The opinions they express are their own.
