Breaking Down Multi-Touch Attribution (MTA): Pros, Cons, and When to Use It

Let’s face it—customers rarely buy on their first interaction. They browse, click, scroll, and maybe even abandon their carts before finally hitting "Buy Now."

So, how do you figure out which of your marketing channels deserves credit? Enter Multi-Touch Attribution (MTA), the Sherlock Holmes of marketing analytics. It tries to crack the mystery of the customer journey by spreading credit across all touch points.

But is MTA really the detective we need, or just another marketing buzzword? Let’s dive in, explore its different models, and see how it stacks up.

What is Multi-Touch Attribution?

MTA is like handing out participation trophies to every marketing channel involved in a conversion. It assumes that no single touchpoint is entirely responsible for a sale—rather, they all play a role.

Example:

• A user sees your Instagram ad (10% credit).
• Searches for your brand on Google (30% credit).
• Opens a reminder email and finally makes a purchase (60% credit).

Unlike last-click attribution, which gives all the glory to the final step, MTA offers a more balanced view of what drives conversions.

Important caveat: MTA only tracks users who have visited your website. It doesn’t account for the impact of impressions, meaning channels like display ads or video views might get underrepresented.

The Different MTA Models

Not all MTA models are created equal. Here’s a breakdown of the main ones and when to use them:

1. Linear Attribution
   • How it works: Distributes credit equally across all touch points.
   • When to use it: If all interactions are equally important in your sales funnel.
   • The catch: Over-simplifies the journey, potentially undervaluing key drivers.
2. Time Decay Attribution
   • How it works: Gives more credit to touch points closer to the conversion.
   • When to use it: Ideal for short sales cycles or time-sensitive campaigns.
   • The catch: Dismisses the importance of those first-touch interactions.
3. Position-Based Attribution (U-Shaped)
   • How it works: Assigns the most credit to the first and last touch points, with the rest shared among middle interactions.
   • When to use it: If you want to emphasise both awareness and conversion stages.
   • The catch: May undervalue those mid-funnel tactics like retargeting.
4. W-Shaped Attribution
   • How it works: Assigns equal credit to the first interaction, lead conversion point, and final conversion, with the rest divided among other touch points.
   • When to use it: Great for B2B or complex customer journeys with multiple decision stages.
   • The catch: Requires detailed tracking of the customer journey.
5. Custom Models
   • How it works: Tailored to your unique business goals, distributing credit based on specific touchpoint significance.
   • When to use it: If you’ve got the data and expertise to fine-tune your model.
   • The catch: Complex and resource-heavy to implement.

Pros of Multi-Touch Attribution

1. Holistic Insights
   MTA uncovers the full customer journey, helping you understand how channels work together to drive conversions.
2. Better Budget Allocation
   By identifying high-performing touch points, you can allocate resources more effectively and boost ROI.
3. Enhanced Optimisation
   Pinpoint which campaigns and channels perform best at each stage of the funnel for smarter campaign tweaks.

Cons of Multi-Touch Attribution

1. Excludes Impressions
   MTA tracks only users who’ve visited your site, meaning the influence of non-click-based touch points like video or display ads often goes uncredited.
2. Data Complexity
   Integrating data from multiple platforms can feel like solving a Rubik’s cube blindfolded. It’s not for the faint-hearted.
3. Model Bias
   Even with MTA, your chosen model may skew the results—whether it’s over-crediting first touches or undervaluing mid-funnel interactions.
4. Resource-Intensive
   MTA needs robust tools and expertise, which can be challenging for smaller businesses with limited resources.

How to Implement MTA

Implementing MTA requires the right tools and processes to ensure accurate data collection and analysis. Here are some popular ways to get started:

1. Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
   GA4 provides built-in support for MTA, offering a variety of attribution models, from linear to position-based. It’s a great option for businesses already using Google’s ecosystem.
2. CRM and Analytics Platforms
   Tools like HubSpot or Salesforce can integrate with MTA models to provide a unified view of customer interactions across touch points.
3. Third-Party Solutions
   Platforms like Segment Stream and Triplewhale can unify and process data from multiple sources, making MTA setup faster and more reliable for businesses without in-house expertise.

Why Server-Side Tracking is Critical for MTA

For MTA to be truly effective, server-side tracking is a must. Here’s why:

1. Improved Data Accuracy
   Client-side tracking (e.g., via browser cookies) is becoming increasingly unreliable due to ad blockers, cookie restrictions, and privacy updates. Server-side tracking collects data directly from your servers, ensuring accurate attribution without relying on fragile client-side mechanisms.
2. Cross-Device Attribution
   Customers switch between devices during their journey—starting on mobile, researching on desktop, and purchasing on a tablet. Server-side tracking links these interactions, offering a complete view of the customer journey.
3. Privacy Compliance
   With stricter data privacy regulations, server-side tracking gives you greater control over what data is collected and shared, ensuring compliance while maintaining accuracy.

Without server-side tracking, your MTA model risks gaps in data, misattribution, and under-representation of key touch points, leading to incomplete or misleading insights.

Conclusion

Multi-Touch Attribution is like piecing together a customer journey puzzle—it’s not perfect, but it’s far better than relying on last-click alone. However, MTA shouldn’t be used in isolation.

To get a complete view of your marketing effectiveness, combine it with other methods like Marketing Mix Modelling (MMM) or incrementally testing. And don’t forget: without accurate, privacy-compliant data collection through server-side tracking, even the best MTA model won’t unlock its full potential.

Ready to optimise your marketing attribution? Let’s get started!

‍