Data-driven attribution
Also called DDA.
Attribution that distributes credit across the touchpoints on a path using the platform's own model of what actually made a difference, rather than a fixed rule such as last click.
Why it matters
It changes which conversions your keywords appear to have earned, and therefore what Smart Bidding optimises toward, without anything in your own data changing.
What goes wrong
It is worth separating from value modelling, because they solve different halves. Attribution decides which click gets the credit; valuation decides how much that credit is worth. Fixing one does nothing for the other, and confusing them is why some accounts keep re-solving attribution while their values stay flat.
Next to this
- Conversion actionGoogle AdsThe object in Google Ads a conversion is recorded against, with its own counting rules, attribution window and goal category.
- Match rateGoogle AdsThe share of your leads carrying something Google can join back to an ad click: a click identifier, or a usable email where enhanced conversions for leads is switched on.
The rest of this step
Measure this on your own data
The diagnostic reads a CRM export in your browser and reports your volume, your match rate and the spread between your leads against the thresholds in this glossary. Nothing is uploaded and no account is needed.