Understanding Attribution Management

Each of the bidding techniques we examined set bids based on the conversion rate of a keyword or ad group. AdWords conversion tracker only applies a conversion value to the last keyword, ad group, ad copy, and landing page clicked from your AdWords account.

For example, if someone clicked on your ad yesterday for the keyword “MP3 player,” looked at your website, but did not convert, and then that same user saw your ad today for the keyword “16GB iPod touch,” clicked it, and then converted on your website, what metrics would show in your AdWords account?

Both keywords would show that they received a click and incurred costs. However, only the last keyword clicked, “16GB iPod touch,” would show a conversion in your AdWords account. Each time a user clicks on your ad, Google overwrites the conversion tracking code cookie. Therefore, Google AdWords conversion tracker is known as a last keyword clicked attribution management system.