Attribution vs. incrementality: Why you need both

This article from Search Engine Land explores the critical distinction between attribution and incrementality in marketing measurement, arguing that both are essential for effective campaign and budget decisions. While attribution models assign credit to touchpoints in a customer journey, incrementality focuses on determining the true uplift in conversions that a marketing activity generates, beyond what would have happened naturally.

The core message is that attributed conversions don't automatically equate to incremental growth. A campaign might appear to drive many conversions based on an attribution model, but if those customers would have converted anyway without that specific marketing effort, the campaign wasn't truly incremental. The article suggests that understanding this difference allows marketers to avoid misallocating resources to activities that aren't actually growing their business. It highlights the importance of testing and controlled experiments to accurately measure incremental impact, rather than solely relying on last-click or multi-touch attribution models.

For SEO professionals and marketers, this distinction is crucial for demonstrating the true value of their efforts and optimizing budgets. Relying solely on attribution can lead to overvaluing certain channels or tactics that are merely present in the conversion path but not actually driving new business. By incorporating incrementality testing, marketers can identify which SEO strategies, content pieces, or link-building campaigns genuinely contribute to new customer acquisition or increased revenue. This allows for more informed decisions on where to invest time and resources, ensuring that marketing spend is directed towards activities that deliver measurable, additional business growth.