What is Conversion Attribution

For any A/B/n testing and optimization experiment, conversion attribution allows you to determine which variation in the experiment is most successful based on the primary objective.

The attribution engine is based on where it’s configured. The attribution engine can either attribute success to a test variation or not, depending on how that particular configuration has been set up.

If the attribution method is set to “impressions,” so that success will be credited to the last variation of your content which just “served” (i.e. was presented, displayed) to a visitor who had been previously unresponsive but “converted.”

In this formulation, the visitor’s primary objective was met.

What is Attribution Duration?

To determine how long we need to show a visitor some variation, we can look at the same task performed by an average user. The Attribution Duration is the amount of time we let pass in which conversion would count as related. That can be limited to the current session or extended to a certain period depending on your goals.

Many marketing channels work in a first-impression model, meaning visitors get to see (or click on) different variations. When setting up attribution duration for Google Analytics, opt for an amount of time that works best for you and your goals themselves.