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Which attribution model should a financial adviser use?
Last reviewed 22 April 2026 · Reviewed by Jake McQuillan
Quick answer
Which attribution model should a financial adviser use?
Data-driven attribution (GA4, Google Ads) is the default for most advisers. Avoid last-click; it over-credits branded search and mis-reads pipeline. For long sales cycles, add offline-conversion uploads and a 90-day attribution window.
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Why last-click fails
Most first clicks for advice come from Meta, Google Display or YouTube. Last-click gives all credit to the final (usually branded) search, hiding the real driver.
Recommended setup
- GA4 with data-driven attribution.
- Google Ads using enhanced conversions + offline uploads.
- Meta CAPI (Conversions API) server-side.
- 90-day attribution window (adviser sales cycles are long).
What to measure
- Assisted conversions by channel.
- First-click share by campaign.
- Cost per client (weighted, not first-touch alone).
- Pipeline value by originating channel.
Budget reallocation
Channels that get 0% last-click credit often drive 30 to 50% of assists. Do not cut them without modelling.
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