The author’s views are entirely their own (excluding the unlikely event of hypnosis) and may not always reflect the views of Moz.
Marketing attribution is broken and everyone knows it. Yet, teams cling to last-click reporting like gospel because it’s easy to measure and sell up the chain.
Without a revenue-driven attribution model, organic channels have to fight for budget because they can’t track the journey at the top or middle of the funnel.
It’s time to change the status quo!
At MozCon, I’m taking a sledgehammer to last-click attribution and showing you why you should stop obsessing over it. I’ll also give you a better understanding of attribution that reflects how people make decisions.
Get Luke Carthy’s attibution model at MozCon London
The problem with last-click attribution
I’ve worked with enough brands to spot the same problem every time: the click that gets the credit is rarely the one that did the work.
Here’s a typical example:
When shopping for a new laptop, you start with a broad search like “best laptops 2025,” read a few buying guides, scan publisher reviews, and compare specs across a handful of sites.
Maybe you visit Apple’s site directly, click around, leave, come back later through a referral link, and finally, you Google the exact model name.
You click a paid ad, make the purchase, and just like that, paid search gets all the credit even though it’s not the whole story.
That sale was influenced by organic search, referral content, direct visits, and multiple sessions spread over days or weeks.
Last-click attribution erases everything that came before the final click and gives all the value to the closer.
The most important moments don’t happen at the end of the funnel. They occur in the middle and at the start when people are still forming opinions, comparing options, and building trust. And if you’re not tracking those touchpoints, you’re making a huge mistake.
We’ve built marketing around what’s easy to track, not metrics that measure impact
Most teams know last-click is flawed, but they keep using it because it fits inside the neat little boxes their tools and dashboards give them.
Attribution windows across platforms are completely skewed:
- Paid search gets a 14-day window
- Email gets seven
- Affiliate links get 30
- Organic search only sees the last click
Not fair!
There’s no platform or clean dashboard that tracks the full influence of organic across a multi-touch journey. The disconnect has real consequences that shape budgets, define strategy, and determine what gets prioritized.
I’ve seen teams bury content campaigns that were working because they couldn’t tie conversions directly to them.
I’ve seen SEO efforts downplayed while paid teams take credit for conversions they didn’t initiate.
The model rewards the channels that are easiest to measure, not the ones doing the work. It’s inaccurate and harmful to organic marketing.
Don’t let outdated reporting limit your strategy
Get Luke’s attribution model at MozCon London
Steal my blueprint to build a holistic attribution model
I’m not here to rant about broken models without offering a way forward. In my MozCon talk, I’ll explain how to escape the last-click trap and start measuring what drives decisions.
Here’s what you’ll learn:
- How to identify the early and mid-funnel touchpoints that shape customer intent
- Understanding how attribution changes and what that means for your strategy
- A suite of reports and tools that give you a clearer picture of multi-touch performance
- A robust way to evaluate SEO’s role in the user’s journey and finally prove its value
Okay, I lied, I’ll rant a little. But I’ll also give you the language, structure, and data to advocate for the work that moves the needle even if it doesn’t close the sale.
Why this matters now
If you’re tired of watching performance channels take all the glory, don’t miss this session.
Join me at MozCon 2025 to learn strategies for measuring marketing efforts and finally giving SEO the credit it deserves.
PS: If you’re travelling with friends for MozCon London, use this bulk discount code to get a free seat when you buy three tickets.
Discover an easier way to report SEO success at MozCon London