Look, I get it. You’re sitting there looking at your bank account, then looking at your marketing bill, and trying to figure out if the two have anything to do with each other.
You might see plenty of 'clicks' or 'impressions' on a report some agency sent you, but that doesn't pay the mortgage. What you want to know is simple: "I spent five grand this month. Which bit of that actually turned into a job?"
Most business owners think it’s a straight line. Someone sees an ad, they click it, they call you. Done.
But that’s not how people work. They’re way more annoying than that. They see your ad on Facebook while they’re on the bus. They look at your website. Then they get off at their stop and forget you exist. Two days later, they’re at home, they search your name on Google, and then they call you.
If you only look at that last Google search, you’d think your Facebook ads were a total waste of money. You might even turn them off. Then, suddenly, your phone stops ringing entirely and you’ve got no idea why.
This is why we need to talk about how we give credit to your marketing.
The 'Last Click' Trap
Most software—and most lazy marketers—uses something called 'Last Click'. It’s exactly what it sounds like. Whoever was the last person to touch the customer before they called you gets 100% of the credit.
Imagine a footy game. The half-back flanker does all the hard work, runs the length of the field, dodges three tackles, and handballs it to the full-forward who’s standing two metres from the goal. The full-forward taps it through.
In the world of 'Last Click', the full-forward is a god and the half-back flanker is useless. If you ran a footy team like that, you’d fire your whole midfield and wonder why you never get the ball near the goals anymore.
In your business, your 'midfield' might be those helpful blog posts you wrote or the brand ads people see while scrolling. They don't always get the 'goal', but they sure as hell make it possible. You need to track every sale back to the source properly, or you’re going to make some very expensive mistakes.
Why This Actually Matters for Your Wallet
I’m not telling you this so you can win a trivia night. I’m telling you this because it’s how you stop burning cash.
When you know which ads are starting the conversation and which ones are finishing it, you can spend your budget like a surgeon.
Maybe you find out that your expensive Google Ads are actually just catching people who already saw your cheaper Facebook ads. If that’s the case, you might be able to wind back the expensive stuff and still get the same number of bookings.
On the flip side, you might realise that a certain type of ad is great at finding new customers who have never heard of you, even if they don't buy right away. That’s your 'growth engine'. Without it, you’re just waiting for people to stumble across you.
The Different Ways to Slice the Pie
There are a few ways to look at this. You don't need a degree in math; you just need to pick a logic that fits your business.
1. First Click (The Introducer)
This gives all the credit to the very first time someone found you. It’s great if your main goal is just getting your name out there. But it’s risky because it ignores the fact that your website might be doing all the heavy lifting to close the deal.2. Linear (The Participation Award)
This gives equal credit to everything the customer touched. If they saw a Facebook ad, read an email, and then searched you on Google, each one gets 33% of the credit. It’s fair, but it’s a bit soft. Not every touchpoint is equally important.3. Position-Based (The 'U' Shape)
This is my personal favourite for most of our clients in Brisbane. It gives 40% of the credit to the first time they found you, 40% to the last thing they did before calling, and splits the remaining 20% among everything in the middle.It rewards the 'Introducer' and the 'Closer'. To me, that’s just common sense.
"The biggest mistake I see is business owners killing off their best lead-generation ads because they don't 'see' a direct sale in the dashboard, not realising those ads are the only reason people are searching for them in the first place."
— Michael Torres, PPC Specialist
How Long Does This Take to Set Up?
If you’re doing this yourself? Honestly, it’s a headache. You’ve got to mess around with tracking codes and Google Analytics 4, which is about as much fun as a root canal.
But for a professional team, we can usually get the basics sorted in a week or two. The real 'magic' happens after about three months. That’s when we have enough data to say, "Right, this specific campaign isn't just getting clicks—it’s actually the starting point for 50% of your new customers."
Once you have that info, you stop guessing. You can see which ads actually make money and, more importantly, which ones are just sucking your bank account dry.
The 'Gut Feel' vs. The Data
I’ve sat in plenty of pubs with blokes who swear they know where their customers come from. "It’s all word of mouth, mate."
Then we look at the data. Usually, they’re half right. Word of mouth gets them the lead, but the customer then goes and checks their website, looks at their reviews, and sees a retargeting ad on Instagram.
If your website looks like it was built in 1998, that 'word of mouth' lead is going to go somewhere else. You’ve got to make sure you don't lose customers between the click and the call because your digital presence didn't back up your reputation.
What Should You Do First?
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, don't go trying to build a complex data model tonight. Start with these three things:
1. Ask every single caller: "How did you hear about us?" It’s not perfect, but it’s a start. Just remember people have short memories. They might say 'Google' when they actually saw your van, then an ad, THEN Googled you. 2. Check your basic tracking. Make sure when someone clicks 'Call' on your website, it’s being recorded somewhere. If you aren't tracking phone calls, you aren't doing marketing; you’re just donating money to tech billionaires. 3. Look at the 'Assisted Conversions' report in Google Analytics. Even if you don't change your model, just looking at this report will show you which channels are helping out, even if they aren't getting the final credit.
Is It Worth the Cost?
Setting up proper tracking and attribution isn't free. It takes time and expertise. But let’s look at the alternative.
If you’re spending $2,000 a month on ads and 30% of that is wasted on stuff that doesn't work, you’re throwing away $7,200 a year.
I’d much rather spend a bit of money upfront to make sure every dollar I spend on ads is working as hard as I do.
The Bottom Line
Marketing isn't a mystery anymore. We have the tools to see exactly how a stranger becomes a customer. If your current agency or 'marketing guy' can't tell you which ads are starting the journey and which ones are finishing it, they’re just guessing with your money.
Stop settling for 'we got 500 clicks'. Clicks don't buy beer. Sales do.
If you want to stop the guesswork and actually see where your profit is coming from, let’s have a chat. We do this stuff every day for businesses just like yours across Brisbane.
You can reach out to us at Local Marketing Group and we'll help you sort the wheat from the chaff.