The Attribution Confidence Paradox
“More attribution data hasn’t led to more confidence—it’s created analysis paralysis.”
The typical e-commerce brand now tracks attribution through platform reporting, GA4, third-party MTA vendors, and “how did you hear about us” surveys. Each shows different numbers. Each has its own methodology. Reconciling them is nearly impossible.
I joined Brad Redding and Jacob Rokeach on the Conversion Tracking Playbook podcast to unpack why brands have more attribution tools than ever but less confidence in their marketing spend.
Last-Click Attribution Theater
Brands stuck on last-click attribution watch branded search take all the credit while Meta campaigns look underwater. Classic attribution theater.
Here’s what happens: A customer sees your Meta ad, clicks through, browses, leaves. Later they Google your brand name, click the paid result, and buy. Last-click gives 100% credit to branded search.
But branded search didn’t create that demand. Meta did. The attribution is technically correct but strategically misleading. You cut Meta spend, branded search drops, and you don’t understand why.
The Elevar Data Goldmine
Yet right there in Elevar data sits a goldmine. Their funnel data stream captures conversions and key events with server-side deterministic identity resolution—the most accurate reflection of actual marketing performance.
Having analyzed Elevar data across many 8-9 figure brands, the attribution insights are impressive. But most brands ignore this and pay thousands for black-box solutions that create more data silos and vendor lock-in.
Elevar’s approach captures the full journey with proper identity resolution—not probabilistic modeling, not platform-biased reporting. It’s first-party data you own and can verify.
SourceMedium + Elevar MTA Integration
Working closely with Elevar data, we saw the opportunity immediately: build transparent multi-touch attribution on top of their rock-solid dataset.
If you’re running Elevar tracking, you already have everything needed for proper attribution:
- Server-side events with deterministic identity
- Full funnel visibility from page views to purchases
- First-party data you control
No new pixels. No additional site speed impact. Your trusted data, unified and attributed properly.
What Makes This Different
Uses existing first-party data. We aggregate GA4, CAPI, Shopify, UTMs, and zero-party surveys into one unified stream. No new tracking infrastructure required.
Deterministic, not probabilistic. Every purchase is tracked exactly once. No modeled guesses or overlapping attribution windows.
Full transparency. Complete BigQuery access to audit any calculation. You can verify every touchpoint, every credit assignment, every data source.
Customizable. Build your own models. Adjust attribution windows. Create custom logic for your unique business.
What Good Attribution Looks Like
Good attribution isn’t sexy. It’s:
- Reliable first-party data
- Comprehensive UTM tagging
- Consistent naming conventions
- Methodology you understand and can explain to your CFO
Most brands don’t need another pixel or another black-box vendor. They need to properly use the tracking they already have.
The brands that win at attribution are the ones who:
- Aggregate existing data sources instead of adding more
- Verify platform-reported numbers against actual revenue
- Build transparent systems they can audit
- Make decisions based on trusted data, not vendor claims
Watch the Full Conversation
Watch the full conversation and read the transcript
Featuring: Brad Redding (Elevar), Jacob Rokeach, and Feifan Wang (SourceMedium)
