Today’s Search Word = Attribution

by: George Bounacos Tuesday, August 11th, 2009

: Go back to the future with this guy and see if the conversation is different. Image via Wikipedia

Much conversation today at the big Search Engine Strategies show in San Jose about attribution.

What’s that?

It’s a concept, discussion, argument as old as marketing.

Where did the business come from?

And here is where small businesses have to keep their eye on the magician, not the diversion. The real answer is that we can target and identify more than at any other time in marketing history. But we’re not there yet.

Panelists during an analytics session today sized the number at up to 40% of sales coming from “we’re not really sure”. And that 40% is high based on many businesses we work with. Because if we’re doing your digital advertising, and you have a Facebook fan page and a brand name and some repeat customers with word of mouth, well… was it showing up first in a search today that turned the trick? Maybe an ad? Some combination of all?

Attribution. Strive to attribute as many sales as you can so you can continue that activity and even project similar future activities.

Hopping into a DeLorean time machine with Marty McFly and jumping back forty years would simply give you ad agency people who had never heard of business casual, click through rates or Starbucks. They would, however, be arguing about how many sales came from Joe’s outdoor campaign versus Mary’s direct mail when people called on the phone.

We just moved the needle. The question still exists. Keep asking.