Last-touch attribution gives full credit for a sale to the final marketing interaction before conversion. It is the simplest and most common model, and the default in many analytics tools. It reliably overcredits bottom-of-funnel channels and undercredits everything that built awareness earlier.

Last-touch is the default in most dashboards, which means most founders are making budget decisions on the most biased model available. It credits whatever the buyer clicked last, usually a branded search or a direct visit, and gives nothing to the work that made them search your name in the first place. That bias is how demand creation gets cut.

Example:

A buyer who learned about you over months finally searches your brand name and converts. Last-touch credits branded search, and the content that built the brand gets zero.

Why is last-touch attribution so common?

It is simple to implement and is the default in many analytics tools, not because it is the most accurate reflection of what drove the sale.

What is the risk of relying on last-touch?

It overcredits bottom-of-funnel channels and undercredits awareness work, which leads to cutting the activity that actually generated the demand.