This article is in conjunction with the article: Data-Driven Attribution Model in Google Ads where I explained this model and its benefits in great detail.

Today I will show you how to correctly set up this model in a Google Ads account.

The data-driven attribution model (or DDA model) may not be available to you in your Google Ads account even if you are eligible to use it. It is certainly not available to all advertisers.

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How to check whether the DDA model is available to you

In order to check whether this model is available to you, follow the steps below:

Step-1: Login to your Google Ads account and then click on the ‘Tools’ tab.

Step-2: Click on the ‘Search Attribution‘ link under the ‘Measurement’ section:

Step-3: Click on the ‘Attribution Modelling’ link on the left-hand side navigation menu:

Step-3: Look for following notification (often yellow in colour) at the top of the ‘Attribution Modelling’ report:

If you see this notification then the DDA model is available to you for at least some of your conversion actions, if not for all.

Note: DDA model in Google Ads is produced separately for each conversion type. So it may be available for some conversion actions and not for others.

Step-4: If you want to see whether the DDA model is available for a particular conversion action then select that conversion action from the ‘Conversion Action’ drop-down menu and then look for the ‘Data-Driven’ option in the attribution models drop-down menu:

If you do not see the ‘Data-Driven’ option in the drop-down menu then it means the DDA model is not available for the selected conversion action.

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Eligibility criteria for using the DDA model

One of the requirements of using a DDA model is that your Google Ads account has recorded at least 15,000 clicks in the last 30 days.

Even if your average cost per click is $ 0.50, it would mean a monthly ad spend of at least $7500 (15,000 * $0.50).

So the majority of advertisers may never be eligible to use the DDA model.

It is not like Google is deliberately weeding out low ad spenders here. You just can’t use an algorithmic model like ‘DDA’ without first feeding it with a high volume of high-quality conversion data.

That’s how algorithmic attribution models work. They consistently need a high volume of high-quality conversion data in order to produce statistically significant results. Otherwise, they would produce garbage insight.

In order to be eligible for using the DDA model, you would need to meet and maintain both minimum traffic and minimum conversion thresholds.

Minimum traffic threshold for using the DDA model

In order to be eligible for using the DDA model for the first time, your Google Ads account must meet the minimum traffic threshold which is 15,000 clicks on Google Search in the last 30 days.

In other words, your Google Ads account should have recorded at least 15,000 clicks in the last 30 days.

If your Google Ads account does not meet the minimum traffic threshold then no DDA model will be produced for your account.

Not only your Google Ads account needs to meet the minimum traffic threshold for setting up the DDA model but it also needs to maintain this traffic level every month.

For example, if your Google ad clicks go below 10,000 in the last 30 days then you may no longer be able to use the DDA model.

Minimum conversion threshold for using the DDA model

One of your conversion actions in Google Ads should have recorded at least 600 conversions in the last 30 days, to be eligible for using the DDA model for the first time. However, the more recorded conversions, the better.

If your Google Ads account does not meet the minimum conversion threshold, no DDA model will be produced for your account.

Not only does your Google Ads account need to meet the minimum conversion threshold for setting up the DDA model but it also needs to maintain this conversion threshold every month. For example, if the total conversions recorded by your Google Ads account go below 400 in the last 30 days then you may no longer be able to use the DDA model in Google Ads.

It is important to remember that the DDA model in Google Ads is produced for each conversion type and it continues to generate only when 400 or more conversions are recorded for the conversion type in the last 30 days.

So if your Google Ads conversions for a particular conversion go below 400 in the last 30 days then you may no longer be able to use the DDA model for that conversion type.

Note: You would receive an alert from Google Ads if your account/conversion type no longer meets the minimum traffic/conversion threshold requirement.

How to enable the data-driven attribution model in Google Ads?

There is always a possibility that you are eligible to use the DDA model but the model is still not available in your Google Ads account. This can happen if you have not set up conversion tracking in your Google Ads account.

There is also a strong possibility that the DDA model is available to you but it is not providing accurate insight. This can happen if your conversion tracking is not set up correctly and/or you are not tracking all of the required data.

Remember DDA model is only as good as the data you feed to it. If you feed it garbage, it will produce garbage insight.

To enable the data-driven attribution model in Google Ads and/or to set up the DDA model correctly, follow the steps below:

Step-1: Set up ecommerce tracking and/or Goal conversion tracking in your Google Analytics account. If you manage a non-ecommerce website, then setting up ecommerce tracking is not required. However, you will still need to set up goal conversion tracking. Remember without conversion data, Google can not create the DDA model for you.

Step-2: Integrate as much data as possible with your Google Analytics account. You can integrate data from your CRM, shopping cart, phone call tracking software, accounting system, etc. The more data you integrate with Google Analytics, the more goals you can set up in Google Analytics and then later import to Google Ads account.

The more conversion actions you set up and track in Google Ads, the more conversion data you will be able to feed to your Google Ads DDA model.

Step-3: Link your Google Ads account to your Google Analytics account so that you can import Google Analytics goals into your Google Ads account.

Step-4: Integrate as much data as possible with your Google Ads account. For example, in addition to Google Analytics, you can integrate your following accounts with Google Ads account:

1. Google Analytics
2. Google Firebase
3. Google Play
4. Salesforce
5. Third-party app analytics
6. Google Hotel Ads Center
7. Google Merchant Center
8. YouTube
9. Search Console
10. Ads Data Hub

If you are using a commercial phone call tracking solution, then integrate it with your Google Ads account.

If you have got physical stores, then set up store visit conversion tracking in Google Ads.

The more data you feed to your DDA model the better will be the attribution output.

Step-5: Make sure that the conversion tracking is set up correctly in your Google Ads account. This is a very important step. If the conversion tracking is not set up correctly then your DDA attribution modelling will likely to be flawed.

Step-6: Meet and maintain the minimum traffic threshold for setting up the DDA model in your Google Ads account.

Step-7: Meet and maintain the minimum conversion threshold for setting up the DDA model in your Google Ads account.

As such, a traditional MMM model is not suitable for carrying out digital marketing mix modelling aka attribution modelling.

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