Post-Click vs Post-View Attribution
Attribution models determine which touchpoint receives credit when a user converts. Post-click and post-view represent two fundamental approaches to measuring campaign effectiveness in performance marketing.
Post-Click Attribution
Post-click attribution credits a conversion to the last ad a user clicked before completing an action. If someone clicks a Google search ad and purchases within the conversion window (typically 30 days), that ad receives 100% credit.
This method dominates UK performance marketing because it's straightforward to implement and measure. Google Analytics, Facebook Ads Manager, and most ad platforms default to last-click attribution. It's particularly valuable for campaigns with clear conversion intent – search ads, retargeting, and affiliate marketing all rely heavily on post-click data.
However, post-click attribution ignores the full customer journey. A user might see your display ad on Monday, click a search ad on Wednesday, and convert on Friday – only the search ad gets credited, despite the display ad's role in building awareness.
Post-View Attribution
Post-view attribution (also called view-through conversion or VTC) credits a conversion to an ad impression the user saw but didn't click. If someone views a video ad on YouTube without clicking, then converts within the conversion window, that impression receives credit.
Post-view is essential for understanding upper-funnel impact. Display, video, and audio campaigns often drive brand awareness rather than immediate clicks. Without post-view attribution, these campaigns appear worthless in performance-focused dashboards, despite genuinely influencing purchase decisions.
The challenge is distinguishing genuine influence from coincidence. A user might see your ad by chance and convert for unrelated reasons. Longer conversion windows (up to 30 days) help, but attribution inference remains imperfect.
Why It Matters for UK Agencies
Many UK brands focus exclusively on post-click ROI, underinvesting in brand-building channels. Savvy agencies use both metrics to present a complete picture: post-click proves direct response value, while post-view justifies investment in awareness campaigns.
Regulatory environment matters too. The UK's move away from third-party cookies makes post-view attribution increasingly difficult for programmatic display. First-party data and contextual targeting are becoming more important than historical conversion inference.
When to Use Each
Post-click: Search campaigns, e-commerce, lead generation with short sales cycles, and affiliate partnerships. It's your primary accountability metric.
Post-view: Branding campaigns, upper-funnel awareness, consideration phases, and understanding indirect impact. Use it to justify investment in non-clickable formats.
The most sophisticated campaigns use multi-touch attribution models that credit multiple touchpoints proportionally, combining insights from both approaches.