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Google Ads & Meta: Wasting Money or a Strategic Investment? A Real-World Look at Attribution Paths

 

There's a myth that often circulates in online marketing and entrepreneurship groups: “Google Ads and Meta eat up money, and campaigns are useless.”

 

But is that really true? Or is the problem not the tool, but how it's used?

In this article, I want to show you, with concrete, data-driven examples, how attribution paths and touchpoints work within the customer journey. I assure you, the numbers speak for themselves: without online advertising, the path to conversion becomes long, uncertain, and often ineffective.

 

What Are Attribution Paths and Why They're Crucial for Your Business

 

When a user buys a product or fills out a contact form, it's almost never on their first click. Their journey is made up of digital touchpoints, which can be:

• Initial Touchpoints: The first contact with the brand (e.g., a Google Ads ad or a sponsored post on Meta).

• Intermediate Touchpoints: Further interactions that nurture interest (newsletters, organic search, referrals, social media).

• Final Touchpoints: The concluding action (purchase, lead, conversion).

Without analyzing these steps, you risk giving all the credit to the "final channel" (often direct traffic), ignoring the vital role of advertising campaigns in the earlier stages. This is a common mistake that leads to business owners believing they are "wasting money."

 

  

 

The Real Data: 3 Case Studies Compared

 

I analyzed three different scenarios, with varying budgets and industries, and the results show an unmistakable trend.

 

Case 1: PPC Wins, But Not Alone

 

• Paid Search is a key player in the final touchpoints.
• Intermediate touchpoints also show the decisive role of referrals and organic search.
• Conversions: High, but only thanks to a mix of channels.

👉 Without PPC campaigns, the initial traffic flow would have collapsed, making all other channels less effective.

 

Case 2: 20+ Touchpoints Before Conversion

 

• Some users need over 20 interactions before they buy.
• The role of Meta Ads and Google Ads in the initial touchpoints is crucial for keeping their interest alive.
• The final conversion? Often on Organic Social or Direct.

👉 Without advertising, this journey would have ended much sooner.

 

Case 3: Up to 45 Days Before Conversion

 

• Some customers take more than a month and a half to convert.
• Initial touchpoints start with Paid Search, but the final click is on the direct channel.
• The result: The customer needs time, repetition, and consistency.

👉 Stopping campaigns would block this flow and make it take much longer to return to "normal."

 

The Truth: Google Ads & Meta Aren't a Waste of Money If Used Correctly

 

The data reveals a simple truth:

It's not the platform that wastes money, but the incorrect way it’s used. A campaign without a clear strategy, without touchpoint analysis, and without defined goals is destined to burn through your budget. On the other hand, a well-planned campaign becomes the engine that ignites and guides the customer along the entire conversion path.

 

Why Stopping Campaigns is a Fatal Mistake

 

Many entrepreneurs think: “Let's try turning off the campaigns for a month and see if anything changes.”

The problem? Here's what happens:

• Initial and intermediate touchpoints plummet.
• Revenue falls off quickly.
• When you reactivate campaigns, the time it takes to get back to normal is very long (weeks or even months).

In a competitive and difficult market, stopping advertising investments means giving up your market share to the competition.

 

The Role of a Marketer: Analysis, Strategy, and Vision

 

A true marketer isn't someone who "turns on campaigns and hopes for the best." A professional marketer:

✅ Analyzes data with clarity.

✅ Shares honest, straightforward reports.

✅ Proposes hypotheses for improvement, without passing off their strategies as absolute truths.

✅ Works to increase revenue, not just clicks.

 

Conclusion: Invest, But Invest Intelligently

 

We are in a challenging historical period: inflation, geopolitical crises, global competition. The only way forward is to invest wisely, keep communicating your strengths, and constantly optimize the user experience.

🔑 Remember:

A neglected, outdated website with poor SEO and badly set up campaigns won't deliver results. An optimized website with targeted campaigns and continuous analysis of touchpoints becomes a value generator.

👉 Don't stop investing. Start doing it better.