High-value services like retreats are rarely booked after a single click. Instead, users move through a multi-stage journey – from generic inspiration to highly specific brand queries. This case study shows how attribution models radically change the perceived value of keywords and why upper-funnel search terms are crucial for retreat businesses.
The example is inspired by common marketing funnel and attribution frameworks used in digital marketing research and practice.
1. The Customer Journey: Anna’s Path to “SoulFlow”
Anna from Berlin is looking for a mindful break and eventually books a women’s yoga & mindfulness retreat in Mallorca. Her search journey spans 14 days and multiple queries.
Day 1 – First Inspiration (Awareness)
- Query: “yoga retreat mallorca”
- Clicks a search ad with several retreat providers
- Browses, saves one or two pages, but does not book
Status: Awareness / initial interest
Role: Entry into the funnel – first exposure to the “SoulFlow” brand and to the retreat category.
This corresponds to the awareness stage in typical funnel models.
Day 4 – Narrowing Down (Consideration / Research)
- Query: “yoga retreat mallorca october”
- Clicks an ad showing retreats with dates that fit her schedule
- Compares prices, accommodation, and program details
Status: Consideration / research
Role: Moves from generic interest to time-specific intent, typical of the mid-funnel consideration phase.
Day 9 – Quality & Fit Check (Late Consideration / Decision)
- Query: “women’s mindfulness retreat mallorca”
- Clicks a more niche ad – the SoulFlow retreat appears again
- Reads testimonials, checks Instagram, reviews, and inclusions
Status: Late consideration / decision
Role: Evaluation of brand fit, quality, and target group match (women, mindfulness, depth).
Day 14 – Final Click (Conversion)
- Query: “soulflow retreat mallorca october”
- Clicks a branded search ad
- Books the retreat package for €1,500
Status: Conversion
Role: Final confirmation and transaction – the conversion stage of the funnel.
2. Attribution Input: Conversion Value and Touchpoints
- Conversion value: €1,500
- Touchpoints / keywords:
yoga retreat mallorcayoga retreat mallorca octoberwomen’s mindfulness retreat mallorcasoulflow retreat mallorca october
The question: How should the €1,500 be distributed across these four keywords?
Attribution models provide “rules” or algorithms for assigning credit across the journey.
3. Attribution Models Applied to the Retreat Journey
The table below illustrates six classic attribution models using the same €1,500 conversion value:
| Attribution model | “yoga retreat mallorca” | “yoga retreat mallorca october” | “women’s mindfulness retreat mallorca” | “soulflow retreat mallorca october” |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Last Click | €0 | €0 | €0 | €1,500 (100%) |
| First Click | €1,500 (100%) | €0 | €0 | €0 |
| Linear | €375 (25%) | €375 (25%) | €375 (25%) | €375 (25%) |
| Time Decay | €45 (3%) | €180 (12%) | €375 (25%) | €900 (60%) |
| Position-Based | €600 (40%) | €150 (10%) | €150 (10%) | €600 (40%) |
| Data-Driven | €225 (15%) | €450 (30%) | €300 (20%) | €525 (35%) |
These models align conceptually with the main categories described in current attribution literature and industry practice: single-touch (first/last click) and multi-touch (linear, time decay, position-based, data-driven).
Note: Google Ads and GA4 no longer support some rule-based models in their UI (first click, linear, time decay, position-based) and increasingly favour data-driven attribution plus last click.
4. What Each Model “Sees” – and Misses
4.1 Last Click – The Illusion of Pure Brand Performance
In the last-click model, the branded keyword gets 100 % of the revenue:
- “soulflow retreat mallorca october” = €1,500
- All other keywords = €0
Interpretation:
- Only brand traffic appears profitable.
- Generic and mid-funnel searches seem useless.
Risky business decision:
- Cutting budgets for “yoga retreat mallorca” or “women’s mindfulness retreat mallorca” to “optimise CPA”
- Over-investing in brand only, ignoring how demand and brand awareness are created in the first place.
This critique of last-touch attribution is well-documented in research on multi-touch attribution and marketing effectiveness.
4.2 Linear – Everyone Gets Equal Credit
In the linear model, each touchpoint receives 25 %:
- Each keyword = €375
Impact:
- Recognises that all interactions contribute to the final decision.
- Makes the 10-day decision window and multi-stage journey visible.
- Still oversimplifies, because it assumes equal impact for early inspiration and final decision.
4.3 Time Decay – Recency Matters
The time-decay model weights later touches more heavily:
- “yoga retreat mallorca” = €45 (3 %)
- “yoga retreat mallorca october” = €180 (12 %)
- “women’s mindfulness retreat mallorca” = €375 (25 %)
- “soulflow retreat mallorca october” = €900 (60 %)
Interpretation:
- Early inspiration is acknowledged but weakly weighted.
- Decision-near queries and retargeting get more credit.
- Reflects the idea that reminders and closing signals closer to the purchase have greater marginal impact.
Time-based weighting is a common rule-based strategy in multi-touch frameworks.
4.4 Position-Based – Entry and Exit as Key Moments
The position-based (U-shaped) model emphasises first and last interaction:
- “yoga retreat mallorca” = €600 (40 %)
- “soulflow retreat mallorca october” = €600 (40 %)
- Middle queries = €150 each (10 % each)
Implications:
- Highlights the entry keyword as equally important as the closing brand keyword.
- Indicates that without “yoga retreat mallorca”, Anna might never have discovered SoulFlow.
- Aligns with the practical view that introduction and closure are especially critical touchpoints.
4.5 Data-Driven – Evidence from Many Journeys
In data-driven attribution, algorithms estimate how much each touchpoint changes the probability of conversion, based on many historical paths.
Example distribution:
- “yoga retreat mallorca” = €225 (15 %)
- “yoga retreat mallorca october” = €450 (30 %)
- “women’s mindfulness retreat mallorca” = €300 (20 %)
- “soulflow retreat mallorca october” = €525 (35 %)
Interpretation:
- The time-specific generic query (“yoga retreat mallorca october”) is a major driver.
- Brand search is essential, but not the sole hero.
- Early generic exposure and niche targeting (“women’s mindfulness retreat mallorca”) are also statistically significant.
5. Business Impact for Retreat Providers
5.1 Wrong Model → Wrong Budget Decisions
If performance is evaluated solely on last click:
- Generic and mid-funnel queries appear unprofitable.
- Awareness and consideration stages are underfunded.
- Retreat provider sees more branded searches but fewer new customers entering the funnel.
Research on attribution modelling repeatedly shows that single-touch models bias budget decisions and undervalue early-funnel activities.
For high-ticket bookings like retreats, this can lead to:
- Fewer new prospects discovering the offer
- Declining long-term bookings and word-of-mouth
- Short-term CPA improvements but lower total revenue over time
5.2 Correct Model → Funnel-Aware Growth Strategy
Attribution-aware analysis reveals:
- “yoga retreat mallorca”
- Key awareness driver; introduces SoulFlow to completely new users.
- “yoga retreat mallorca october”
- Strong mid-funnel term; aligns timing and planning.
- “women’s mindfulness retreat mallorca”
- Targeted fit; speaks to a specific segment (women, mindfulness).
- “soulflow retreat mallorca october”
- Closing keyword; captures users who already trust the brand.
Strategic implications for AIRVOLKSMARKETING and similar performance setups:
- Maintain and test generic awareness keywords despite weaker last-click metrics.
- Invest in mid-funnel queries that combine location, timing, and audience (e.g. “women’s mindfulness retreat october europe”).
- Use brand campaigns to secure the final click, not as the sole performance benchmark.
- Prefer multi-touch and data-driven attribution where data volume allows, combined with regular path analysis.
6. Conclusion
The SoulFlow Mallorca case shows that:
- The first generic keyword triggers the idea of a retreat.
- Mid-funnel keywords refine timing, location, and audience.
- The brand keyword merely finalises what has been built up over several days and interactions.
By interpreting performance through search funnels, conversion paths, and multi-touch attribution, AIRVOLKSMARKETING can:
- value awareness and consideration activities on a more realistic basis,
- allocate budgets across the entire journey rather than only the last step,
- and support retreat providers in achieving sustainable, funnel-wide growth instead of short-lived last-click optimisations.
References
- Amazon Ads. (n.d.). What is a marketing funnel?
- The Decision Lab. (n.d.). Conversion funnel – reference guide.
- Matomo. (2023). What is Marketing Attribution? (And How To Get Started).
- Nielsen. (2019). Methods & Models: A Guide to Multi-Touch Attribution.
- Salesforce. (n.d.). Multi-touch attribution: What it is & best practices.
- Treasure Data. (2024). A Complete Marketer’s Guide to Multi-Touch Attribution and Models.
- Statsig. (2025). Digital marketing attribution models: A tech survey.
- Google Ads Help. (2024). About attribution models.
- Google Analytics Help. (2023). Get started with attribution.
- Ruler Analytics. (2023). Why Google is sunsetting attribution models from Google Ads and GA4.
- Invoca. (2024). How to Enhance Google Ads Data-Driven Attribution.
