GlossaryAttribution & Bias

Unattributed Revenue

Also known as: Dark Social, Direct Traffic

Unattributed revenue is revenue that cannot be assigned to a specific paid channel through attribution systems. In SpendSignal, this revenue is explicitly modeled as baseline demand rather than treated as an error or gap. It usually represents the true power of your brand.

The Short Version

Sales that happen without a click. The 'Dark Matter' of marketing.

Prerequisites

The Attribution Gap

Google Analytics says you made $100k. Your bank account says $150k. Where did the $50k come from?

Attribution tools ignore it or force it into 'Direct'. This leads to undervaluing the brand and over-valuing clickable ads.

How it works

1

Calculate Total Revenue - Sum(Attributed Revenue)

2

Analyze the correlation of this gap with Brand Search and Offline spend

3

Model it as a function of Baseline + Halo Effects

Common Misconceptions

Assuming it's a tracking error (It's usually a feature, not a bug)

Ignoring it in ROI calculations (It lowers your perceived Blended ROAS)

Trying to force it to zero (You want Unattributed Revenue to grow!)

In SpendSignal

SpendSignal reports Unattributed Revenue clearly. We show you how it correlates with your top-of-funnel spend, proving that 'Brand Awareness' ads are actually working.

Frequently Asked Questions

QIs Unattributed Revenue bad?

No! High unattributed revenue means you have a strong brand that people seek out directly. It is the cheapest revenue you will ever get.

QHow do I make it grow?

Invest in brand, content, PR, and word-of-mouth. Also, upper-funnel channels often drive unattributed lift.

Ask about ROAS, Attribution, or Budget...