If you’ve spent any time in marketing, you’ve probably heard of the 80/20 rule—the idea that 80% of your results come from 20% of your efforts. While it’s not always exact, it rings true in most lead generation campaigns I’ve seen.
Some channels, strategies, or campaigns simply do more heavy lifting than others. But how do you know what’s really working? Where do your most valuable leads actually come from?
That’s where good data and attribution tracking come in. Below are three of my go-to tools for identifying the top-performing efforts in your lead gen engine—so you can double down on what’s working and avoid wasting budget.
1️⃣ UTM Parameters: Know Where Your Leads Are Coming From
UTMs (Urchin Tracking Modules) are small tags you add to the end of a URL to track the source, medium, campaign, and other details about a website visit. They’re simple to set up—and incredibly powerful for attribution.
Here’s what UTMs can help you uncover:
- Which email campaign drove a form fill
- Whether a lead came from paid search vs. paid social
- Which ad variation or promotion converted best
By tagging your links (especially in emails, social posts, and ads), you can break down your traffic in tools like Google Analytics, HubSpot, or CRM platforms. This gives you a clearer picture of what’s actually generating leads, not just traffic.
Pro tip: Be consistent with naming conventions and always use a UTM builder to avoid manual errors. [Link your favorite builder here or leave it in the comments as mentioned.]
2️⃣ Enhanced Conversions in Google Ads: Smarter, Privacy-Safe Tracking
As third-party cookies phase out and browsers increase privacy controls, marketers need new ways to track conversions accurately. That’s where Enhanced Conversions come in.
Enhanced Conversions let you send hashed first-party data (like email addresses or phone numbers submitted on your forms) from your website back to Google Ads. Google then matches that data with users who engaged with your ads—giving you more accurate reporting on what drove a conversion.
It’s completely privacy-compliant and a major upgrade from traditional pixel tracking, especially as cookie tracking becomes less reliable.
Here’s why Enhanced Conversions matter:
- You get better insight into which ads lead to actual customers—not just clicks.
- It improves automated bidding performance by feeding Google better data.
- It’s future-proof (or at least future-resistant) in a privacy-first world.
If you’re running paid search or display ads on Google, implementing Enhanced Conversions should be high on your priority list.
3️⃣ Attribution Measurement in Google Ads: Understand the Full Customer Journey
Ever wonder how a lead actually makes their way to your form? Maybe they first click a non-brand search ad, browse your site, and then come back a few days later via a brand campaign or a retargeting ad before converting.
Google Ads’ Attribution Measurement tools can show you that path.
Instead of giving 100% credit to the “last click,” these reports break down the customer journey across touchpoints, helping you understand how your campaigns work together to drive results.
For example:
- Your top-of-funnel video ads might not convert directly, but they introduce your brand to the right people.
- Your remarketing campaign then brings them back, and they convert after searching your brand name.
Understanding attribution helps you:
- Make smarter decisions about where to allocate budget
- Avoid pausing campaigns that play a critical supporting role
- Identify high-impact touchpoints in the conversion journey
In short, Attribution Measurement goes beyond “what converted” to show you how and why a conversion happened.
Final Thoughts: Small Tweaks, Big Insights
The most successful lead gen marketers I know don’t just run campaigns—they obsess over the data. These three tools—UTMs, Enhanced Conversions, and Attribution Reports—can help you uncover the 20% of your marketing that’s doing 80% of the work.
If you’re not using them yet, start small. Add UTMs to your next email blast. Enable Enhanced Conversions in your Google Ads account. Explore the attribution reports and see what surprises you.
You might be just a few insights away from unlocking your next big win.
Scott Sweeney is the principal consultant behind Stratus Analytics. Scott has been providing digital marketing services for over 20 years, and specializes in PPC marketing. In addition to providing digital marketing service through Stratus Analytics, he is currently the Sr Digital Marketing Manager for PAC Worldwide, a global manufacturing business.