To track the path of leads who engage with our earned media content, we use HubSpot. We set up tracking for all our media buying channels, including social media ads, PPC campaigns, and direct buys. Each channel is tagged with unique tracking parameters that integrate seamlessly into our CRM system. When a lead enters our funnel through any of these channels, HubSpot records the source along with other engagement metrics and follows the lead through the sales pipeline. As the lead progresses through different stages of the customer journey, from initial contact to closing the deal, HubSpot continues to collect data on how the lead interacts with our marketing efforts. This allows us to attribute revenue not just to the first point of contact but to various touchpoints that influenced the decision-making process. By the time a deal is closed, we have a comprehensive view of the path that lead took, which channels they interacted with, and how much revenue each channel ultimately generated. This detailed tracking and analysis help us optimize our media buying strategies. We can identify high-performing channels and allocate more resources to them, while reevaluating or discontinuing underperforming ones. Overall, HubSpot's capabilities provide us with the insights needed to refine our marketing approach continually and ensure we are investing our budget in the most effective channels.
I'd say that Google Search Console is one of the most valuable tools for tracking earned media. It lists many of the relevant links that Google has found and that even includes links that other SEO tools report as nofollow links. These links may still be helping your site because Google ultimately decides whether to count a link as nofollow or dofollow.