Paid-source lead
A lead attributed to a channel you pay for — the only kind that belongs in cost math.
Definition
A paid-source lead is one whose attribution traces to paid media: paid search, paid social, display, or other bought placements. Organic search, direct traffic, referrals, and events produce leads too — but no media dollars bought them.
The distinction is the foundation of honest cost metrics. Dividing paid spend by all leads produces a blended average that makes paid channels look cheaper as organic volume grows — movement in the metric with no change in paid performance.
Why it matters
Strong organic brands are hit hardest by this distortion: the better your unpaid channels perform, the more flattering — and more wrong — your blended paid metrics become.
How Pennant treats it
Pennant separates paid-source leads and enrollments in every cost calculation. Organic volume is celebrated in the funnel view and excluded from CPL and CPE by design.