What Are UTM Tracking Codes?
UTM or Urchin Tracking Module codes are brief pieces of text that can be appended at the end of a URL to enhance tracking of marketing campaigns and gain deeper insights into the target audience. Below is an example of how URLs can appear when appended with UTM codes:
https://olegdigital.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=ppc&utm_campaign=share_this_post_please
The UTM code is everything that follows the “?” symbol in a URL. The related information is stored in Google Analytics, enabling you to analyze it by campaign.
Keep reading to discover the significance of UTM codes, the ideal scenarios for their application, and effective methods for generating them.
Why Are UTM Tracking Codes Important?
UTM codes, which are also referred to as custom URLs, offer marketers comprehensive insights into a campaign’s performance.
For instance, they can help evaluate the efficacy of a social media marketing strategy, identify high-traffic channels, and determine the best-performing Google Ads keywords.
Links integrated with UTM codes can track five key parameters:
- Source: Indicates the source of incoming traffic
- Medium: Specifies the type of campaign
- Campaign: Identifies the campaign name
- Term: Used in paid search advertising to specify the target keyword
- Content: Refers to the specific content that was clicked on
Among the five parameters, source, medium, and campaign are of utmost importance when it comes to accurately tracking your campaign. The other URL parameters are relatively less critical but can still be beneficial.
You have the freedom to use any combination of parameters in any order and provide detailed descriptions for tracking purposes.
In the following sections, I will delve into each UTM parameter in detail.
Source
The source parameter helps determine the website, publication, or advertiser responsible for directing traffic to your website.
In the URL, it appears as “utm_source=[source].”
For instance:
utm_source=google
This parameter can encompass various referring sources, such as:
- Social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, VK or LinkedIn
- Search engines such as Google, Bing, Yandex or Yahoo
- Other sources including newsletters, paid ads, sponsored posts, or billboards
Medium
The medium parameter indicates the type of channel responsible for driving traffic to your website. It’s an effective metric for analyzing the relative success of different channels for a specific campaign.
In the URL, it appears as “utm_medium=[medium].”
For instance:
utm_medium=ppc
This parameter can comprise various marketing channels or categories, including:
- Pay-per-click (PPC)
- Organic search
- Paid social
- Organic social
Campaign
The campaign UTM parameter designates the particular campaign, promotion, or sale represented by your link. It’s utilized to differentiate between campaigns and track their individual performance.
For instance, it can assist you in identifying which of your PPC campaigns delivered the most favorable outcomes.
In the URL, it appears as “utm_campaign=[campaign].”
In GA4, it is expressed as “utm_id=[campaign].”
Here’s an example:
utm_campaign=share_this_post
Term
The term parameter identifies the exact keyword responsible for driving traffic to your website.
It’s utilized to evaluate the performance of different keywords in your PPC campaign, enabling you to modify your bidding strategy accordingly.
In the URL, it appears as “utm_term=[term].”
For instance:
utm_term=share+post
Content
The content parameter facilitates the identification of distinct content that a user can click on within the same campaign.
For instance, it can help differentiate whether a user clicked on a header link or a button in the same email.
This parameter is particularly helpful for emails or landing pages featuring multiple calls-to-action.
In the URL, it appears as “utm_content=[content].”
Here’s an example:
utm_content=header_link
As an example, the UTM code mentioned above could be utilized to recognize a link from the header section of your newsletter.
Similarly, you can use the UTM code below to track a link in the footer of the same email.
utm_content=footer_link
How to Create UTM Codes
You can either utilize Google’s URL builder tool or create them manually.
Note: For apps, it is recommended to use the Google Play URL builder for the Google Play Store and the iOS Campaign Tracking URL builder for the Apple App Store.
Now, let’s delve into each approach for web page links.
Build UTM Codes for Universal Analytics (UA)
Before you begin creating URLs with UTM parameters, ensure that you have Google Analytics installed on your website. ?
Once you have Google Analytics set up, you can use Google’s URL builder to create URLs with UTM parameters. The first step is to toggle to UA on the sidebar of the URL builder.
Next, proceed to fill out the form. Begin by entering the complete website URL, and then provide the relevant campaign details.
Please note that it is essential to fill in the source, medium, and campaign fields while the other parameters are optional and depend on your specific requirements.
Once you have filled in the form, a box will appear at the bottom of the page with the text “Share the generated campaign URL.”
Once you have generated the campaign URL with UTM parameters, simply copy it and use it in your designated campaign item such as a banner on a landing page.
Build UTM Codes for Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
To create UTMs for GA4, you can use Google’s UTM code generator. GA4 is the latest version of Google Analytics and is set to replace UA soon.
To use the generator for GA4, toggle the switch from UA to GA4 under “Demos & Tools”.
After filling in your campaign information in the GA4 UTM code generator, you can copy the generated URL with UTM tracking codes and use it for your campaign item.
Build UTM Codes Manually
When building URLs with UTM codes manually, it’s important to follow these best practices:
- Use a question mark “?” to separate the URL from the parameters
- Combine each parameter and its value with an equal sign “=”
- Use an ampersand “&” to separate each parameter
Here’s an example:
https://olegdigital.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=ppc&utm_campaign=share_this_post
It’s possible to add UTM parameters in any order you prefer when manually building your URLs. However, Google recommends that for UA sites, you include utm_source and utm_medium parameters at a minimum, while for GA4 sites, you should include at least one utm parameter.
Keep in mind that parameter values are case-sensitive, so utm_source=facebook is not the same as utm_source=Facebook.
How to Find Tracked Data in Google Analytics
Google Analytics will track traffic coming from URLs with UTM parameters, which allows you to see the performance of your campaigns in Google Analytics reports.
In UA
You can see your campaign data in a table under “Acquisition” > “Campaigns” > “All Campaigns.”
The different UTM parameters will appear at the top of the table. Click on the parameter you want information about. And the table will adjust.
In GA4
To see your campaign data in GA4, head to “Reports.”
Then “Acquisition” > “Traffic acquisition.”
Scroll down until you see a table grouped by traffic channel. Select the drop-down arrow to change the parameter.