UTM Parameters Explained + Tools
by David Page, Digital Marketing Consultant at Elfsight — developer of customizable & coding-free website widgets
Appeared in 2005, Google Analytics is one of the most essential marketing tools today. It’s no wonder as GA holds its leading positions as the most powerful performance tracking tools in digital marketing. Whether you do blogging, launch ads or A/B testing, optimize for SEO, you need advanced tracking opportunities and a proper tracking tool. Google Analytics along with UTM parameters are the solutions.
“You can’t define what you can’t measure. What can’t be measured, can’t be improved. What doesn’t improve, always degrades”. — Lord Kelvin
In this article, we’ll take a look at UTM parameters, their values, purposes and Google Analytics tracking, tips and tricks, URL builders and shorteners.
What is UTM Code
UTM code stands for “Urchin tracking module” and refers to a code snippet that you attach to a custom URL to track additional parameters.
You can assign it source, medium and campaign name to track the performance of numerous sources at the same time — ads, coupons and other parts of your website.
Campaign Source (Required)
Use utm_source to set the link source — ads, search engine, platform or other source (Google, Facebook, Twitter, website, etc.). For example: utm_source=mail
Campaign Medium (Required)
utm_medium is used to mark the type of advertising campaign (PPC, email, etc.). For example: utm_medium=banner
Campaign (Required)
Use utm_campaign to identify a specific campaign or promotion. For example: utm_campaign=promo_june2019
Campaign Term (For Paid Search)
Use utm_term to note the keywords for this ad.
Campaign Content (For A/B Testing and Content-Targeted Ads)
utm_content value differentiates ads or links that point to the same URL. For example: utm_campaign=textlink
www.yourURL.com/?UTM-Parameter=The-Value
UTM parameters are initialized by the question mark “?” at the end of the URL. Each parameter starts with its name and is followed by equals sign “=” and its value without spaces. Several UTMs are divided by an ampersand sign “&”.
To sum up, each UTM parameter answers a question:
- Where was the URL clicked? —
utm_source - Where is the URL displayed? —
utm_medium - What campaign is this? —
utm_campaign
Other UTM parameters have more specific applications. These three are the most necessary ones.
Why Use UTM Codes
URL tagging is most useful for advertisers and marketers. It helps to measure the performance of specific marketing campaigns or details of particular traffic sources in Google Analytics.
For example, you can use UTM codes to measure the traffic form each post that you publish. Or track performance of specific links within one webpage. Or measure the performance of CTAs within your email newsletter. The are numerous ways to use UTM parameters to track the effectiveness of your marketing efforts.
UTM parameters are also used for A/B testing to find out which variables perform better. Learn more about A/B testing from my recent post:
Tips and Tricks of Using UTMs
Be consistent
You need to be consistent in UTM naming, otherwise, your tracking may get messy over time. Compare:
Keep it organized
If you are dealing with lots of URLs with UTMs, you need to keep them organized. Use Google Sheets and assign columns to specific UTM values and links to easily refer to them in the future.
Use lowercase letters
Google Analytics is case-sensitive so you should use lowercase letters. Compare: utm_source=Facebook , utm_source=FaceBook , utm_source=facebook — these examples are not the same.
Stick with dashes
Spaces are not allowed in UTM so use dashes instead. Separate the words inside UTM parameters with dashes. Compare: utm_campaign=email-discount-april-2019. You may also use plus signs “+”, “_” and “%” as spaces but, in my opinion, dashes make your UTMs the most clean-looking.
UTM Code Generators
You can create links with UTM parameters manually or using URL builders.
Google’s URL Builder
Enter the values into the parameters, click “generate URL,” and bam, you are set.
EffinAmazing
Another online URL builder to use with Google Analytics, Mixpanel, Kissmetrics and most of the other analytics platforms.
UTMMaker
Online tool to create trackable links and use across various marketing channels.
Auto-tagging
Many third-party tools have the option to automatically tag URLs using UTM parameters. For example, MailChimp, Buffer, and Hootsuite all offer URL building functionality to paid subscribers.
What URL builders do you use? Please, share in the comments.
Link Shorteners
The longer your URLs, the less trustworthy they look to your audience. To make them shorter and hide their UTMs, you can use link shorteners.
bit.ly
Bit.ly is a link shortener platform that also offers a comprehensive dashboard that displays various performance metrics — click-through rates, geographic information and more.
Ow.ly
Ow.ly is inside the Hootsuite — a dashboard for social media management platform. Hootsuite is a freemium tool with free access to Ow.ly shortener.
Buff.ly
Similar to Hootsuite, Buffer is a social media management platform with integrated Buff.ly link shortener.
What link shorteners do you prefer? Please, share in the comments.
Conclusion
When running a marketing campaign, you need to track the performance of various pieces of marketing materials all around the web. This is where UTM parameters and Google Analytics come into play. When used wisely, these tools will bring you powerful insights into your marketing efforts.
