A UTM code is a simple code that you can attach to a custom URL in order to track a source, medium, and campaign name. This enables Google Analytics to tell you where searchers came from as well as what campaign directed them to you. A common use of UTM code is to create a vanity URL for each offline campaign, and then redirect that URL to whatever forwarding address you assign to it — most likely your main domain. This will give you the ability to track how a weekly newspaper ad, coupon, radio ad, or TV commercial is working without having to create custom landing pages for each campaign. By creating a separate UTM code for TV commercials and print ads, for example, you can get data on which generates more traffic, conversions, etc. Furthermore, you can track not only the source and the medium (radio, newspaper, coupon, etc.), but even individual campaign names like “Fall Chevy Sale.”
There are also some other values you can add to your code to monitor terms you are going after, or even specific content. Terms can include keywords like “gym shoes,” “chicago deep dish pizza,” or any other paid terms you are targeting. For content you may monitor two different ads that include the same message but different text to see which performs better.
Once you know the values you want to track, you can simply go to Google’s URL Builder, enter these values into the parameters, click “generate URL,” and bam, you are set. The wonderful thing about UTM codes is that you can change the code whenever you like to adjust the medium, month you may be running something, or any other factors you need tweaked.
Important UTM Tagging Tags
Your medium tag is where you are placing and tracking your UTM tags is important in understanding which avenue is best for conversion rates. Medium tags will show you which social media, referrals, organic traffic, click and conversion marketing campaigns are catering to your visitors.
A source tag will pull the specifics for each marketing campaign and where it is coming from. If you use Facebook, Instagram, pop-ups, email and Google the source tag will spell out exactly where the potential customer visited and where they saw your campaign for even more analytics.
When using campaign tags you want to keep them unique and consistent to each marketing campaign regardless of the medium, you are using. For each marketing channel you use, using the same campaign UTM tagging verbiage will help keep each one separate and organized and optimize your analytics power.
Best Practices of UTM Tagging
Understanding how to use UTM tagging for all of your marketing campaigns is important to the overall management and success of your business. Make sure to pay attention to special characters like & and be cognizant of spacing. To give you the best chance at tracking accurately do not include UTM tags in internal links.
Keeping your UTM tags consistent across each channel for specific marketing campaigns is important for proper tracking, measurements, and analytics. You should try to keep your UTM tagging practices short and sweet and very precise for more memorable and meaningful visitor experience for optimal chance of conversions.
To keep a more uniform and better-organized trail of UTM tags, you can add in term tags for identifying paid search criteria. To tell the difference between external links that ultimately go to the same URL, you can add in content tags. Never include personal information in your UTM tagging practices like email addresses and names in each and every one of your marketing campaigns.
Understanding and properly using UTM tagging practices will help your management and keep your marketing campaigns organized. By properly using analytics for success rates and getting the best ROI on your time and effort for each campaign then become easy.
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