A Beginners Guide to Tracking with UTM Parameters - Medium

UTM parameters are simple additions of tags that can be added to URLs. The UTM parameters contain the needed data for tracking, like which channel and campaign ... GetunlimitedaccessOpeninappHomeNotificationsListsStoriesWriteABeginnersGuidetoTrackingwithUTMParametersOriginallypublishedattheOribiblog.LearnhowtouseUTMparameterstoknowwhereyourtrafficiscomingfrom.Knowingwhereyourwebsitetrafficiscomingfromcanbecrucial.Doesyourtrafficcomefromyoursocialmediachannels?Ormaybefromyourblog?Whichpaidacquisitionchannelisbringingyoumoreusers?Wheredoyougetyourhighestqualityusersfrom?Fortunately,thereisaveryeasywaytoanswerthosequestionsbyusingUTMparametersfortracking.WhatareUTMparameters?UTMparametersaresimpleadditionsoftagsthatcanbeaddedtoURLs.TheUTMparameterscontaintheneededdatafortracking,likewhichchannelandcampaigndelivertraffictoyourwebsite.YoudecidewhattoenterasUTMparameters,soit’seasytoidentifythedifferentparameterslateronwhenanalyzingtrafficonGoogleAnalytics(oranyothertrackingsystemthatsupportsitlikeMixpanel).OnceaURLwithUTMparametersgetsclickedon,GoogleAnalyticsgetsallthedatafromtheUTMparametersontheURL,andit’spossibletosegmentthetraffic.YoucanuseUTMparametersonanyURLtoyourwebsite.ItcanbeasponsoredadURLorevenalinkfromyourblogtoyourproductsignuppage.Nomatterhowyouusethem,GoogleAnalyticswillhavethedatafromtheUTMparameters.Here’sanexampleofalinkwithUTMparameters:http://app.oribi.io/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=campaign_promotionOfcourse,youwilluseyourownwebsite,asweusedours—app.oribi.io.HowtocreateaURLwithUTMparameters?ThebestwaytogetstartedistousetheGoogleURLbuilder:https://ga-dev-tools.appspot.com/campaign-url-builder/IntheGoogleURLbuilder,yousimplyenterthedifferentparameters:AURLwithallyourUTMparameterswillautomaticallybegenerated:Nowyoucansimplycopyit,anduseitinyourad,postorwhateveryoumeanttodowiththisURL.Ifyouareusingitforasocialmediapost,it’sagoodideatoshortenit.YoucandoitdirectlyfromtheGoogleURLbuilder.Tip:IfyouneedtocreateURLsinbulk,youcanuseExceltodoit.CreateyourfirstURLwiththeURLbuilder,copyittoExcelandthenmakedifferentvariationsofitusingtheConcatenateformula.TherearethreebasicUTMparameterstouse:1.UTMSource—WherethetrafficiscomingfromTheactualsourceoftraffic,meaningthechannelyougotthetrafficfrom.Forexample,ifyouarecreatingaURLforapaidtrafficcampaignonFacebook,thesourceis“facebook”,andtheURLwilllooklikethis:http://app.oribi.io/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=acquisition&utm_campaign=oribi_brand_campaignIfyouarebuildingaURLforasocialmediasource,likeyourTwitterpage,thesourcecanbe“twitter”or“twitter_page”,dependingonhowgranularyouwanttobeinyoursourcessegmentation.TheURLwilllooklikethis:http://app.oribi.io/?utm_source=twitter_page&utm_medium=social_media&utm_campaign=utm_parameters_post2.UTMMedium—Thetypeoftraffic,orwhichkindoftoolyouusedtogetitMediumisthehigherlevel.Thisisactuallythemediumusedtogetthetraffic:Socialmedia,acquisition,websiteetc.Forexample,ifyouarebuildingaURLforapaidsearchcampaignonGoogleAdWordsorBing,themediumcanbe“acquisition”,“search”or“paid_search”,dependingonhowyouwishtodivideit.Thesource,inthiscase,willbe“google”,“google_adwords”or“bing”.SotheURLwilllooklikethis:http://app.oribi.io/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=acquisition&utm_campaign=oribi_brand_campaignAnotherexamplecanbe,IfyouarebuildingaURLthatwillleadtoyourwebsitefromyourLinkedin,FacebookorTwitterpages,themediumwillbe“social”or“social_media”.Thesource,inthiscase,willbe“google”/”google_page”,“twitter”/”twitter_page”or“linkedin”/”linkedin_page”.SotheURLwilllooklikethis:http://app.oribi.io/?utm_source=twitter_page&utm_medium=social_media&utm_campaign=utm_parameters_postYoucanalsouseMediumtodistinguishbetweenCPC,CPMoranyotherbiddingmethodsyoumayuse.Frommypersonalexperience,itisbettertouseMediumtoactuallydistinguishbetweenthemediumsyouareusing.Thisinformationwillhelpyouwithmakingkeydecisionsaboutyourdigitalstrategy.3.UTMCampaign—TheactualcampaignthatyougotyourtrafficfromThisiswhereyouputtheactualcampaignname.Ifit’sapaidtrafficcampaign,simplycopythecampaignnamefromyourpaidchannel.Forexample,ifit’sapaidsearchcampaignonGoogleAdWords,thatiscalled“broadkeywordssearchcampaign”,useitassuch:http://app.oribi.io/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=acquisition&utm_campaign=broad_keywords_search_campaignButwhatdoyoudoifit’snotapaidtrafficsourceandthere’snoactualcampaignname?Justusewhateverwillhelpyouasanindication,ofwhatyoudidtogettraffic.Forexample,ifyouarebuildingaURLthatwillleadusersfromoneofyourblogposts(let’scallit:“HowtoreallyuseUTMparameters”)toyourproduct,theURLwilllooklikethis:http://app.oribi.io/?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=website&utm_campaign=How_to_really_use_UTM_parametersWhatelsecanyoutrackwithUTMparameters?Therearemoreparametersyoucantrack,especiallyforpaidsearchcampaigns.Let’stakealookatafewexamples:1.Keywords—utm_term={keyword}:UsethisUTMparametersonyourpaidsearchads,tosegmentyourtrafficbythekeywordsyouareusingtotarget.YouDon’tneedtoactuallyputinthekeywords.WhenusingthekeywordUTMparameter,GoogleAdWords&Bingwillautomaticallysendbacktheactualkeyword.2.AdID—ad={creative}:Segmentyourtrafficbyyourads.ThisUTMparameterwillgiveyoudatabytheadIDongoogleAdWords.3.Matchtype—mt={matchtype}:Segmentyourtrafficbythekeywordsmatchtype.Seewhichmatchtypegotyoubetterusers,isitExact,broadorphrase?4.Adposition—adpos={adposition}:Segmentyourtrafficbytheadsposition,meaningthelocationoftheadintheGooglesearchresultspage.Seewhichaveragepositionyoushouldaimfor.Tip:Paycloseattentiontothisone.Manyadvertiserstendtothinktheyshouldaimforanaveragepositionof1–2withtheirkeywordsbids,butinmanycases,youwillseethattheusersyougotfromthepositions3–5areyourhighestqualityusers,andthosearetheonesyouarereallyafter.Inthiscase,youcandefinitelygoaheadandloweryourbids.So,asearchadURLwithUTMparameterswilllooklikethis:app.oribi.io/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=acquisition&utm_campaign=broad_oribi&utm_term={keyword}&ad={creative}&mt={matchtype}&adpos={adposition}ThesearethemainUTMparameterstouse,otherthansource,medium,andcampaign.ThereisanotheroptionalUTMparameteryoucanuse:5.Content—utm_content:UsethisUTMparametertodifferentiatethecontentofyourads.Forexample,ifyouaretestingsomeads,withtwodifferentcalltoactions.TheimportanceofconsistencyUsingUTMparametersisveryefficienttounderstandwhereyourwebsitetrafficiscomingfrom,butitisveryimportanttodoitcorrectlyinordertoreallyunderstandit,andmaketherightdecisionsbasedonit.OuradviceistocreateasetofrulesonhowtouseUTMparametersandmakesureeveryoneontheteamfollowsthoserules.IftheUTMparametersusageisnotconsistent,andeveryonewilljustfillinwhatevertheywant,youwillendupwastingtimetryingtofigureitoutonGoogleAnalytics.Here’sashortexampleofhowtosettherules:Or,youcanevengetmoregranular.Forexample,breakdownyourpaidtrafficevendeeper:ButhowdoyouseetheresultsfromyourUTMparameters?InGoogleAnalytics,youcaneasilysegmentyourdifferentUTMparameters.TherearemanywaystousethesegmentationonGoogleAnalytics.Forexample,ifyouwanttoanalyzethetrafficofoneofyourblogposts,simplyenterthepostonGoogleAnalytics>>Behaviour.Whenyouareonthepostdata,clickon“SecondaryDimension”,andthisdropdownmenuwillopen:ClickonSource/Medium,andyouwillgetthefullsegmentationofyourblogposttrafficbythecampaignandsourceUTMparametersyouusedinyourURLs:AsyoucanseewegotmostofthetraffictoourblogpostfromaFacebookpostonourpage:Source:facebookMedium:socialOfcourse,therearemuchmorewaystousewhatyoutrackedwithUTMparametersonGoogleAnalyticsoranyothersystemyouareusingwithtrackingabilities.ThisisjustonegreatexampleofhowusingUTMparametershelpsyousegmentingyourtraffic,andmaketherightdecisionsinyourdigitalstrategy.Well,nowyouknowhowtouseUTMparameters.MakesuretoalwaysusetheminanynewURL,oradyouarecreating.Keepthewayyoucreatethemconsistentsoyouwillalwaysknowwhatthedatayouseeactuallymeans.Don’tforgettosignuptogetallthebesttips.hacksandinsightsfromtheOribiblog.MorefromAsiDayanFollowLoveeverythingrelatedtomarketingandgrowth.HelpingwebsitesgrowatOribi.Lovepodcastsoraudiobooks?Learnonthegowithournewapp.TryKnowableAboutHelpTermsPrivacyGettheMediumappGetstartedAsiDayan32FollowersLoveeverythingrelatedtomarketingandgrowth.HelpingwebsitesgrowatOribi.FollowMorefromMediumTheBloggerTop5MarketingStrategiesForSmallBusinessesChidiJohn6QuickWaystoBoostAmazon(E-commerce)SalesandProfitsAnuAdegbolaEP206 — GoogleMarketingLive2022StefaniaBorchiaHowtostructureGoogleAdsaccordingtobusinessobjectivesHelpStatusWritersBlogCareersPrivacyTermsAboutKnowable