UTM Tracking: What Are UTM Codes and How Do I Use Them?
As a marketeer, you probably already realize that your marketing drives visitors to your clients' sites, but do you have any proof of that? Can you provide evidence for each specific tweet or post that drove people to your client's site?
A famous Peter Drucker quote says that “What’s gotten away from us is not the ability to think but our inability to act.” It’s even truer today than it was when he first wrote it. Unless we can actually prove the value of our efforts, we won't be able to manage them effectively.
You can add these special codes to the end of any web address to track click activity and the performance of marketing campaigns.
Urchin was an online web statistics and analysis software created to track traffic information for websites.
Here, we will explain UTM (Unified Tracking Module) code and show you how to implement it for tracking your marketing efforts.
What Are UTM Tracking Codes?
The UTM tracking code is a string of characters added to the end of every link on your website. This allows you to see which links are driving traffic to your site.
For example, if you notice that a particular page receives more clicks than others, you may want to find out why. You could use Google Analytics to identify what pages are getting the most attention, but this requires some technical knowledge. The UTM code gives you an easy way to see exactly where your traffic comes from.
A UTM code looks something like this:
http://yourwebsite.com/your-post-title/?utm_source=google
How Does UTM Code Work?
When someone clicks on a link with a UTM code attached, they are redirected to a new URL containing information about their visit. For example, let's say you're running a campaign promoting a product called 'Product X'. If someone visits your website and clicks on one of your Product X links, they'll be taken to a page that looks like this:
This tells you two things:
First, the person clicked on a link with the UTM code.
Second, the URL contains additional information about the visitor. In this case, the URL includes the keyword 'product x' as well as the name of the company who sent the email.
How To Implement UTM Codes On Your Website
There are several ways to include UTM codes in your content. Here are three options:
Item 1 Add the code manually Item 2 Include the code automatically using a plugin
Adding the code manually
If you don't have access to your CMS, you can still add the code manually by adding it directly into your HTML.
To do so, open up your HTML editor and paste the following code at the bottom of your page:
var _utm_source 'YOUR-SOURCE';
var _utmzId 'YOUR-ID';
Where YOUR-SOURCE is the source of the referral, and YOUR-ID is the unique identifier assigned to your campaign.
Include the code automatically using a WordPress Plugin
WordPress has many plugins available to help marketers track their online advertising. One such plugin is Yoast SEO Premium. With Yoast SEO Premium, you can easily insert UTM codes into your posts and pages.
Then enter your source and ID values.
Click the button next to the box labeled 'Add New Link'. Enter the source and ID values. Click Save Changes.
Now whenever you create a post or page, you can choose whether or not to display the UTM code.
What Are the 5 UTM Parameters?
- There are 5 parameters you can add to your URLs:
- 1. utm_campaign - Campaign Name : It allows you to track the performance of a specific campaign.
- 2. utm_content - Content Title : Use this parameter to determine what someone clicked on to get to your site when there are multiple links pointing to the same URL, such as in an email or on a landing page with multiple CTAs.
- 3. utm_medium - Medium Used : Identifies what type of link was used, such as cost per click or email.
- 4. utm_term - Keyword(s) used in the ad copy : Use this UTM tag to track paid keywords or key phrases.
eg: utm_campaign='Google_AdWords'
eg: utm_content='logolink'
eg: utm_medium= 'email'
eg: utm_term='running+shoes'
5. utm_source - Source of Referral : Identify the advertiser, site, publication, etc. that is sending traffic to your property, for example: google, newsletter4, billboard.
eg: utm_source= 'google'
Where to Use UTM Parameters:
You can use these tags anywhere you would normally place a URL. You can also use them within images, videos, and other media files.
For example, if you want to track the performance of an image, you could add the UTM parameters to the image file itself. Then, when someone views the image, they will see the UTM parameters embedded in the image.
The only thing you need to remember is to make sure you set the correct value for each parameter. Otherwise, you won't know which campaign generated the traffic.
Do I need to use UTMs?
- Yes! If you're serious about tracking your marketing efforts, then you should be using UTMs. They allow you to identify the sources of traffic to your website, allowing you to better understand how visitors found your site. That's why it's important for you to know how to add UTM parameters so you can track everything.
- 1. Create a custom report under 'Customization' > 'Custom Reports'. Add Medium, Campaign, or Source as a dimension and the metrics you want to view.
- 2. Go to Acquisition → Overview → All Traffic → Source/Medium to view traffic.
How to View UTM Code Performance in Google Analytics
Once you add the UTM code to your campaign's URL, you can track the performance in Google Analytics in a few different reports.
Contact the Experts in UTM Tracking and Analytics
Ready to connect with the experts in UTM tracking and analytics? If you have any questions about how to use UTM tracking, contact us today! We're here to help.