Ad Tracking with UTM Parameters Simplified

One of the quickest ways to boost your marketing results is by adding UTM parameters to your conversion tracking, but what the heck is that supposed to mean?

To start, conversions are actions noted by Google Ads whenever a user takes an action on your website. Tracking these conversions can become quite tricky when dealing with multiple channels, but given the importance of having multiple sources of traffic to your website today, UTM parameters are your new best friend.

What are UTM Parameters?

UTM parameters are tags you can add to a website URL that allow you to track conversions and website traffic. They reveal where your users are coming from across your marketing platforms and what actions they took when they arrived.

If you take a look at Google Ads and go to "add a conversion", it will give you the option of importing offline conversions (UTM):

Google conversion import screen showing UTM parameter options

After the UTM parameters are added, every click of the URL will send the data that your parameter is asking for back to your analytics program. They come in five types:

The 5 Types of UTM Parameters

1. Source (utm_source)

Purpose: Identifies which marketing channel brought the traffic

Example: utm_source=Facebook

2. Medium (utm_medium)

Purpose: Identifies what type of link brought the traffic. Mostly used to identify whether the link was found organically or a paid promotion.

Examples: utm_medium=videoad or utm_medium=newsfeed

3. Campaign (utm_campaign)

Purpose: Identifies the overarching ad campaign or promotion that your link falls under.

Example: utm_campaign=fall_sale

4. Term (utm_term)

Purpose: Identifies targeted keywords or search terms. Might be used to differentiate ads when the other parameters happen to be identical.

Example: utm_term=conversion+tracking

5. Content (utm_content)

Purpose: Identifies what the user specifically clicked that brought the traffic.

Examples: utm_content=bannerad or utm_content=textlink

Why UTM Parameters Are Your Marketing Best Friend

Knowing where your digital marketing is actually paying off will allow you to make better budgeting decisions. While they can sound complicated, UTM parameters are a lot simpler than they seem. By taking advantage of them, your company can:

Test detailed performance of your newsletters and email campaigns
Go beyond like or follow analytics to see actual conversions
Flush out low performing marketing channels to save time and money
Make data-driven budget decisions based on real ROI data
Track cross-platform campaigns with precision
Identify your highest converting traffic sources for optimization

UTM Parameter Example:

https://yourwebsite.com/landing-page?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=summer_sale&utm_term=discount_shoes&utm_content=carousel_ad

This URL tells you: Traffic came from Facebook, through a paid click (CPC), part of the summer sale campaign, targeting "discount shoes" keywords, from a carousel ad format.

Getting Started with UTM Parameters

Ready to implement UTM tracking for your campaigns? Here's how to get started:

Use Google's Campaign URL Builder to create your UTM links easily
Establish naming conventions for consistency across campaigns
Start with the basics: Source, Medium, and Campaign are most important
Track in Google Analytics under Acquisition > Campaigns
Document your parameters in a spreadsheet for team reference
Test your links before launching campaigns

UTM Best Practices:

• Keep parameter values lowercase and use underscores for spaces
• Be consistent with naming conventions across all campaigns
• Don't use UTM parameters for internal links on your own site
• Always use URL shorteners for social media to hide long UTM strings
• Set up goal tracking in Google Analytics to measure conversions
• Review UTM data weekly to optimize campaign performance

Ready to Track Your Marketing Like a Pro?

Stop guessing which marketing channels are working and start making data-driven decisions. Our marketing analytics experts can help you set up comprehensive UTM tracking, configure Google Analytics goals, and create custom reports that show exactly where your best customers are coming from. Let's optimize your marketing spend together.

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Ad Tracking with UTM ParametersSimplified