GUIDE:
Using UTM parameters in Choozle
Overview
A UTM (Urchin Tracking Module) parameter is a code that can be attached to a custom URL to help track user interaction on your website. UTM codes enable Google Analytics to track the performance of each of those links so you can see where and from what campaign your traffic is coming from. Adding UTM parameters to your URLs can help measure the impact of your efforts, from tracking the reach of specific content to how different channels are contributing to overall conversions. UTM parameters are also known as UTM codes, UTM strings, or tracking tags.
What do UTM parameters track?
UTM parameters are used to track various mediums and sources, with flexibility surrounding the language you choose to describe those elements. These elements include source, medium, term, campaign, and specific content.
Source:
A source parameter can be used to identify which website is responsible for sending your website traffic. Sources are more specific than mediums, and could include sources such as Facebook, Twitter, Google, Choozle, etc. For example, you can add the UTM parameter to every link you post to Facebook, helping you to track and understand the website traffic that comes from Facebook.
| Examples | utm_source=Facebook |
| utm_source=Twitter |
Medium:
To track which medium your link is featured in, you can use a medium parameter. Similar to source, medium parameters are broad categories including email, social media, paid search, etc. For example, you can track all traffic from social media, rather than Facebook specifically.
| Examples | utm_medium=socialmedia |
| utm_medium=email |
Term:
A term parameter identifies the keywords you've paid for in a paid search ad (PPC). You can use a term parameter within the link you submit as a landing page within Google Ads, to identify the specific campaign under which the keyword falls under.
| Examples | utm_term=programmatic+advertising |
| utm_term=programmatic |
Campaign:
Using a campaign UTM parameter can help attribute website traffic to specific links for that campaign. This is commonly seen for campaigns that have an end, like a promotion or a discount.
| Examples | utm_campaign=10percentpromo |
| utm_campaign=backtoschool |
Specific Content:
Content UTMs are used to track specific content on a single page that link to the same destination from a common source and medium. This is often used for paid display or search campaigns or with two identical links on the same page, and helps you to identify the interaction of the user on the page.
| Examples | utm_content=header |
| utm_content=footerlink |
Creating a UTM parameter
Within a URL there can be any combination of UTM parameters, depending on how specific you wish to get with tracking. You can manually create each UTM parameter and attach it to the end of your URL, or use various tools to help build it for you (recommended). Google provides a Campaign URL Builder that can help to create the UTM parameter that works for your efforts.
Start with the URL you’d like to track. At the end, simply add a question mark (?) followed by the full UTM string. In the example below, UTM parameters have been added to the Choozle pricing page.
| URL to track | https://choozle.com/pricing/ |
| UTM code | ?utm_source=display&utm_medium=choozle&utm_campaign=demo_request |
| Full URL with UTM | https://choozle.com/pricing/?utm_source=display&utm_medium=choozle&utm_campaign=demo_request |
Using UTM parameters in Choozle
Choozle accepts UTM codes using all of the parameters that Google allows. In Choozle, these are configured as the click-through URLs when creative assets are uploaded.
- Start by editing an existing creative or adding a new creative asset.
- When editing existing creatives, or adding new creatives to your Choozle campaigns, add the full URL with the UTM parameters to the click-through URL section. (Note: Do not add a url with UTMs into the 3rd Party Tracking field.)
- Click save.
Tips for using UTMs
There are a few things to keep in mind when creating UTM parameters for your campaigns to ensure you are successful.
- Keep track of the URLs you are tracking with UTMs. This ensures that the correct URLs are consistently used across various platforms and provides documentation on naming conventions within the UTM parameters.
- Speaking of naming conventions, make sure to create standards that can be applied across all campaigns and URLs that are used. This minimizes confusion and errors along the way. These can include:
-
- Dashes(-), underscores (_), and percentages
- Stay consistent with lowercase text
- Clean and easy to read - everyone in your organization should be able to understand the different parameters
- Keep an eye out for repetitive parameters as this can cause issues