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Google Analytics: UTM Link Tagging Explained

A customer developed some different campaigns, including blasting emails and flash banner ads. These campaigns centered around their new products and instructed them to visit different microsites (websites) about the new products.

Do you know how to track the number of people who received the emails or banner ads and visited the microsites.

The easily way is to use link tagging with Google Analytics UTM values. Then we could track the entire process in Google Analytics.

What are Google Analytic UTM Tags?

Google UTM (Urchin Tracking Module) tags allow you to add extra information to you the link you create. This extra information appears in the Google Analytics reports under Traffic Sources.

A Link with UTM tags added: http://www.yoursite.com/product.html?utm_source=Google &utm_medium=BannerAd01&utm_campaign=SGS1234

Required UTM Values

• utm_source=google (Campaign Source) * This is the source of the link or referrer: Example: Search Engine, another domain, or name of email list
• utm_medium=banner (Campaign Medium) * This is the method of delivery. Example: Postcard, Email, or Banner Ad
• utm_campaign=Project123 (Campaign Name) * This is a name that helps you keep track of your different campaign efforts, to identify a specific product promotion or strategic campaign. Example: utm_campaign=spring_sale.

Google Analytic UTM Tags - Traffic Report

Optional UTM Values

• utm_term=website+design (Campaign Term) * This is a used to identify paid keywords. Example: utm_term=running+shoes.
• utm_content=banner_120x240 (Campaign Content) * This is for split testing or separating two ads that go to the same URL. Examples: utm_content=logolink or utm_content=textlink.

To create the URL just add a “?” at the end of the URL and then an “&” between each one of the terms.

If you would like some assistance here is a very helpful Google Analytics URL Builder .

Where to view the Link Tagging Results?

After you have created your links and sent them out via email, other web sites or pay per click, it is time to see your results. As with all Google Analytic Reporting it can take several hours for the data to appear in you reports.

In Google Analytics go to Traffic Sources --> All Traffic Sources

Depending on how much traffic you site gets you may have to filter to find the information. After you locate it you will see the UTM values you entered for the Source and Medium.

Additionally you can filter the different reports to see the other UTM values that you added to your links.

Summary

Tagging Links with UTM values is a very powerful and valuable tool that gives you the ability to create unique links for different campaigns. These links can be distributed via email, banner ad, affiliate program, or even offline marketing campaign.

Understanding campaign variables: The five dimensions of campaign tracking

Google Analytics tracks online campaigns using a combination of the following five marketing dimensions:

Source
Medium
Term
Content
Campaign
Source

Every referral to a web site has an origin, or source. Examples of sources are the Google search engine, the AOL search engine, the name of a newsletter, or the name of a referring web site.

Medium

The medium helps to qualify the source; together, the source and medium provide specific information about the origin of a referral. For example, in the case of a Google search engine source, the medium might be "cost-per-click", indicating a sponsored link for which the advertiser paid, or "organic", indicating a link in the unpaid search engine results. In the case of a newsletter source, examples of medium include "email" and "print".

Term

The term or keyword is the word or phrase that a user types into a search engine.

Content

The content dimension describes the version of an advertisement on which a visitor clicked. It is used in content-targeted advertising and Content (A/B) Testing to determine which version of an advertisement is most effective at attracting profitable leads.

Campaign

The campaign dimension differentiates product promotions such as "Spring Ski Sale" or slogan campaigns such as "Get Fit For Summer".