What is UTM tracking or UTM codes, you ask?
UTM stands for Urchin Tracking Module — It’s a way to track campaigns, links, and ads by adding parameters to URLs. A UTM Builder (campaign URL builder or UTM generator as it’s sometimes called) is an easy way to create UTM links
This allows you to see the performance of specific marketing efforts in Google Analytics and other analytics programs.
The UTM builder is a powerful tool that helps you generate UTM codes and implement UTM tracking.
This, in turn, gives you clarity on what’s happening with your traffic, what sources send you traffic, and eventually how your digital marketing efforts are paying off.
Everyone can benefit from using a UTM Builder.
Besides, building your UTM codes with a UTM generator is a simple (but repeatable) process. However, using tools like Automate can help you automate the process if you like.
Benefits of UTM Builder: Generate UTM codes and UTM tracking
There are many benefits of using a UTM builder for UTM tracking:
- Helps measure SEO success
- Increases conversions by understanding how users interact with your website
- Allows you to keep up-to-date on customer trends so you can tailor future campaigns accordingly.
Let’s discuss what UTM tracking codes are used for, how to use a UTM builder, and how they work before we go into detail about creating them yourself (video below).
What’s UTM code? How does a UTM Builder Work?
UTM code is short for Urchin Tracking Module. UTM codes are a way to track your marketing efforts by providing metrics like impressions, clicks and conversions.
A UTM Code includes the campaign name (utm_campaign), the source of traffic (utm_source), the medium in which you’re running ads (utm_medium), and the specific keyword or ad group that generated the traffic (especially if you are using paid ads or retargeting ads).
This is how a regular URL with UTM tracking code appended to it looks like:
How to Create UTM Codes with a UTM Builder?
You’d do it manually if you are crazy enough. I don’t recommend that. With the number of links you’d have to create and share, manually isn’t the way to go.
For most UTM builders, these are the common input fields that you’d have to specify before sharing links anywhere (or before using them for your paid advertising or retargeting campaigns).
There are amazing tools to help you build UTM links. Some of them are listed below:
UTM Generator by the folks at Lupage Digital
Here’s another web-based UTM builder
Analytics UTM builder By Trafikant
Building UTM links: The Process
Depending on your marketing strategy, where you intend to put links to start getting inbound traffic, and where you use links, you’d have to specify these inputs using any of the UTM builders (above) and get a final URL that you can use.
Normally, this is how it’d go:
utm_campaign: Name of the campaign (every effort you take online is a campaign).
utm_source: The actual source where the link is used (a social media update? Cost per click ad? A banner? A link inside your blog post? an email newsletter?)
utm_medium: The nature of the source of traffic (email, guest post, etc.)
Here’s a video that takes you through the process (with an example) to make it simple for you:
How will UTM codes help & Why you should them?
Google Analytics can’t tell you how many people clicked on links in emails, Facebook ads, or Tweets unless they’re tagged with UTM codes.
If you have multiple campaigns running — such a handful of Facebook ads, dedicated retargeting campaigns, and also Google Ads and Quora Ads — it’s imperative that you have a way to differentiate and identify the sources of traffic and also how each of the traffic sources, platforms, and even specific campaigns are working.
UTM Tracking is a great way to measure the success of your marketing campaigns.
This data tells you which type of content gets more engagement and helps make informed decisions about where you should be spending more money, time, and resources.
It takes almost nothing to start with UTM codes and incorporate UTM tracking into your marketing workflow.
No excuses. Start from today.