Creating and Using UTM Codes to track click conversions

In this article, we'll show you how to use UTM parameters in your campaigns effectively, including best practices to keep in mind, how to create UTM links, and how to add them to your campaigns. Here's a list of the content you can expect to find in this article:

  1. Understanding UTM links
  2. Best practices for using UTM parameters
  3. How to create UTM links
  4. Adding UTM links to your campaign

Understanding UTM links

A UTM link is a regular link with extra code added to it to track where clicks are coming from. This code includes details like the source, medium, and campaign name. Using UTM links, you can track your marketing campaign's effectiveness and where your website traffic is coming from. For example, if you see clicks coming from a UTM link with the source "Facebook" and the campaign name "sale," you'll know your sale promotion on Facebook is working.

Following best practices

  1. Consistency is key: make sure to be consistent with spelling and capitalization. UTM parameters are case-sensitive, so using different variations of the same word can cause issues with tracking. Also, please don't use spaces in your UTM parameters, as this can break the link.
  2. Use descriptive names: Be descriptive in your naming conventions so it's easy to understand which campaign or channel a UTM parameter is associated with. For example, use "utm_campaign=spring_sale" instead of "utm_campaign=12345."
  3. Don't overdo it: While UTM parameters can be beneficial, don't go overboard. Too many UTM parameters can clutter your URLs and make it difficult to track and analyze data effectively.
  4. Keep an eye on data quality: Regularly review your UTM data to ensure that it's accurate and relevant. If you notice any discrepancies or inconsistencies, investigate the issue and make any necessary adjustments to your campaigns.
  5. Shorten the UTM Links: Consider using a URL shortener to make your UTM links less conspicuous. These links can become very long, especially if you add multiple parameters, so shortening the association can make it easier to use in your email marketing campaigns. 

How to create UTM links

Google has some tools that can help you create UTM links. Depending on where your link will be (on a website, in an app on Google Play, or an app on the Apple App Store), you can use one of three different tools. :

  • Google Analytics Campaign URL Builder
  • Google Play URL Builder
  • iOS Campaign Tracking URL Builder

Adding UTM links to your campaign

Are you looking to track the effectiveness of your online marketing campaigns? One way to do this is by using UTM links. UTM links are URLs that include special parameters that allow you to track how many clicks and conversions your campaigns generate.

Here's an example of how you might use UTM links. Let's say you're running an email campaign to promote a new product. By adding UTM parameters to the links in your emails, you can track how many people clicked on those links and how many of them ultimately converted into customers. Here's how you can do it:

  • 1. Create your campaign.

Before you can add UTM links, you'll need to create your marketing campaign.

Here's how to create a campaign.

  • 2. In the last step of the campaign creation process, select Campaign UTM parameters to access the parameter fields.
  • 3. Fill in the UTM parameter fields.

Once you've accessed the UTM parameter fields, you can start filling them in. The key parameters you'll want to include are:

  • Source: This refers to the traffic source or platform where your campaign is running. For example, since you're running an email campaign, your source might be "cakemail".
  • Medium: This refers to the marketing channel you're using. For an email campaign, your medium would be "email".
  • Campaign Name: This refers to the name of your campaign. In our example, it might be "product_launch".
  • Content: This refers to the specific content or ad variant that the user clicked on. This can be useful for testing different ad variants to see which one performs best.
  • Term: This refers to the keywords used by the user in a search engine. This can be useful for tracking the effectiveness of paid search campaigns.
  • 4. Create your UTM link.

Using UTM links, you can gain valuable insights into the performance of your marketing campaigns. You can see which sources and channels generate the most traffic and conversions, which ad variants perform best, and which keywords drive the most search engine traffic. This information can help you optimize your campaigns for better results.

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