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Campaign UTM Tagging for Google Analytics

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(View a video presentation on setting up GA4 UTM codes for your campaigns.)

Campaign UTM Tagging for Google Analytics

 
Google Analytics is the de facto standard for web analytics and provides the means to track, analyze, and report on-site visits, marketing goals, and ad revenue generated from your site. UTM codes are the mechanism used to track link clicks from emails, online ads, other websites, and even from links on your website. 

Before you get started on UTM, you should understand the concepts of Google Analytics. Use the course below that will help you gain a foundation for the analytics standard you are currently using. If you don't know, use the "Contact Us" link on the right, select Google Analytics in the form and we can assist.  
 

What are UTMs?

Urchin Tracking Modules (UTMs) are small pieces of code attached to the end of a URL. These codes are essential for targeting and tracking specific campaigns. When someone clicks on a page with a UTM parameter, that information is sent back and segmented in Google Analytics.

Why are UTMs Important?

UTMs are crucial for answering the question: "Where did my user come from?" They help you understand audience behavior, interests, and response rates by campaigns. This insight is invaluable for tailoring your marketing strategies and improving engagement.


About UTM Codes
 
All links should be tagged with UTM codes to track how various campaign efforts lead to web traffic and engagement. Without a UTM code, the campaign simply appears as a referral from the media platforms in Google Analytics reports. To ensure consistency and clear data, all UTM-tagged URLs should be tracked. Organizing your codes is very important. Use the training link below to better understand how you can organize your codes so you don't lose information:
 
 

Example
Below is an example of a URL that has UTM parameters added to it for tracking traffic from Facebook to a webpage:
http://thestateway.gsu.edu/student-parents/?utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=the%20state%20way&utm_medium=display&utm_content=student

UTM Builder
Building the UTM code is easier using the tool provided by Google here:

https://ga-dev-tools.appspot.com/campaign-url-builder/

You'll see there are multiple inputs, but few of them are required. It's important to remain consistent. The easy part is that nothing has to be included in Google Analytics to make this work. Any link with a UTM code is automatically recorded in all analytics accounts tracked on any webpage.

Related Article: Using the Google URL Builder

Below are some general guidelines:

  • Google Analytics is case-sensitive. Keep all tags in lower case for consistency.
  • Use underscores or hyphens for spaces. Hyphens may improve SEO.
  • Source: should refer to the origin of the content.
  • Examples: magazine_story, press-release, news_story
  • Facebook, Twitter, and social media platforms should only be the source if the content is housed in there and not anywhere else. Ex: paid ads.
  • Medium: should describe where the link was shared.
  • Campaign: should describe the content
  • If we are sharing links on behalf of other social media accounts, specify the account in the medium. For example social_perimeter.
  • Content: should describe the content when testing campaigns.
  • Keep tagging consistent to analyze the performance of similar content over time.
  • No need to tag external links. Only links to GSU-managed websites.
  • Articles shared through multiple channels should have the same source and campaign for consistency. The medium should change to describe how it’s shared.

Keywords: google analytics, UTM tagging, UTM parameters, campaign tracking, web analytics, marketing analytics, ad performance tracking

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