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. Below is an example of a URL that has UTM parameters added to it for tracking traffic from Facebook ot a webpage:

http://thestateway.gsu.edu/student-parents/?utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=the%20state%20way&utm_medium=display&utm_content=student

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 account tracked on any webpage.

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 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. Medium should change to describe how it’s shared.