Google Ads UTM Parameters: A Comprehensive Guide

Google Ads UTM parameters are a crucial tool for tracking the performance of your online campaigns. They help you understand which sources, mediums, and campaigns are driving the most conversions and sales.

UTM parameters are easy to use and can be added to any URL. They are also compatible with most analytics tools, including Google Analytics.

Here's a breakdown of the different types of UTM parameters you can use:

utm_source identifies the source of the traffic, such as a social media platform or email marketing campaign. For example, if you're running a Facebook ad campaign, you would use utm_source=facebook.

utm_medium indicates the type of ad or marketing channel used to drive the traffic. For instance, if you're running a Google Ads search ad, you would use utm_medium=cpc (cost-per-click).

UTM parameters are a set of customizable parameters added to a URL to provide more information on where a user came from before landing on your site.

They're particularly useful for tracking the performance of your Google Ads campaigns.

UTM parameters are made up of five classic parameters: utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign, utm_term, and utm_content.

You should always include the utm_source, utm_medium, and utm_campaign parameters when adding UTM parameters to links.

Here's a breakdown of what each parameter does:

Setting up Google Ads UTM parameters is a straightforward process. To start, you'll need to update your final URLs in your Google Ads account by replacing the original destination URL with the UTM-tagged URL you created.

You can use the Google Campaign URL Builder to create UTM-tagged URLs. This tool allows you to input the necessary information and automatically generates a URL with the appropriate UTM parameters. Simply enter your website address, campaign source, and other required fields to create a custom tracking URL.

To add UTM parameters to a URL, you'll need to add a question mark (?) to the end of the link, followed by your first UTM parameter. Each proceeding parameter will start with an ampersand (&). For example, if you're running a paid search campaign on Google Ads, you can add “?utm_medium=cpc” to the end of your LP URL.

You can use a tool like the Google Campaign URL Builder or create a sharable spreadsheet to generate and keep track of UTMs. The Campaign URL Builder is a nifty tool that allows you to input the necessary information and automatically generates a URL with the appropriate UTM parameters.

Here's a list of the 5 standard UTM parameters you can track: source, medium, campaign, term, and content.

To effectively use the utm_medium parameter, you'll need to determine the mediums that are relevant to your advertising efforts. For example, if you're running a paid search campaign on Google Ads, you can add “?utm_medium=cpc” to the end of your LP URL.

Custom parameters are also available, which allow advertisers to dynamically pass values from their website or app to their Google campaigns. Custom parameters are typically used to capture additional information about a click or conversion, such as the source of the click or the type of product or service being advertised.

UTM parameters are essential for tracking the performance of your Google Ads campaigns. To set up UTM tracking, you need to define the UTM parameters you want to use, which typically include campaign, source, medium, term, and content. Decide on the values that best align with your campaign objectives and goals.

The most commonly used UTM parameters are source, medium, campaign, term, and content. You can use these parameters to capture additional information about a click or conversion, such as the source of the click or the type of product or service being advertised.

Custom parameters are also available, allowing you to dynamically pass values from your website or app to your Google campaigns. This feature is used in conjunction with Google Ads' tracking templates to customize the URLs of your Google campaign and track specific data about the ad click.

To create UTM parameters for your URLs, you can use a tool like the Campaign URL Builder. This tool allows you to input the necessary information and automatically generates a URL with the appropriate UTM parameters.

Here are the five standard UTM parameters that everyone is used to:

Additionally, you can use the Campaign ID (utm_id) to assign campaigns with a unique ID that complements the other parameters for even more in-depth campaign tracking and reporting.

To ensure accurate and consistent tracking of your Google Ads campaigns, it's essential to follow best practices for UTM parameters. Use descriptive tags that are easy to understand, avoiding ambiguous terms or number sequences.

To start, be descriptive with your tags, using recognizable and clear terms that anyone interpreting the data can understand. This will make it easier to sort and interpret your data later on.

Establish a naming convention from the start, and agree on it with your team. This includes the names for different mediums, traffic sources, and campaign names. For example, will you use underscores or dashes in a campaign name?

Use all lowercase letters in your UTM tracking links to avoid confusion. If you're tagging every other link using a capital "W", you'll notice in your reports that half your traffic is coming from the source "Webinar" and the other half is coming from "webinar".

Choose relevant parameters, and don't use every parameter just because it's available. You're required to include "utm_source" but all the others are optional. Unless you're running a paid search ad, it's best not to use the "utm_term" tag.

To make things easier, use a tool like the Campaign URL Builder to automatically generate a URL with the appropriate UTM parameters. This tool allows you to input the necessary information and generate a URL with UTM parameters, including the "utm_medium" parameter, which should be used with the correct values as per the provided table.

Here are some key guidelines to keep in mind:

The Campaign URL Builder from Google is a nifty tool that lets you plug in all the details of your campaign without worrying about stringing a coherent UTM parameter.

You can use a tool like the Campaign URL Builder to automatically generate a URL with the appropriate UTM parameters, which is a straightforward process.

To use the utm_medium parameter effectively, ensure to use the correct values as per the provided table to enable default channel grouping in Google Analytics.

Many marketing automation platforms automatically put UTMs in URLs across your email and SMS marketing, but for campaigns across channels like social or partner programs, you'll need a way to generate UTMs that fall in line with your naming conventions.

You can save your URL with UTM parameters in a spreadsheet or similar tool for future reference, which ensures consistency in your tracking efforts and allows for easy access whenever you need to use the URL again.

You can track traffic for different campaigns using the utm_campaign parameter. This parameter solves the problem of figuring out which marketing campaigns are driving your current results.

The utm_campaign parameter can be used to organize all your links, like a new 20% off discount campaign, into different campaigns. For example, you can use utm_campaign=20off&utm_source=facebook to track traffic from Facebook.

To track the performance of UTM codes in Google Analytics, navigate to the 'Acquisition' report, then select 'Traffic acquisition'. This report showcases user engagement metrics by source, medium, and campaign—the core UTM parameters.

UTM parameters impact event data in Google Analytics 4, allowing for more granular tracking of user interactions tied to campaigns. In GA4, UTM parameters are treated as event-level dimensions.

To view UTM parameters in an Exploration, go to Explore in the left-hand navigation and then click “Blank Report”. You can then select the appropriate metrics depending on what questions you want to answer about your campaigns.

The utm_medium parameter is particularly useful for conducting a macro-level traffic pattern analysis. You can group all links into a few broad mediums – social, CPC, search, email, referral, etc.

Google Analytics 4 simplifies tracking by reducing the reliance on manual UTM tagging and introducing automatic event tracking. It also adds some new parameters.

The classic codes that everyone is used to from Universal Analytics are still in play today, including Source, Medium, Campaign, Term, Content, and ID. The Campaign ID (utm_id) allows you to assign campaigns with a unique ID for even more in-depth campaign tracking and reporting.

UTM parameters in GA4 have been updated to align with Google's current recommendations and include additional parameters for campaign tracking. This includes dynamic parameters, event parameters, and user properties.

Here are the five standard UTM parameters in Universal Analytics:

And the two additional parameters in GA4:

To access UTM parameter data in GA4, go to Reports > Acquisition > Traffic Acquisition (or User Acquisition). You can then choose the parameters that you are interested in and view various metrics associated with them, like users, sessions, and total revenue.

Don't let wrong utm_medium values hinder Google Analytics from doing its job. Make sure to use the right value for proper channel grouping.

Case-sensitivity is crucial when working with UTMs. Ensure all your links are in lower case to avoid any issues.

Incorrect URL encoding can also cause problems. Don't try to write the values yourself, use a tool that generates the link for you and takes care of URL encoding.

Inconsistent UTM values will make your campaigns incomparable. To avoid this, save each link in a sheet for later reference.

Forgetting to adapt UTM values when a campaign is edited can lead to confusion later on. Update the campaign value so you can distinguish between both campaigns.

Here are some common mistakes to watch out for:

A good UTM parameter should tell you something different about your visitors. It should read more like a sentence than a keyword.

Each parameter should answer a question, like "What campaign is this?" or "Where was the URL clicked?". For example, ?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=paid-social&utm_campaign=product-launch&utm_content=blog tells a story and informs future marketing strategy.

This parameter answers four questions:

Using the wrong utm_medium values can hinder Google Analytics from doing proper channel grouping. This is why it's essential to read up on the different types of utm_medium values.

Case-sensitivity is a common mistake when working with UTMs. Make sure all your links are in lower case.

Not using descriptive names for campaigns, terms, or content is a mistake that can lead to confusion. This is especially true when trying to track and analyze your campaigns.

Inconsistent UTM values can make your campaigns incomparable. To avoid this, save each link in a sheet for later reference.

Forgetting to distinguish between organic social and paid social links is a mistake that can skew your analytics. This is why it's crucial to use different UTM values for each type of link.

Here are some common mistakes to watch out for when working with UTMs:

Not adapting UTM values when a campaign was edited can make it difficult to distinguish between the two campaigns. This is why it's essential to update your UTM values accordingly.