What Are UTM Parameters Plus How to Properly Use Them

What are UTM parameters? Theyre extra tags that you add to a URL to help you track and analyze traffic on your website.Although the term may sound technical, UTM parameters are simple and easy to use, while containing immense analytical power.In this article, we’ll explain what UTM parameters are in more detail and then show you how to use UTM parameters to uncover meaningful insights about your website and marketing channels. https://themeisle.com/?utm_source=facebookHere, the UTM tag is utm_source=facebook  and is used to track a possible source of traffic. In this case, the source we are interested in is Facebook.You can also add more tags to track additional data, like a specific post that you made on Facebook. For example:https://themeisle.com/?utm_source=facebookutm_medium=social-mediautm_campaign=what-are-utm-parameters-postMore on what all these UTM parameters mean in a second.UTMs can be used to see which marketing platforms  or campaigns are working best for you, and to track the value of social marketing campaigns. You can also use them on your own site. For example, you could see how well specific blog posts work at converting visitors into customers.This means you can generate precise data on where your traffic is coming from. Youll also be able to see what avenues users take to convert. Furthermore, you can more easily compare posts (akin to A/B testing) to better know whats working for you and what isnt.In addition, with UTMs you can measure return on investment (ROI), refine your social media strategy, track influencer marketing, and much more. Well discuss these in more detail below.How to use UTM parameters (in 4 steps)At this point, you might be worried about potentially causing a search engine optimization (SEO) problem by tweaking your URLs. Fortunately, you dont have to attach UTM parameters to your links manually. Instead, you can use a UTM generator to ensure your links are error-free and optimized. Lets take a look!1. Set up Google AnalyticsThe first step is to create a Google Analytics account so that you can log and analyze UTM tags.The good news is that weve talked about this previously, and have also given you a walkthrough of the interface. If this is your first time using Google Analytics, these guides will come in handy – especially if youre overwhelmed by the screens you see.Once youve set up your account, grabbed your tracking ID, and linked your analytics with your WordPress site, youll be ready for the next step. To make this last aspect easier, and help you better integrate analytics data with your WordPress website, we recommend installing a plugin such as MonsterInsights. Google Analytics Dashboard Plugin for WordPress by MonsterInsights Author(s): Google Analytics Campaign URL Builder.Once you navigate here, youll see several fields enabling you to input the website URL you want to track and your parameters. The first four fields are required information†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦and there a re five different UTM parameters you can choose from. Lets quickly go over what they are:utm_source. The source identifies where the click has come from (i.e. the referral website), and is required.utm_medium. This states whether a link was within an email, was a cost-per-click (CPC) link, and more. Again, this is a required field.utm_campaign. This required field helps when carrying out keyword analysis. Its simply an identifier for the campaign. For example, a specific social media post or the title of a guest post.utm_term. Youll only use this parameter when conducting paid search campaigns, and lets you state a keyword term (such as wordpress+themes.)utm_content. Finally, this parameter is used when multiple ads or links point to the same URL, in order to help differentiate them.Once youve filled in your information, the tool will automatically generate the properly-tagged URL for you:This is the link youll use in your social posts or other promotional channels. You may want to shorten it for aesthetic or administrative reasons using a service such as Bitly.  As users interact with this link, the data will be sent to your Google Analytics account – which is where well head to next!3. Track campaigns with UTM parametersGoogle Analytics provides practically all of the information you need to analyze your campaigns. Within your dashboard, head to the  Reports  section, then navigate to  Acquisition Campaigns   All Campaigns:Youll see a list of campaigns, and a selection of other data, grouped by Acquisition (which breaks down the numbers further  by users, new users, and sessions), Behavior (drilling down to Bounce Rate, Pages Per Session, and Average Session Duration), and Conversions.Here, youll see different columns based on the Goals youve set within Google Analytics. However, there will usually be a Conversion Rate percentage to look for. This essentially gives you almost everything you need to assess a given campaign – footfal l, where the traffic has come from, and whether theyre captivated. The final step is to dig into these figures.Step 4: Analyze the data the UTM parameters provideThe last step is perhaps the most important: analyzing your data. After all, its why you want to add UTM parameters in the first place. While you could simply do this via the Google Analytics dashboard, you may find it easier to export this information as a PDF, Google Sheet, Excel spreadsheet, or .csv file. You can do this in Google Analytics, via the Export link:Once youve retrieved your data, youre afforded some flexibility with it. For instance, you can use UTM parameters to measure the ROI of your social media posts, because you now have explicit data showing which social strategies are most cost effective.The data can also give you a clear picture of which social media posts drive traffic to your site. Furthermore, you can use it to calculate the cost to acquire a lead or customer by tracking the ads and campaigns use rs click, and the overall number that end up converting.UTM parameters are also an effective way to track influencer marketing results. By attaching UTMs to your affiliate links, youll be able to tell if an influencers efforts are paying off on an individual basis. Or, you can use UTM parameters in links to your site that you insert in guest posts, or your author bio at a guest post source.Finally, the last thing well mention about analyzing your data is split testing. Using UTMs in two different social posts provides an effective way to compare their effectiveness. You can then tweak them to improve results – for example, trialing how video impacts the conversion rate, and how your audience responds to it.ConclusionUTM parameters provide you with precise data on where your traffic and conversions come from. They can be implemented to measure the performance of your content, and to see which marketing platforms are working best for you.In this piece, we’ve shown you ho w to track your content using UTM parameters. Let’s quickly recap the four steps:Set up Google Analytics.Add UTM parameters to your links.Track campaigns with UTM parameters.Analyze the data the UTM parameters provide. UTM parameters - what are they? The little tags are essential for #analytics - learn how to use them Click To Tweet Do you have any questions about UTM parameters? Ask away in the comments section below!Free guide5 Essential Tips to Speed Up Your WordPress SiteReduce your loading time by even 50-80% just by following simple tips.