SEO glossary: UTM parameters

 

Definition: What are UTM parameters?

UTM stands for "Urchin Tracking Modules". These parameters are short tracking codes that you can find at the end of a URL. They allow conclusions to be drawn about how often and by whom the respective page is accessed.

 

UTM parameters are a tool for campaign-specific tracking. The Google Analytics platform is used for this. Users click on a link and information is transmitted directly to Google Analytics.

 

UTM parameters are therefore very relevant for advertising campaigns and marketing activities. The insights gained from these parameters allow you to improve your campaigns and target them more effectively.

 

This provides various important pieces of information, for example:

 

• How many users reach your website via a specific link?
• Do you prefer to click on a text or image link in a newsletter?
• Where do most of the hits on your website come from?

 

The tracking codes always start with a question mark. This makes it easier for the tracking tool used to recognize where the URL ends and where the UTM parameter begins.

 

Important: UTM parameters do not change the content behind the links!

 

How to create links with UTM parameters!

Would you also like to use this form of campaign tracking? Then you first need Google Analytics. It helps you to create corresponding links that are equipped with UTM parameters.

 

To do this, you use the Google Analytics Campaign URL Builder. You enter the required data and the URL is automatically generated for you.

 

You can use a total of five UTM parameters to define your campaign. However, you do not have to use all options: the minimum is three UTM parameters. As a general rule, you should only use the UTM parameters required for the respective campaign.

 

To make it easier for you to assign the parameters of your campaign later, you should name them clearly. This is the only way to ensure meaningful tracking.

 

Which UTM parameters are required for campaigns?

Three of the five available UTM parameters are mandatory. Two are therefore optional. But which parameters are these and what do they say?

 

Mandatory: Campaign source utm_source

A mandatory UTM parameter is the so-called "campaign source" - also identified in the code as "utm_source". You can use this parameter to find out the source of the traffic - for example, a website, a newsletter, a social network or a search engine.

 

Mandatory: Campaign medium utm_medium

The second mandatory parameter is "utm_medium", i.e. the UTM parameter that defines the advertising or marketing medium. The following options are available:

 

• a social network
• a social ad
• an e-mail
• an advertisement in the course of search engine advertising

 

Mandatory: Campaign name utm_campaign

Enter the name of your promotion or campaign under "Campaign name". You can name it whatever you like, e.g. "summer-sale", "black-week-campaign" or "newsletter-august".

 

Optional: Campaign content utm_content

With utm_content, you can compare the performance of different measures. For example, if you send a newsletter with different CTA buttons, you can compare which button was clicked more frequently by setting the UTM parameter "Campaign content".

 

Optional: Campaign term utm_term

This UTM parameter is only relevant if you have selected a paid keyword campaign and set the tag manually. The keyword is stored in the ad. But why is this necessary, after all Google Analytics tracks your campaigns via Google Ads automatically?

 

In fact, you do not need the UTM parameter if you use Google's automatic tag labeling. However, if you decide to run a campaign via Bing or Yahoo! and want to track it via Google, you must add the "campaign term" to the target URLs of your ads.

 

Entering UTM parameters in Google Analytics - how it works

If you use Google Analytics, it is very easy to integrate UTM parameters. We have put together a step-by-step guide to help you do this very quickly:

 

1. Call up the Google Campaign URL builder . Add the necessary information for the website URL. If you have a lot of marketing activities, you should archive used UTM parameters to keep a good overview.
2. Append the generated parameters to the desired URLs . It doesn't matter which order you choose. If you encounter technical difficulties, you should contact Google Analytics support.
3. Once some data has been collected, you can measure the performance of your campaigns. Call up the campaign reports in Google Analytics via Reports > Acquisition > Campaigns.

 

 

Especially if you use all five possible UTM parameters, a link can quickly become very long and confusing. To ensure that users are not put off by this and you can achieve many clicks, it is advisable to shorten UTM links.

There are various providers for this, such as Bitly. You can simply insert your link and have it shortened accordingly.

 

 

Why should you use UTM parameters in your campaigns?

If you are doing marketing, for example for customer acquisition, measuring your results is essential. The more data you can collect, the better. This is because the insights you gain from a campaign can help you with subsequent marketing measures.

 

If you don't use URL tracking via UTM parameters, your marketing is like gambling. However, if you receive information through appropriately placed UTM parameters, you will find out which measures work well and where there is still room for optimization.

 

Since every company is different, marketing also varies from company to company. Find out what works best for your brand by setting links with UTM parameters .

 

Find out

 

• which channel is the right one for your marketing,
• whether a particular campaign is working,
• which advertising material and which medium is recommended,
• which keyword delivers the best results,
• which content best appeals to your target group and
• how individual advertising media perform.

 

A/B testing thanks to URL tracking

A/B testing is a popular method in marketing to find out which advertising media deliver the best performance. If you want to test whether your target group responds better to banner ads or text ads, you can find out with the UTM parameter "utm_content".

 

You can then find out which advertising medium was more successful in your analysis tool - for example in Google Analytics.

 

UTM parameters and data protection - what needs to be considered?

With tracking methods, the question quickly arises: What about data protection? Are these methods secure? With UTM parameters, you can be sure: Data protection is a top priority here.

 

The best way to do this is to delve a little deeper into the function of UTM parameters. They are read by your tracking software (usually Google Analytics). If no Privacy First Analytics tool or Cookieless is activated, the information is stored in a cookie.

 

They are then transmitted to a server , which stores them and assigns them to users until a conversion occurs or until assignment is no longer possible for technical reasons.

 

Personal data is not involved. Rather, only information that is used to evaluate campaigns and advertising media is required. Users are therefore safe and protected despite the use of UTM parameters!

 

When is it worth using UTM parameters?

Whenever you want to track your URLs, it is worth using UTM parameters. If you link to your own website from an external source, a UTM link is recommended.

 

What you should not do, however:

 

Use UTM parameters within your own website. Why not? This can overwrite existing campaign values , which distorts your evaluations. This is because Google Analytics always starts a new session when it recognizes a new campaign. The tool assumes that this is a new visit.

 

Examples of the use of UTM parameters

• Paid ads: Paid ads - whether Google Ads or other ads - should ideally be provided with UTM parameters. utm_medium = cpc is recommended here. This stands for cost per click, which is used to recognize paid ads.
• Social media: Do you post links to your website on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or TikToks? Then it's best to use the parameter utm_medium = social. The name of the social network is suitable as the source (utm_source).
• Influencer marketingThe use of UTM parameters can also be useful here. For example, you can enter the name of the influencer who is advertising for you in the source.
• Affiliate marketing: UTM links are also suitable for participation in affiliate programs. Here, for example, you can specify the name or ID of the affiliate as the source. The medium and content should also be specified.
• Print advertising: Can UTM parameters also be used for print advertising? Absolutely! However, as the long UTM links don't look very nice and there are often errors when entering them, you should shorten them a little. Now you can also track who has found your website via print media.