This article covers what to expect when adding UTM Parameters into a location's profile.
What is a UTM Parameter?
UTM parameters are tags that can be added to the end of a URL to track website traffic and user behavior. These parameters allow website owners to monitor the effectiveness of their online advertising efforts and measure the success of different marketing channels.
UTM parameters can be used in conjunction with reporting tools such, as Google Analytics, to track website traffic, user behavior, and conversion rates.
Adding UTM Parameters into a Location's Profile
Adding UTM parameters in the platform is a straightforward process that involves adding the relevant UTM tags into the directory UTM field that the UTM tracks. This parameter will then be appended to the end of the main website URL when data is sent to the respective directory. To do this, you can simply type the UTM parameters directly into the field exactly as it should appear at the end of the url.
For example, if you wanted to add UTM parameters to a URL for a Google AdWords campaign, you would start with the URL and add the relevant UTM tags as follows:
Location Website Field
Google UTM Field
?utm_source=google&utm_campaign=summer_sale
https://www.example.com/?utm_source=google&utm_campaign=summer_sale
When saving a UTM parameter in our tool, our system will automatically remove the "?" at the beginning of the UTM. The question mark will be added again when we send the UTM parameter to the directories. This way we can ensure that the standardized and correct format will be submitted. This means that you can add the UTM parameter with or without "?".
In this example, the UTM parameters have been added to the end of the original URL, with each parameter separated by an "&" symbol. The source is Google and the campaign is a summer sale (NOTE: The UTM values are solely for example purposes; users will create and manage the UTM parameters specific to their business).
Once you have entered the UTM parameters into the open text fields, the full URL (website + UTM) will be sent to the respective directory. Users can then track performance using their web analytics tools, such as Google Analytics. By analyzing the data from your UTM parameters, you can gain insights into which marketing channels and campaigns are driving the most traffic and conversions, and make data-driven decisions to optimize your online advertising efforts.
How to generate UTM Parameters
UTM Parameters cannot be generated within the location profile. The parameter will need to be created by the user outside of the platform and added into the correct directory UTM field for the location that should be reported on. The same UTM parameter can be added to more than one directory UTM field.
The UTM parameter will need to be added to the user's analytics software in order to track performance. Google Analytics is a common analytics software for online tracking.
Getting Reporting on UTM Parameters
Reporting on UTM Parameters will be within the user's Analytics software. There will not be UTM parameter reporting within the platform.
UTM Parameter validations
The platform checks for two items for validation when a UTM parameter is entered. UTM parameters will be marked as invalid if either of the following two conditions are met:
- the information added into the field begins with http, https, www, or any other form of a website url
- the UTM parameter contains a # - this character breaks a utm parameter for analytics software
What directories receive UTM parameters?
The following directories are the only ones that currently accept UTM parameters:
- Bing
Currently, other directories will not accept UTM parameters. They will either strip the UTM parameter from the url or reject the url altogether.
If more directories begin accepting UTM parameters, those directories will be added into the platform.