UTM means Urchin Tracking Module. It is a parameter standard system that attributes website traffic from different marketing campaigns or sources. UTM parameters, usually added to the URL, also contain information on the source and medium, in addition to the content relative to that link, which enables the marketer to do a further analysis on the effectiveness of their campaigns in driving both traffic and conversions.
It has its origins in the Urchin Software Corporation, now acquired by Google and the foundation of Google Analytics. UTM parameters are pretty much an accepted industry practice today when one has to track and attribute digital marketing efforts over different platforms and tools.
The five major UTM parameters are:
- utm_source: Identifies the source of the traffic, for example, the name of the website, newsletter, or partner that referred the visitor-for example, utm_source=google.
- utm_medium tells you the medium or channel through which the traffic is coming: email, social media, paid search, or display ads. For example, cpc is the value you would use for utm.
- utm_campaign: The campaign or promotion that the marketing is associated with, such as a seasonal sale or product launch (e.g., utm_campaign=summer_sale).
- utm_term: Identifies the keyword or search term that triggered the ad in a paid search campaign. For example, utm_term=running+shoe identifies the utm_term as running+shoe.
- utm_content: To differentiate between a number of links under the same campaign or medium. For example, several call-to-action buttons or versions of an ad (e.g., utm_content=banner_ad_1).
An example of a URL that includes UTM parameters would be: https://www.example.com/products?utm_source
The inclusion of UTM parameters in campaign URLs can be useful in following the resultant traffic and conversions in web analytics tools to derive deep insights into performance ROI between different marketing efforts. Such data can guide budget reallocations, optimization of efforts within a given channel, and content creation leading to more effective and efficient marketing strategies.
Here are some best practices around using UTM parameters:
- Consistency: Always make sure to use a consistent naming convention for your UTM parameters and follow it. This is required to avoid tracking and reporting mistakes across different campaigns and channels.
- Specificity: Use descriptive and specific values of each parameter to bring out meaningful, actionable data; avoid use of generic or ambiguous terms.
- Simplicity: Do not use too many or overcomplicated UTM parameters, as the data might get fragmented and not be analyzed easily. Try not to overload the number of UTM parameters; include the most important and relevant ones according to the task you have to address.
- Test: Always test your UTM-tagged URLs to ensure that they are well-formatted and track well before launching your campaigns.
- Integration: Ensure your UTM data is properly integrated and aligned with other marketing and analytics tools and platforms, such as Google Analytics, CRM, or marketing automation systems.
They, along with the power of UTM parameters and best practices to use and analyze them, give marketers a much clearer and more complete view of digital marketing performance. The outcome is optimization and growth based on data.