Have you ever looked at your digital marketing reports and wondered how to tell what traffic comes from what efforts? Is it coming from your investment in digital marketing, referrals, or your team’s networking efforts?
Google Analytics allows you to track actions visitors take on your website, where the traffic is coming from, and much more. UTM (Urchin Tracking Module) parameters provide Google Analytics with more context around where your traffic originates, and what marketing campaign to associate it with for tracking purposes.
UTM parameters are code that you put at the end of a website address to tell analytics tools where traffic comes from. They can be used on almost anything – your Google My Business link, social posts, links on third party sites back to your site, and much more.
The Urchin What??
It’s an odd name, we agree! The explanation is simple, though – a very early version of what we currently use as Google Analytics was created by a company called Urchin On Demand. Google bought the company back in 2005 when tracking visitors via these types of codes was cutting edge in the industry, and the name has stuck since then.
Why do they matter?
Measuring your marketing metrics are critical for you to see what’s working, and what’s not.
How does a UTM parameter help you see what’s working?
The example in the section below could tell us the following…
- The visitor came from a Facebook page post
- The post was associated with your “spring” marketing campaign
- They landed on one of your recent blog posts, then visited your About page, the visited your Contact page and submitted a form
Then, in your CRM you see…
- You had two calls with them
- They signed with you for your services, and paid you $15k in revenue
So, this simple tracking method connected the money you’re investing into organic marketing efforts (SEO) to $15k in revenue. If you paid $20k in marketing dollars over the previous quarter and this is the only lead you got, that’s telling you something may need to be adjusted with your marketing efforts. If you invested $20k in digital marketing, and you got 10 of these $15k clients, you can see what’s working and do more of it!
How To Implement UTM Parameters
Here‘s how link tracking with UTM parameters works:
Basic UTM Code
?utm_source=X&utm_medium=X&utm_campaign=X
Sample Code For A Standard Link
<a href=”https://www.legalscapes.com”>https://www.legalscapes.com</a>
Sample Code for A Link Using UTM Parameters
<a href=”https://www.legalscapes.com/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=spring”>https://www.legalscapes.com</a>
Let’s break down the Basic Google UTM code example shown above.
In the example, there are three sections of code, each connected with the “&” symbol. Here’s an explanation of what each section of code means:
- utm_source=X (Campaign Source)
In this section of the code, X is the source of the link. (e.g. Facebook, Google, Twitter, etc) - utm_medium=X (Campaign Medium)
In this section of the code, X is the medium or method of delivery. (e.g. organic, advertisement, mailer, referral, etc) - utm_campaign=X (Campaign Name)
In this section of the code, X is a name that helps you keep track of your different marketing efforts. (e.g. post, spring_promo, ebook, etc)
Let’s look at the final link using the Google UTM code.
The UTM code is simply pasted/added to the end of the regular URL with no spaces.
- The source variable is labeled facebook — the source of the link
- The medium variable is labeled post — the medium or type of marketing
- The campaign variable is labeled spring — the specific marketing campaign
Does the thought of creating the code for these trackable links make you nervous?
Don’t worry! Google Analytics has a free URL Builder you can use to create links tagged with the UTM code at https://support.google.com/analytics/answer/1033867?hl=en. It’s a simple tool to help you create trackable links — and all you have to do is copy and paste the final link into your site.
Need A Hand Setting This All Up?
Properly implemented tracking for your website and digital marketing is the first step in getting a marketing machine that works for YOU. Once you’ve got this step down, you’re ready to start actively promoting your site and measuring the results from each marketing campaign.
LegalScapes has worked with hundreds of law firms since 2012 building legal marketing machines that help clients get more leads and more return from their marketing investment. We’d love to help you – call us today at 919-825-1050 or fill out our contact form for a custom consultation on your site.