UTM Parameters: What They Are and How to Use Them

When it comes to marketing, the number one question from the executive team is always “What are the results?” It’s a valid question with the expense of website management, social media campaigns, pay-per-click advertising, and more. When it comes to the measurement of essential metrics, UTM parameters are here to help.

WordPress site owners can use UTM parameters in conjunction with Jetpack Stats, which integrates directly into WordPress sites, to glean important detailed information about where traffic is coming from, which marketing campaigns are performing the best, and how to personalize future outreach to prospects and customers.

What are UTM parameters?

UTM is an acronym that stands for Urchin Tracking Module. Urchin was a predecessor to the now well-known Google Analytics. UTM parameters are also sometimes called UTM codes or UTM tags, and they are bits of text that follow a webpage URL. Although they may look like nonsense to the typical reader, these tags are actually carrying important tracking data for the marketing team.

UTM parameters can tell you where your website traffic originates, which advertising platform successfully directed prospects to your site, and what call-to-action was the most effective in increasing engagement or even sales.

As you can see, UTM codes help address that critical return on investment question from executives as well as ensure the marketing team selects the best campaigns, advertising avenues, and social media partners to maximize its efforts.

How are UTM parameters used in marketing?

UTM codes are invaluable for a marketing team to help track campaign performance, analyze website traffic sources, measure return on investment, personalize the user experience, and optimize campaign strategies. Let’s take a look at each of these in more detail:

• Tracking campaign performance. Perhaps the most valuable contribution that UTM parameters make to a marketing campaign is to highlight which channels, campaigns, and call-to-actions are most effective. With a simple add-on tag to important URLs, marketing teams can make smarter, data-based decisions to maximize their impact.
• Analyzing traffic sources. It’s amazing the granular level of detail that UTM codes can deliver. A marketing team can easily see the origin of web traffic, which may include a specific social media platform, a particular paid ad, or even an individual link within an article. This data helps marketers direct their limited time and resources to the highest performing efforts.
• Measuring marketing ROI. Every c-suite of a successful business wants to know how costs are tied to revenue. UTM tags can help a marketing team justify its efforts, budget, and programs by tracking the customer journey from introduction to sales. UTM parameters can tie engagement, leads, and even sales to specific marketing channels and campaigns.
• Personalizing the user experience. Detailed data allows marketing teams to hyper-personalize the experience of their visitors, prospects, and customers. By understanding where users are coming from, businesses can better target offers and follow-up call-to-actions or deliver the most desirable content, increasing engagement and conversion.
• Optimizing campaign strategies. Finally, having this information in real-time allows organizations to make smarter decisions about their campaigns, whether that be to increase advertising in certain channels, boost resources for a successful call-to-action, update keyword selection, or change direction mid-campaign. By fueling a loop of feedback and resulting actions, businesses can continuously improve over time.

What are the different components of a UTM parameter?

Now that we understand the basics of UTM parameters, let’s take a deeper dive into each of the individual components: source, medium, campaign, term, and content.

• Traffic source. The first UTM parameter we’ll explore is traffic source, which tells you where a particular user came from. This could include a search engine like Google or Bing, a social media provider like Twitter, an email list from an individual business, or a partner website. One example of this code, which is added to the end of an URL, could be &utm_source=facebook.
• Medium. The type of traffic is specified by the medium UTM code, which could include display, social, CPC, email, and others. By using the medium UTM code, marketers can tell what traffic is coming from paid campaigns and what traffic is coming from an unboosted social media post. One example is &utm_medium=social.
• Campaign. By the time you get down to the campaign-level UTM codes, you’re getting into the nitty-gritty details of your marketing program. This parameter allows you to measure the performance of specific campaigns. By organizing the names of your specific Google ad campaigns, email blast efforts, or Facebook outreach, you’ll be able to clearly see which marketing dollars have generated the greatest return. The UTM parameter code might look something like &utm_campaign=email65
• Term. Everyone knows the importance of keywords in driving much-desired traffic to your website. This UTM parameter identifies which ones are most effective, especially in paid search advertisements. One example is &utm_term=party+hats+plates
• Content. It’s always helpful to know which link within an email or blog post brought in the most clicks to a particular landing page. The UTM code could be something like &utm_content=firstlink.

How to set up UTM parameters

Although creating UTM codes can look intimidating at first glance, following a few simple steps, adhering to industry best practices, and avoiding common mistakes can help you successfully use these amazing strings of text to gain deep insight into your marketing program.

Regardless of the platform you choose to use, find the URL Builder tool to get started. WordPress site owners can use the Jetpack Stats URL Builder. Here’s an easy step-by-step guide to follow:

1. Open the UTM URL Builder. Start by selecting the UTM URL Builder tool from your Jetpack Stats dashboard. This can be found under Jetpack → Stats. Find the UTM card, and choose the URL Builder button. This will open a UTM Builder prompt.
2. Enter the site or post URL. In the Site or post URL field, type the actual URL of the site or the post you want to link to.
3. Enter the UTM parameters. These are the codes discussed in the previous section, comprising source, medium, campaign, term, and content. You’ll want to enter the source, which may be a social media channel like Facebook. Then, you’ll add a medium such as an ad or email. The campaign code drills down to which specific promotion you’re analyzing, and the term identifies keywords you’re targeting if this is for a paid search campaign. Finally, the content pinpoints the specific links within a campaign that worked best. Note: UTM parameters are case-sensitive.
4. Review and copy the generated URL. After completing the previous steps, the Jetpack Stats URL Builder will create the final URL that includes these tags. Take a close look at the final URL, check it against best practices, confirm that common mistakes are avoided, and you’re ready to go.
5. Copy the URL. Select the Copy to Clipboard button to grab the generated URL and use it in your marketing program to better track its performance.
6. Take it to the next level. Remember you can create variations that are very similar to this URL for different traffic sources, mediums, and campaigns. 

How to integrate UTM parameters with your marketing channels

Now that you have a better handle on how to create UTM parameters and add them to key marketing URLs, it’s time to move onto how to truly integrate UTM codes into each marketing channel. Here are some key campaigns where UTM codes can help:

• Email marketing. If you have an email list of prospective or current customers, you probably reach out to them on a regular basis with tips, offers, or other information. By adding a UTM code within your emails, you can track which ones generate the most traffic to your website or response to your call-to-action.
• Social media. Whether you’re on one or multiple social media platforms, you want to engage regularly with your followers. Brief notifications can help your business, organization, or cause stay top-of-mind and give you an opportunity to engage your stakeholders. Add UTM parameters to the links you share on social media platforms so you can pinpoint the most effective ones.
• Paid advertising. By configuring UTM parameters for paid advertising platforms like Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and LinkedIn Ads, you can see where you’re getting the biggest bang for your buck.
• Organic social posts. If you have different team members or employees posting organically on social media, incorporate UTM tags into these posts and track their performance.
• Referral campaigns. Whether you work with business partners, suppliers, or other community organizations to co-market or refer to one another, you can use UTM parameters to better analyze those referral sources to fine-tune relationships and campaigns. 

How to track and analyze UTM data with Jetpack Stats

Begin by selecting which marketing channels you’ll be tracking. This may include referring websites, paid ad campaigns, specific email outreach, social media posts, and search engines. Create specific URLs for each channel to begin gaining detailed insights.

For WordPress site owners, you can begin analyzing your website’s traffic in the Jetpack UTM module report, which can be found under Jetpack → Stats → Traffic. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

1. Go to the Traffic page. On your Jetpack dashboard, navigate to the Traffic page (Jetpack → Stats → Traffic).
2. Find the correct Stats card. Scroll down to locate the stats card labeled UTM.
3. Choose a UTM code to analyze. You’ll see several dropdown options that point to each of the UTM parameters. Select the one you want to review (source, medium, campaign, term, or content) and pull up a detailed view of traffic statistics.
4. Select general or specific. You can select a general overview that allows you to see the overall performance of your campaigns and rolled up data, providing general insights into traffic origins and user behaviors. Or, you can deep-dive into granular UTM metrics down to performance of specific links in particular posts.
5. Make real-time decisions. Finally, the value of using UTM parameters comes in the actions of your marketing team. Adjust campaigns in real-time by boosting resources for top-performing sites, threads, and content, and shifting time and money away from those that are not performing as well to maximize your marketing dollars and efforts.

Best practices for using UTM tags

Now that we understand the basics around UTM parameters and how to use them, it’s time to step up our game. Let’s look at some best practices to maximize the effectiveness of these easy-to-use but powerful tracking tools.

Be consistent with naming conventions

The first important best practice is making sure you are consistent in your naming conventions and to remember that UTM tags are case-sensitive. Adding UTM tags to the end of URLs often results in a very long final URL, which can become cumbersome and unwieldy. By developing a standardized naming convention, you can not only avoid confusion, but you will also ensure more accurate tracking.

Some general best-practice conventions accepted throughout the industry include using only lowercase letters, separating words with either hyphens or underscores, and avoiding special characters to improve readability.

Keep UTM links short and simple

The goal of the second best practice is similar to the first: keep things as short and simple as possible. Be sure to select brief but descriptive words so that your marketing team can clearly understand what the UTM parameter is tracking. Be careful to avoid abbreviations or short-cuts that make deciphering even more complicated and confusing.

Use UTM parameters for all marketing channels

In order to paint a comprehensive view of all your traffic sources, be sure to apply UTM parameters across all your marketing channels. This may include email campaigns, social media posts, pay per click ads, and even offline campaigns that drive users online like printed materials, posters, and mailers that contain QR codes.

Leverage UTM parameters in A/B testing

Don’t forget to marry UTM tags with A/B testing of multiple versions of your campaigns. Use a different UTM parameter for each version, and you’ll be able to easily see which one drives more traffic or results in greater conversions. This can help you choose your final ads, social media post, or email content to use more broadly.

Monitor and analyze UTM data regularly

UTM parameters are only useful if smart marketing actions follow. Be sure to check the performance of your UTM-tagged links using tools like Jetpack Stats. Analyze the data to understand which sources, mediums, and campaigns are driving the most traffic and conversions, and then actively use these insights to refine your marketing strategies.

Take advantage of URL builders

To make the process of adding UTM parameters more efficient and easier, use URL builders like the Jetpack Stats URL Builder. Tools like these help ensure that your UTM codes are formatted correctly and consistently, which make them not only easier to read but simpler to interpret down the road.

Document your UTM strategy

If you are responsible for implementing your UTM parameter strategy, document your plan in case someone needs to assist you or has questions in understanding the UTM tags. This user guide should explain your naming conventions, provide examples that are tied to your business’s campaigns, and outline usage guidelines. This can serve as an excellent reference tool for your team and ensure everyone is on the same page.

Test your URLs

Although following these best practices regarding naming conventions and using a URL builder can ensure the quality of your URLs, be sure to test your links before launching a large campaign. You’ll want to make sure your UTM-tagged URLs point to the correct page or call-to-action, and be sure the parameters are being tracked correctly in your analytics tool.

Common mistakes to avoid when setting up UTM parameters

The other side of the coin when considering best practices is how to avoid common mistakes when setting up your UTM tags. Although this tool is relatively easy to understand once you learn the basics, the usage and coding can quickly become confusing if small mistakes are made. By avoiding these common mistakes, you’ll save yourself the headache of a tangled mess of broken links and useless data.

Being sloppy about naming conventions

It’s easy to think that speed is of the essence when trying to add UTM tags at the end of multiple URLs. However, one of the most common mistakes is to be careless in how UTM parameters are named. This error may lead to not only confusion but broken final links and inaccurate data analysis.

Using the wrong parameters or skipping some

Each of the five UTM parameters are designed to track specific things in your marketing campaign. If you mix them up and use the source tag instead of the medium tag or skip using the campaign tag all together, you’ll end up with inaccurate data that will steer your strategy in the wrong direction.

Failing to achieve the right balance of UTM tags

It’s easy to use too few UTM codes in order to keep your tracking program simple, but this may paint an inaccurate picture of your overall campaign. At the same time, you don’t want to use too many as this will result in cluttering up your data pool and make it difficult to tease out true insights. Finding that sweet spot will take some practice and effort.

Forgetting to test final links

Don’t assume your final, now lengthy URLs, work without testing them. It takes only a second to throw that final URL into a browser and make sure it pulls up the correct page, campaign, or call-to-action. Sending out a broken link to hundreds or thousands of prospects or customers is not only a waste of effort but can create frustration among your key audiences. It will also render your data useless.

Ignoring case sensitivity

UTM parameters are case-sensitive, so be sure to avoid capital letters to simplify your naming conventions. Trying to keep track of using capital letters will likely lead to fragmented data in your analytics.

Using ambiguous terms

In an effort to keep things short and simple, it’s easy to turn to obscure abbreviations that seem like a good idea at creation but cause confusion down the road. Be sure to pick descriptive and brief terms that everyone can understand.

Keeping your strategy in one person’s head

Although it’s probably a good idea to have one person on your marketing team in charge of UTM parameters, you don’t want to make the common mistake of relying completely on that person for the long run. Be sure to have that individual document the organization’s process and procedure for naming, usage, and application so those who are reviewing data and links can have a reference tool.

Skipping the URL builders

Remember that technology is awesome for repetitive tasks that require accuracy. Take advantage of these tools like the Jetpack Stats URL Builder that can easily create error-free URLs with a few keystrokes.

Forgetting about mobile

Many people use apps and mobile devices for the majority of their browsing. Remember to set up UTM parameters for mobile and app campaigns as well as social media, email, and website channels. 

Failing to analyze results

It can feel like a great accomplishment to set up a host of UTM parameters for your key marketing campaigns, but this task is worthless without consistent and regular follow up on the resulting data. Be sure to review your campaigns and make changes as needed to maximize your investment.

Frequently asked questions

Finally, here are some frequently asked questions you may have about using UTM parameters in your marketing campaigns:

What are UTM parameters?

UTM parameters are tags added to a URL that track the effectiveness of online marketing campaigns. They can look at traffic sources, channels, and even individual campaigns, allowing you to collect data that can help you improve your marketing strategies.

Why should I use URL parameters?

UTM parameters are relatively easy to use and allow you to maximize your marketing dollars. The information they can generate can also help your executive team understand the value of the work you are doing, freeing up more resources and support for future endeavors.

How do UTM tags work?

When someone clicks on a URL that has UTM parameters added to the end, that information is sent to your analytics platform like Google Analytics or Jetpack Stats. This data can be rolled up so you can easily see which sources are providing the most traffic or which campaigns generate the highest number of conversions.

How do I create UTM codes?

It’s easy to create UTM parameters manually by adding tags at the end of relevant URLs. However, it may be more efficient and accurate to use an URL builder such as Jetpack Stats URL Builder to generate them quickly and consistently. 

Can I use UTM parameters for email campaigns?

Yes, UTM codes are very useful for tracking email campaigns. By adding UTM tags to the links in your emails, you can see which email campaigns are driving traffic and conversions. You can also use them in A/B testing of different campaigns before the final launch.

Do UTM parameters affect SEO?

No, UTM parameters do not affect search engine optimization. Search engines typically ignore UTM parameters when indexing pages, so they won’t impact your site’s search ranking.

Jetpack Stats: Easy, powerful analytics for WordPress

If you’re ready to take a stab at using UTM parameters, install Jetpack and navigate to the Jetpack Stats dashboard in WordPress. The URL builder makes it simple to start measuring your efforts for smarter marketing campaigns. 

But this is just the beginning. Jetpack Stats provides easy-to-understand insights about who’s visiting your site, where they came from, and what content is resonating most — even if you’re not using UTM parameters. It’s not overwhelming like Google Analytics, so you can actually absorb key takeaways in a matter of seconds. 

Learn more about Jetpack Stats.

---