UTM Link Generator: What Is It and How to Use It
If you want to track the performance of your online marketing campaigns, you need to use UTM links. UTM links are URLs that have special parameters added to them, which allow you to measure the traffic and conversions that come from different sources, mediums, and campaigns. UTM stands for Urchin Tracking Module, which was the name of a web analytics software that Google acquired in 2005 and later became Google Analytics.
UTM links look like this:
https://example.com?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=summer-sale
The part after the question mark (?) is the UTM parameters, which consist of five tags and their values:
- utm_source: This identifies the source of the traffic, such as a website, a social network, a search engine, etc. For example, utm_source=facebook.
- utm_medium: This identifies the medium of the traffic, such as organic, paid, email, referral, etc. For example, utm_medium=cpc.
- utm_campaign: This identifies the name of the campaign or the promotion that you are running. For example, utm_campaign=black-friday.
- utm_term: This is an optional tag that identifies the keywords or phrases that you are targeting in your paid search campaigns. For example, utm_term=shoes+for+men.
- utm_content: This is another optional tag that identifies the specific content or variation of your ad or link that you are testing. For example, utm_content=blue-button.
By adding these UTM parameters to your URLs, you can track how each source, medium, campaign, term, and content performs in terms of clicks, sessions, conversions, revenue, and other metrics in Google Analytics. You can also compare different campaigns and optimize your marketing strategy based on data.
But how do you create UTM links? You could manually add the UTM parameters to your URLs, but that would be tedious and error-prone. A better option is to use a UTM link generator.
A UTM link generator is a tool that helps you create UTM links quickly and easily. You just need to enter your website URL and fill out the fields with the values you want for each UTM tag. The tool will then generate a URL with UTM parameters that you can copy and use in your campaigns.
There are many UTM link generators available online, some of them are free and some are paid. One of the free tools that you can try is Campaign URL Builder by Google1. This tool allows you to create UTM links in four simple steps:
- Enter your website URL in the first field.
- Fill out the fields with the values you want for each UTM tag. The only required fields are utm_source, utm_medium, and utm_campaign. The rest are optional.
- Click on “Copy URL” button to copy the generated URL with UTM parameters.
- Use the URL in your campaigns and track the results in Google Analytics.
Using a UTM link generator can save you time and hassle when creating UTM links for your online marketing campaigns. It can also ensure that your UTM parameters are consistent and accurate across different channels and platforms. A UTM link generator can help you measure and improve your marketing ROI with data-driven insights.
If you want to create UTM links for free, try Campaign URL Builder by Google today!