Why Tracking URLs Are So Important for Your Business

If you’re creating content and sharing it anywhere online, consider using a URL tracking code (also known as UTM Codes) to help you identify where links to your website are coming from, i.e., Source/Medium and/or All Campaigns in Google Analytics.

Here’s how:

  1. Open the Campaign URL Builder (search for URL Builders and Raventools should be at top of the search results)
  2. Copy the link for the content you plan to share into the Website URL box.
  3. Identify the Campaign Source, i.e., the way in which you’re posting it, such as Hootsuite, Mailchimp, Youtube,  etc.
  4. Enter the Campaign Medium (where you plan to share it), e.g., Twitter, Facebook, email, Newsletter, Direct-Mail, etc.
  5. Campaign Name would be the name of the campaign you’re running, for example Summer-Blowout-Sale. It’s an optional field.
  6. Campaign Term is a keyword associated with the campaign. It is also optional.
  7. Campaign Content would be used if you were using a split test on content, e.g., sending women to one landing page and men to another, you would put Men or Women in this optional box.

Tip: When completing fields, do not use spaces between words; rather, use a dash.

As you complete the boxes, the URL builds in the “Share the generated campaign URL” box. You can copy the URL or covert it to a shortened link here, or you could copy the link and shorten it in a social media posting tool, such as Hootsuite.

tracking-URLS Why Tracking URLs Are So Important for Your Business

Benefits of URL Tracking Codes

In addition to being able to track campaigns by using tracking codes, there are several other advantages, including:

  • Using the tracking code to redirect an offline campaign to an online source – think direct mail piece, which you can then also create a vanity URL, e.g., Penheel.com/Awesome-Campaign
  • Tracking multiple campaigns related to the same topic is much easier with a tracking URL because you can change one element to keep track of each campaign piece, e.g., you’re emailing a coupon to five geographic regions, so you’d change the Campaign Content field to each geographic region to see which outperforms the other.
  • Identifying which social media platform performed the best by campaign, e.g., changing the Campaign Medium field will help you track this. See image below.
  • Distinguishing how much revenue is generated by one campaign versus another and the medium that drove the revenue buy.
  • Allowing you to track PPC and CPC campaign links and how keywords perform, when the Campaign Term field is used.
analytics-source-medium Why Tracking URLs Are So Important for Your Business

Source / Medium Google Analytics Tracking Code

Now that you have the what, how, and why, it’s time to create new content and share it using tracking codes to provide the who and where. Begin using them today to identify the best referral sources, keywords, and campaigns performing for your business.

More Website Tips