Step-by-Step Guide: Adding UTM Parameters to Google Ads Campaigns

Step 1: Access Your Google Ads Campaign

1. Log into your Google Ads account.
2. Navigate to the specific campaign you want to add UTM parameters to.

Step 2: Configure URL Settings

1. Within the campaign, click on the "Settings" tab.
2. Scroll down to the "Additional settings" section.
3. Expand the "Campaign URL options" dropdown.

This is where you'll input your UTM parameters to track the performance of your ads across different sources, mediums, and campaigns.

Step 3: Insert UTM Parameters

UTM parameters are tags added to the end of your URL that help you track the source, medium, and campaign of your ad traffic. Here's a breakdown of each UTM component:

• {lpurl}: This represents the landing page URL where you want to direct your ad traffic.
• utm_source: Identifies the traffic source, such as "google" for Google Ads.
• utm_medium: Specifies the marketing medium, like "cpc" for cost-per-click ads.
• utm_campaign: Indicates the specific campaign name, such as "summer_sale".
• utm_content: Differentiates ads or links that point to the same URL (e.g., "textlink" or "bannerlink").
• utm_term: Identifies paid keywords for search campaigns.

In the "Tracking template" field, input your UTM parameters following this format:

{lpurl}?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign={campaignid}&utm_content={creative}&utm_term={keyword}

Replace the values after each "=" with your specific tracking information.

Step 4: Save UTM Parameters

1. After inputting your UTM parameters, click "Save" to apply the changes to your campaign.
2. Google Ads will automatically append these parameters to your ads' URLs.

Step 5: Example of a UTM-Tagged URL

Here's what a final URL with UTM parameters might look like:

https://www.example.com/landing-page?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=summer_sale&utm_content=textlink&utm_term=buy_now

This URL indicates that the ad traffic came from Google Ads, using a cost-per-click medium, for the "summer_sale" campaign. The ad was a text link containing the keyword "buy now".

Automating UTM Parameter Addition in Google Ads

Step 1: Set Up Automation

To save time and ensure consistency across all your campaigns, you can automate the addition of UTM parameters using the "Final URL suffix" feature:

1. In your Google Ads account, go to "Settings" and then "Account settings".
2. Click on "Tracking" and find the "Final URL suffix" field.
3. Input your UTM parameters here, following the same format as in the manual setup.

Step 2: Enjoy the Benefits of Automation

With automation in place, Google Ads will automatically append the UTM parameters to all your ads' URLs across the account. This saves you the time and effort of manually tagging each URL and ensures tracking consistency for more reliable analytics.

Using Custom Parameters for Advanced Tracking

In addition to standard UTM parameters, you can also set custom parameters in Google Ads for more advanced tracking:

1. Follow the same steps to access the "Campaign URL options" in your campaign settings.
2. In the "Custom parameters" section, click "+ New custom parameter".
3. Input a name and value for your custom parameter, such as "product_id=1234".

Analyzing and Optimizing Using UTM Data

Analyzing UTM Data in Google Analytics

1. Data Access and Analysis

To access your UTM data in Google Analytics:

1. Navigate to the "Acquisition" section in the left sidebar.
2. Click on "Campaigns" and then "All Campaigns".
3. You will see a table with all your campaigns, including the UTM parameters you've set up.

To analyze the data:

1. Look at metrics like Sessions, Bounce Rate, Pages/Session, and Conversions to gauge the performance of each campaign.
2. Compare metrics across different campaigns to identify top performers and areas for improvement.
3. Use the date range selector to analyze changes over time and identify trends.

2. Utilizing Advanced Features

Google Analytics offers advanced features to dig deeper into your UTM data. One powerful tool is "Secondary Dimension":

1. While viewing your campaign data, click on the "Secondary Dimension" dropdown above the data table.
2. Select a UTM parameter like "Ad Content" or "Keyword" to break down your campaign performance by that parameter.
3. This allows you to see, for example, which specific ads or keywords within a campaign are driving the most traffic and conversions.

3. Custom Reports and Dashboards

Custom reports and dashboards in Google Analytics allow you to focus on the UTM metrics that matter most to your business:

1. Navigate to "Customization" and click "Custom Reports".
2. Click "New Custom Report" and give it a title like "UTM Campaign Performance".
3. Under "Metric Groups", add key metrics like Sessions, Bounce Rate, Goal Completions, and Revenue.
4. Under "Dimension Drilldowns", add your UTM parameters like Campaign, Source, Medium, Content, and Term.
5. Save the report and use it to regularly monitor your UTM campaign performance.

You can also create a custom dashboard with widgets showing your most important UTM metrics for at-a-glance monitoring.

Best Practices for UTM Parameter Usage

1. Establishing Naming Conventions

Consistent and descriptive naming conventions for your UTM parameters are crucial for maintaining organized and actionable data:

• Develop a standardized format for each parameter, like "spring_sale" for a campaign or "email_newsletter" for a medium.
• Be descriptive but concise, avoiding special characters or spaces that could break the tracking.
• Document your naming conventions in a shared space and ensure all team members adhere to them.

2. Data Review and Optimization

Regularly review your UTM data to identify opportunities for optimization:

1. Set a recurring calendar reminder to review your UTM reports in Google Analytics.
2. Look for campaigns, sources, or ads that are underperforming in key metrics like bounce rate or conversions.
3. Make strategic adjustments like reallocating budget to high-performing campaigns or revising ad copy for underperforming ads.
4. Monitor the impact of your changes in subsequent reporting periods.

3. Implementation Tips

Some practical tips for effective UTM parameter usage:

• Use URL shorteners to manage lengthy UTM-tagged URLs, especially for print or social media use.
• Always test your URLs before launching a campaign to ensure the parameters are tracking correctly.
• Use the Google Analytics Campaign URL Builder tool to easily generate UTM-tagged URLs.
• Be mindful of case sensitivity and special characters in your UTM parameters, as inconsistencies can split your data.