UTM Builder

What is a UTM Builder?

A UTM builder is an online tool that generates a tracking URL based on the parameters of your marketing campaign or channel.

By appending a string of tags to a given URL, these links allow analytics platforms to categorize the traffic coming to your site.

This tool is indispensable for marketers looking to streamline their campaign tracking setup.

What Does UTM Mean?

UTM stands for Urchin Tracking Module. The term “Urchin” comes from a web analytics software that Google acquired in 2005, which eventually evolved into Google Analytics.

UTM codes have been integral to tracking and understanding web traffic ever since.

What are UTM Parameters?

UTM parameters are the tags added to a URL that indicate to your analytics platform where the traffic is coming from. There are five standard UTM parameters, each serving a unique purpose:

utm_source: Identifies the source of traffic (e.g., google, facebook)
utm_medium: Specifies the medium used to reach your site (e.g., email, PPC)
utm_campaign: Custom name for a campaign or promotion (e.g., spring_sale, halloween)
utm_term (paid ads only): Paid ad keyword used on Google Ads, Facebook ads, etc. (e.g., mens_shoes)
utm_content: Differentiates similar content within the same ad (e.g., blog_content, header_button)

Example UTM Links

To determine which parameters to include, consider where you intend to market a specific page of your website. Here are some marketing campaign ideas and the example UTM link that would be used:

Google Ads campaign targeting searches for men’s shoes

Source: utm_source=google
Medium: utm_medium=ppc
Campaign: utm_campaign=mens_ppc_campaign
Term: utm_term=mens_shoes
Content: none

Full UTM link:

https://www.example.com?utm_source=google&utm_medium=ppc&utm_campaign=mens_ppc_campaign&utm_term=mens_shoes

Software company testing a CTA button in their newsletter

Source: utm_source=newsletter
Medium: utm_medium=email
Campaign: utm_campaign=b2b_newsletter
Term: none
Content: utm_source=cta_button

Full UTM link:

https://example.com?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=b2b_newsletter&utm_content=cta_button

How Do UTM Links Work?

UTM links work by telling a website’s analytics platform where a particular click is coming from.

Platforms like Google Analytics will scan traffic from these links and map each click to your various campaigns and traffic sources.

By using UTM codes in your URLs, each click will provide powerful data into the success of your marketing efforts.

UTM Builder Use Cases

Here are some common use cases for creating UTM links for your marketing campaigns:

Affiliate Marketing UTM Links

UTM tracking is widely used across affiliate marketers, drop shippers, and publishers.

Affiliates need to know how and where their best performing products are being sold in order to optimize their affiliate marketing efforts.

Social Media UTM Links

In social media marketing, UTMs are invaluable.

By tagging links shared on platforms like Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn, you can track how each post contributes to website traffic, identify which content resonates with your audience, and adjust your strategy accordingly.

Email & Newsletter UTM Links

Similarly, UTMs are crucial in email marketing.

Tagging links in newsletters or promotional emails lets you track how subscribers interact with your content, providing insights into email campaign performance and engagement.

SEO UTM Links

UTMs do not directly affect SEO. Search engines like Google do not use UTM parameters to rank websites.

However, they provide valuable insights into the organic and paid traffic sources, helping marketers optimize their strategies for better visibility and engagement.

Content Marketing UTM Links

Absolutely. Using UTMs on your blog allows you to track how various promotional efforts contribute to traffic.

This data is instrumental in understanding which content marketing strategies work best for your audience.

Frequently Asked Questions

Let’s take a look at some common questions about UTM:

Does the order of UTM tags matter?

The order of UTM parameters in the URL does not affect tracking. However, maintaining a consistent order can help with readability and organization. Also, maintaining a consistent format makes creating bulk URLs easier.