3 steps to implement Google Analytics UTM tracking

Learn how to implement tracking campaign tracking to let you track your campaigns in Google Analytics.

Why should you use campaign tracking parameters?

Tracking parameters attached to the campaign landing page URL’s allow us to segment campaign users and track their behavior over time. So marketers could also estimate ROI/ROAS of the campaigns and evaluate their value.

How to prepare Google Analytics UTM’s?

Structure and purpose of all parameters I’ve already described in the 5 facts about UTM tracking parameters • Google Analytics article.

It is essential to have UTM parameters in the first place. Otherwise, we can have a situation wherein Google Analytics. You will find an extraordinary-looking data in the Acquisition section. For example, you can like campaign Source/Medium traffic aggregated under DFA/CPM. More about this problem, you can learn in the Google Analytics • DFA/CPM • campaign traffic problem article on my blog.

Google Campaign Manager Landingpage suffix URL

Google Campaign Manager offers a few possible ways how to implement our UTM parameters. 

• (recommended) You can insert UTM parameters directly to the “Landing page URL suffix” field located in the ad.
• (alternative) You can attach it to the landing page URL assigned to the creative or ad.

In the case of the first option, if your creative URL already contains some parameters inside, Google will combine all URL parameters and make sure the URL will be valid.

For the second option, you will need to combine all parameters by your self which is highly possible to make a mistake with the use of “&” and “?” characters.

Enable Enhanced attribution tracking

Enhanced attribution tracking is an additional option you should enable for each advertiser in the Google Campaign Manager. 

When you enable this option, Google will attach an additional URL parameter “dclid,” which allows Google Analytics and Google Floodlight pixel to identify the user who has interacted (clicked) with your ad.

The concept of DCLID and Enhanced attribution tracking is directly linked with the use of the 1st party Cookies. The story had its beginning a few years ago when Apple introduced the first version of the ITP. More details you can find in the Google response to Apple ITP • Enhanced attribution article.

Results in Google Analytics

As soon as your campaign start, you will be able to find detailed information in the Google Analytics under Acquisition – All Traffic – Source/Medium.

Let’s take example url like link bellow:

https://wojtek.ch/?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=standard

As soon as your campaign starts, you will be able to see simmilar results like on the image bellow.