What is UTM Code? How to create UTM tracking URLs on Shortbe.com

What is UTM Code?

UTM stands for Urchin Tracking Module, is a piece of code that you add to a URL with specific parameters for the purpose of measuring the effectiveness of a marketing campaign through analytical tools such as Google Analytics, Matomo Analytics...

With the information added to this link, it will help you to get detailed statistics of the traffic source, for example: traffic source, channel used, country...

 

The parameters in the UTM Code are defined in Google Analytics to track in more detail the traffic source from your link. These include the following commonly used parameters:

utm_source: this is the channel where we have distributed our link, usually a campaign we will distribute on many channels such as: Facebook, Google, Tiktok, Zalo...

For example: utm_source=zalo means that you use this to distribute through Zalo, users will see your content on Zalo and click on that link to navigate to our website.

utm_medium: If utm_source tells us where traffic is coming from, utm_medium tells us how traffic is coming from on utm_source. For example, utm_medium=email means traffic to your website through an email ad. This is a mandatory parameter in UTM Code, if you do not declare utm_medium in Google Analytics, it will only default to mediums like organic, cpc, email, referral, which is difficult to analyze when there are many sources in your campaign. .

utm_campaign: This is where you enter the name of the campaign you're running. If you run multiple campaigns over a period of time, it's extremely important to differentiate each campaign's effectiveness. I usually use it with the syntax: tenchiendich_thoigianbatdau.

 

In addition, there are 2 optional parameters in the UTM Code, which are utm_content and utm_term, due to their low popularity, I do not introduce them in this article.

UTM parameters, also known as UTM codes, are custom tags added to the end of a URL to track the performance of online marketing campaigns and to help identify the sources of website traffic. They provide valuable information about the source, medium, campaign, and other aspects of a visitor's interaction with a website, allowing businesses to measure the effectiveness of their marketing efforts and make data-driven decisions. UTM parameters can be used with tools like Google Analytics to track website visitors and their interactions with your website, which can help improve your marketing strategies and ROI.

See more: What are URL Parameters? An SEO Guide to URL Parameter Handling

There is no exact answer for when to use UTM Code, but I have a piece of advice for freshers that making it a habit to create UTM Code for links in your campain, from small to large is It is extremely important to measure and compare the effectiveness of each campaign. Measuring and comparing performance will help you draw lessons from implementation that you may not find in books.

Usually, we will have ways to create UTM Code such as:

+ Create your own UTM Code by manual method. This method has many disadvantages and inconveniences for marketers.

+ Using Google's Campaign URL Builder: you can use the website https://ga-dev-tools.appspot.com/campaign-url-builder/ to use the UTM code generator. The downside of this method is that it will keep the original link, and often we have to take one more operation to shorten the link.

+ Using Campaign URL Shortener of By.com.vn: you can use Campaign URL Shortener tool from by.com.vn homepage in Advanced options, after adding parameters such as: utm_source, utm_medium, utm_campaign, the path will be shortened, very convenient to use.

 

Use UTM Code with By.com.vn Campaign URL Shortener tool

Campaign URL Shortener tool from By.com.vn with simple advantages, easy to use, quickly create shortened links professionally. Just 5 steps below and you've finished creating the UTM code for your link:

- Step 1: Paste your path.

- Step 2: Click the Advanced Options button and choose UTM Builder

- Step 3: utm_source: Enter your traffic source. For example, your link is used for campaigns on Facebook, Google... Please use an explicit name for easy tracking.

- Step 4: utm_medium: Enter the campaign's media. You can use email, banner or CPC in your campaign.

- Step 5: utm_campaign: Enter the campaign name. Make sure you name it explicitly if you have multiple campaigns.