How to track ad campaigns using UTM parameters

In the help document, we’ll explore how you can use UTMs to track and evaluate ad campaigns. 

What are UTM parameters?

Whether you’re starting your first paid campaign or launching your 50th Google PPC ad, UTM parameters can help dive into your new traffic to evaluate the success of the campaign and develop new ways to improve their experience.

So what are UTM parameters? UTM parameters are snippets of code placed on the end of a link. When used, UTM parameters tell a system like Lucky Orange the exact link someone used to get to your website.

Without UTM parameters, you will see a visitor’s SOURCE only, such as Google or Facebook.

With UTM parameters, you have access to so much information. We can identify which ad campaign was more successful in driving traffic to your website and allow you to analyze down to specific ad creative depending on how it’s being used.

Parameters include: 

UTM parameter Definition Example
Campaign Source The source that referred your visit to your website utm_source=facebook
Campaign Medium The marketing channel that referred your visit to your website utm_medium=social
Campaign Name The campaign name for the content utm_campaign=cybermonday
Campaign Term The paid keywords you’re bidding on utm_term=new-parents
Campaign Content Used when A/B testing  or monitoring different ad creative, links, CTAs, etc.  utm_content=ad2

You don’t have to be a developer to use UTM parameters. Anyone can use them. There are useful, free tools such as Google’s Campaign URL Builder or G2 Crowd’s URL Generator. You can typically generate a link with UTM parameters in less than 1 minute. 

Click here to learn more about UTM parameters.

How to use UTM parameters in ads

We recommended creating a unique URL with UTM parameters for each variation of your paid campaign, whether it’s through Google PPC, Bing, Facebook or a partner website. Staying consistent in your naming system will help you further analyze these details.

For example: Let’s say you’re running two ad sets through Facebook. One is going to target Messenger, and the other will target Audience Networks. The copy and ad creative is the same but the display location is different. 

In this case, you would want to use these UTM parameters: 

  • Ad set 1: https://www.yourwebsite.com/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=messenger&utm_campaign=springsale23 
  • Ad set 2: https://www.yourwebsite.com/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=audiencenetwork&utm_campaign=springsale23

Of course, you don’t need to stop there. You can use UTM parameters to get as granular as you like, such as identifying multiple ad creative. 

  • Ad creative 1: https://www.yourwebsite.com?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=spring_sale23&utm_term=content_image_yellow
  • Ad creative 2: https://www.yourwebsite.com?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=spring_sale23&utm_term=content_image_blue

We recommend testing your links prior to launch to ensure that the UTM parameters are successfully passing through. Once set, you are good to go. You can then use these campaign links as you set up your ads. 

Pro tip: Make sure you record your UTM parameters in a separate spreadsheet or document for easier tracking and analysis. 

How to use UTM parameters in Lucky Orange

As you look at Lucky Orange, you can analyze the differences between the links. One may generate more clicks but the other has more engagement. UTM parameters can be utilized throughout the app, as we’ve detailed in a help document here. To analyze UTM parameters from your paid campaigns, here is additional information: 

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