The better you can understand where your website’s traffic is coming from, the better you’ll be able to engage with new audiences and rise through the Local SEO rankings. UTM tracking codes (Urchin Tracking Module) are a series of parameters that we can add to URLs that allow us to learn more about how a user ended up at our site. While Google Analytics can give you some data out of the box, UTM tracking allows for a far greater level of specificity beyond just lumping traffic into “direct” or “organic” buckets. UTM codes are widely accepted by companies like Google, Bing, and Yelp, but not currently supported by Apple. UTM tags can be leveraged in all kinds of ways, but for the purpose of this guide we’ll focus mainly on how they apply to your Google Business Profile and how multi-location businesses can use them most effectively.
Before we can determine what links to tag and how to best deploy them, we first need to understand what goes into UTM tracking codes and how to create them.
Campaign Source
This refers to where the user is coming from. The most common source is going to be Google, but it could just as well be something like a newsletter or a banner ad.
Example: utm_source=google
Campaign Medium
Think of this parameter as how the user found you. Most of the time this will either be through organic search or social media. This value will also match the medium you’ll see in Google Analytics.
Example: utm_medium=organic or utm_medium=social
Campaign Term
This is our first optional parameter, and it mostly comes into play when dealing with paid searches. This field will allow you to see exactly which keyword was used in the search to funnel traffic.
Example: utm_term=sailing+lessons or utm_term=swimming+coach
Campaign Content
Another optional and slightly niche parameter, this time focused around A/B testing. If you have multiple versions of the same ad or newsletter, this field will let you see which version is driving more traffic to your site and you can use that information to inform future decisions.
Example: utm_content=redbackground or utm_content=bluebackground
Campaign Name
Here we get into the “why” of why the user has clicked on a link. In the context of Google Business Profile, campaign names could be things like “gbp-listing”, “gbp-appt”, or “gbp-menu” if these are services your business offers.
PRO TIP
We recommend Google’s own URL builder as well as the incredible UTM guide and generator google sheet built by Claire Carlile. This takes out the guesswork and ensures proper structure.
1. Adding UTM tracking to as many of the links within your GBP as possible will take away some of the mystery of “zero click searches”. The examples used in the “Campaign Name” section like links to a menu, appointment bookings, or driving directions all make great opportunities for UTM links. UTMs will also allow you to see which of your Google Posts are performing well and inform your future content strategy decisions.
2. If you’re a multi-location business you have to take into consideration how you want to link to specific branches and locations.
Get creative with how you deploy UTMs.
While Google Business Profile links are great, there’s no reason not to use them for something like QR codes to determine exactly which locations or ad placements are generating the most traffic.
UTM Tracking allows you to quantify and categorize the traffic coming to your website in a meaningful way. The more you know, the better you can do your job. With this information you and your team can determine what kind of content is resonating with your readers, how much traffic those Google Posts are really driving to your site, and (assuming you’ve set up conversions and goals in Google Analytics) what users are doing once they get there.
UTM Tracking allows you to quantify and categorize the traffic coming to your website in a meaningful way. The more you know, the better you can do your job. With this information you and your team can determine what kind of content is resonating with your readers, how much traffic those Google Posts are really driving to your site, and (assuming you’ve set up conversions and goals in Google Analytics) what users are doing once they get there.
UTM Tracking allows you to quantify and categorize the traffic coming to your website in a meaningful way. The more you know, the better you can do your job. With this information you and your team can determine what kind of content is resonating with your readers, how much traffic those Google Posts are really driving to your site, and (assuming you’ve set up conversions and goals in Google Analytics) what users are doing once they get there.
