If you use Google Analytics, it is very easy to include your own tracking variables in your links. Google Analytics will automatically take these variables and return them in your reports!
Here is how to build your own link that will be tracked by Google Analytics…
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- Type the URL you want to link to:
http://www.example.com
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- Add a question mark:
http://www.example.com?
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- Add a variable and value separated by an equal sign:
http://www.example.com?utm_source=twitter
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- Add any additional variable/value pairs separated by ampersands:
http://www.example.com?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social_media
Google provides you with five variables that you can set:
- utm_source – This is the source, or referrer (e.g. Google, Twitter, Facebook ).
Answers the question: What site did the visitor come from? - utm_medium – This is the medium, or method of delivery (e.g. Cost-per-click, Outbound-link, Banner-ad).
Answers the question: What channel did this visitor come through? - utm_campaign – This is the campaign, or particular marketing effort (e.g. Spring-drive, Christmas_specials).
Answers the question: What marketing effort caused this visitor to take action? - utm_content – This is used to identify the content of the link or ad. This will be used when you are split testing two different ads that may have all the other variables in common.
Answers the question: Which ad did the visitor click on? - utm_term – This is used to identify the term or keyword that brought the visitor to the site.
Answers the question: What keyword did the visitor use to find us?
Great news! You don’t have to commit these to memory; just use Google’s campaign URL builder!