What is Google URL builder?
Google URL builder helps marketers to add custom parameters to their URL’s thus understanding better where the website traffic is coming from. This are used in any campaigns than AdWords, as AdWords has embedded auto-tagging feature. But if we run some emailing campaigns, campaigns on other advertising platforms than AdWords, it is very useful to use Google URL builder to monitor the traffic channels, campaigns, etc in Google Analytics.
Some while ago, the Google URL builder tool was located here. Now it was been moved to Google Analytics Demos & Tools page.
How we should use UTM tags
UTM states for Urchin Tracking Module.
For an AdWords campaign usually we use a direct URL, for instance my home page http://www.mymarketingnotes.com.
For a Facebook campaign, if I have more campaigns, with different objectives (website clicks, conversions, leads, event, etc) and I want to distinguish in Google Analytics from which Facebook campaigns I get traffic, I will use UTM tags.
In this case I will add the following components:
- Campaign Name: awareness
- Campaign Source: facebook
- Campaign Medium: banner
- Campaign Term: marketing notes
- Campaign Content: image A
Each of these has specific purpose:
Campaign Name (utm_campaign): This identifies a specific campaign you’re running. Required field.
Campaign Source (utm_source): This is the platform you use to create your campaign such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or TheTradeDesk. Required field.
Campaign Medium (utm_medium): This is the marketing medium that referred the traffic.It tracks the type of traffic such as a Text CPC ad, banner ad, an email, or a Facebook post.Required field.
Campaign Term (utm_term): This tag allows you to track the paid keywords of an ad, ad group, a term your campaign is focused on. Optional field.
Campaign Content (utm_content): Including this into your URL allows you to easily differentiate between ads on the same channel or when you’re A/B testing various images or ad copes.Optional field.
So, using the above tags, my URL will look as follows:
http://www.mymarketingnotes.com/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=banner&utm_campaign=awareness&utm_term=marketing-notes&utm_content=imageA
Now marketers have as well the possibility to convert this long URL to a shorter one, as many platforms has a limited number of characters in the Destination URL field.
More details about this subject can be found on the Google Analytics Demos & Tools page.