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What is a UTM?
UTM parameters are small pieces of code suffixed to your URL to understand traffic and performance in high fidelity using analytics apps, such as Google Analytics.
UTM stands for Urchin Tracking Module.
The name comes from the software company acquired by Google named; you guessed it, Urchin. Later, UTMs were deeply integrated into GA.
Why are UTMs helpful? Because they allow you to easily “track” users’ behaviors using just a link. Pretty cool. Kids these days, spoiled with their pixels. Get off my lawn. *Shakes fist*
In general, UTMs help you answer three questions:
How UTMs Work
UTMs are fairly simple (not simplistic) in their functionality. You have 5 parameters (and more as custom terms) that Google Analytics will accept: utm_campaign, utm_content, utm_medium, utm_source & utm_term.
Of note, utm_source is a required parameter for Google Analytics.
If it is not present, GA will ignore all others.
You want to keep your parameter names short and intuitive.
Remember, you are using this data to report on. So the easier it is to parse, the easier your life is.
Using UTMs with Triple Whale
Triple Whale aggregates all of your performance data across your entire marketing ecosystem, and distills it into one succinct dashboard. With our best-in-class attribution tool, Triple Pixel, you can get deep and real-time insight into what channels and campaigns are driving performance.
For more on general UTM best practices, check out our webinar on the subject.
For information on how to use UTMs specifically with Triple Whale, check out this article.
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