UTM Code stands for ‘Urchin Tracking Module,’ and it’s a way to track where website traffic is coming from, especially from links shared on social media, email campaigns, or ads. It’s a unique code added to the end of a URL to help marketers see how people found their website or content.
What is a UTM Code?
A UTM code can track:
- Source: Where the traffic came from (e.g., Facebook, Google, email).
- Medium: How the visitor came to you (e.g., social media, paid ad, email).
- Campaign: The specific marketing campaign or promotion (e.g., summer sale).
- Content: Differentiate between links pointing to the same destination (e.g., link in an email vs. link in an ad).
Example of a URL with UTM Codes
Original URL: https://www.example.com/product-page
With UTM codes: https://www.example.com/product-page?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=summer_deals&utm_content=video_ad
How it Works
- When a user clicks a URL with UTM parameters, the data is sent to analytics tools like Google Analytics.
- The tool logs the visit and attributes it to the specified source, medium, campaign, etc.
- Marketers can then analyze this data to see which channels or campaigns drive the most traffic, conversions, or engagement.
Why Use These Codes?
- Track Success: UTM codes help you see which campaigns, platforms, or ads bring people to your site.
- Understand Traffic: They tell you exactly where your traffic is coming from (so you can focus on what works).
- Measure ROI: You can measure the return on investment from each campaign, ad, or post.
What’s the Difference Between a UTM Code and a URL?
A URL is just the address of a webpage, like `https://www.example.com`
A UTM code is extra information added to that URL to help track the performance of the link.
