What are UTM codes and how can you use them for digital marketing? A UTM code (“Urchin Tracking Module”) is merely a set of letters, numbers, and symbols that you can add to the end of your URL (your website address) so that you can track your various marketing campaigns.
They help you to know which promotions or social media posts or ads are most effective in not just bringing people to your website, but also in getting them to interact with you and even make purchases.
You can create UTM codes using Google’s URL Builder directly, or you can use a number of third party services to create them.
Because UTM-encoded URLs tend to be quite long, you might want to shorten them using Google’s or some other shortener.
But first, you’ll need to label the traffic source, the communication medium, and the particular campaign so that Google Analytics can build data that will help you identify patterns, trends, traffic flows, and sources.
In essence, UTM codes allow you to understand the various journeys that your customers are taking to find you, engage with you, and do business with you.
And remember… You cannot be an effective and efficient marketer unless you understand your customers’ journeys.
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P.S. Although most people these days say that UTM stands for “Urchin Tracking Module,” it clearly derived from Urchin Software Corporation’s “Urchin Traffic Monitor.” Urchin was acquired by Google in 2005.
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