How to Embed UTMs into Creatives Linked To Ad Groups

The Urchin Tracking Module (UTM) tracks the source, medium, and click rates of links by embedding information into the URL.

A typical UTM looks something like this:

URL + Source(utm_source=) & Medium(utm_medium=) & Campaign Name(utm_campaign=)

Example of a UTM:

https://knorex.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/categories/360002169771-What-s-New-in-XPO-?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=New_Website_Announcement

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UTM Parameters For Creatives

If you are using Google Analytics (GA), you can track the performance of your creatives linked to your campaigns and ad groups via UTM in XPO.

• The UTM parameters are appended to the destination URL. When you link a creative to an ad group, and the creative is clicked, GA will track data based on those embedded UTM parameters.
• The UTM parameters are included only if it doesn’t already exist in the original destination URL. For instance, if the original destination URL has utm_medium, XPO will exclude it and automatically add in other UTMs ,such as utm_source and utm_campaign.
•  Values of UTM parameters will change based on the combination of ad groups and creatives, such as Ad Group type, Ad group name, and Creative destination URL.

Instructions To Embed UTM Parameters In XPO

1. From your Partner Account Dashboard, go to the Settings menu, and choose the option to enable/disable UTM Parameters for all the Accounts under the Partner. 
   
   
   
   
   
   

2. Once enabled, the UTM tags are automatically added to the destination URL of the creatives while linking creative to the ad group. 

   • Values for UTM Parameters are as follows:

   

3. Creatives once linked to different channel ad groups, and when a prospect clicks on the ad, UTM Parameters are displayed with the destination URL of the creatives. Supported Creatives types include:
   
   

   Channel	Supported Creative Types
   Programmatic Creatives	Display Ads  Static/Banner Ads Dynamic Ads Third-Party Tag HTML5 Ads Native Ads  Native Content Ads Native Video Ads
   Facebook Creatives	Carousel Ad Catalog Ad Single Image Ad Slideshow Ad Video Ad UTM Parameters will NOT be generated dynamically and added to the destination URL for creative type Facebook App Install.
   Search Creatives	Coming soon.
   LinkedIn Creatives	Coming soon.

• UTM parameters are displayed in the destination URL when you click on the creative preview.
• UTM parameters are updated when you edit ad group names or destination URLs for creatives linked to ad groups.
• UTM parameters are added when you clone ad group with linked creatives.
• UTM parameters are excluded from the destination URL for creatives not linked to ad groups.

Understanding Google Analytics Discrepancies 

Though Google Analytics (GA) data generally remains consistent, differences in tracking methods can occasionally lead to discrepancies between GA and Ad Platform data. 

Ad platforms track clicks, while GA tracks sessions, where a session is a single visit to your website that lasts up to 30 minutes. 

GA Reporting Approaches:

• Tracking metric: Visits, which represent individual user sessions on your website
• Attribution model: Tracks click-through conversions. GA defaults to a last-click attribution model, in which conversions are attributed to the most recent clicked-on ad in the user's journey. This model focuses on the final interaction before a conversion. If no ad is clicked leading to the session, the conversion is attributed to ‘Direct’.
• Attribution window: GA sets a default 30-day click conversion window.
• Cross-device tracking: GA does not have cross-device tracking capabilities, which can be a limitations if users interact with your website across multiple devices (e.g. mobile, desktop, etc.). This means that if a user clicks on an ad on their mobile device and then visits the site on their desktop browser, GA may track this conversion incorrectly as either:
  • Two separate users, or
  • A direct conversion

By understanding the common data discrepancies, you can take action to increase the quality of your data and improve the accuracy of your reporting. Examples of common data discrepancies include:

• Improper configuration between your ads and Analytics.
• Issues related to URL tagging and tracking codes.
• Differences between clicks and conversion tracking.
• Google Analytics tracking code is missing or doesn’t fire.
• Users click on the same ad multiple times.

Listed below are references you can check out to gain a deeper understanding of why these discrepancies occur.

• Google Support   
• Google Analytics Reporting Discrepancies Explained   
• support.owox.com   

Read more about how you can reduce these discrepancies and make sure your GA UTM tags avoid errors here   .