How to integrate UTM Codes and CPV One with Google Analytics 4

As you know, GA4 was officially launched in July and since then a lot of businesses are trying to figure out how to get their data in the right format.

As you well know, running a successful campaign involves not only reaching your target audience but also accurately measuring its effectiveness.

Utilizing UTM (Urchin Tracking Module) codes and CPV One ad tracker, you can efficiently track campaign data, gain valuable insights, and optimize your strategies.

In this article, we will explore how you can seamlessly integrate UTM codes and affiliate tracking software CPV One to ensure your customers receive essential data in Google Analytics 4 (GA4).

Note: the same process applies for CPV Lab – self-hosted ad tracker; In this article we will use CPV One as reference.

What are UTM Codes?

Before we delve into the integration process, let’s briefly review UTM codes.

UTM Codes: UTM codes are short snippets of text appended to the end of a URL.

These codes contain key parameters such as source, medium, and campaign name, allowing you to track the origin of traffic and the success of your marketing efforts.

Source:

The source refers to the digital origin from which the user arrived. It might be the name of a specific website, the advertiser responsible for placing the ad, or the title of your YouTube channel.

Include something in this parameter to indicate the previous location of the person before they came to your site.

E.g. utm_source=Google, utm_source=OctNewsletter

Medium:

The medium represents the channel through which you capture the users’ attention.

It could be a video, email, CPC ad, graphic, or organic tweet. This parameter helps identify the type of content that generated the click.

E.g. utm_medium=ppc, utm_medium=email

Campaign:

If you are conducting a targeted campaign for the outgoing content, you can specify that campaign using this parameter.

Whether it’s a code name, slogan, or the campaign’s actual name, use whatever you find easiest. Think of this as the “when” aspect of your UTM (Urchin Tracking Module).

E.g. utm_campaign=blackfriday22, utm_campaign=halloween22

Term:

When running Google Ads, the traffic may appear in Google Analytics 4 simply as “google/cpc,” which is not particularly informative.

It’s much more useful to determine the specific keyword or “term” for which you bid, leading to the user visiting your site.

This way, you can precisely understand how a Google Ad was triggered to direct people to your site.

E.g. utm_term=digital_analytics

Content:

You can track which content piece resulted in a click to your site.

E.g. utm_content=banana_bluebg, utm_content=bodylink

Source Platform:

The parameter identifies the traffic source, including Google Ads, Manual, Shopping Free Listings, Search Ads 360, and Display & Video 360.

E.g. utm_source_platform=GoogleAds

Creative Format:

This parameter helps identify the type of creative being used, such as display, video, native, or search. Like utm_content, it distinguishes between different creatives.

E.g. utm_creative_format: image_mountain

Marketing Tactic:

This parameter primarily indicates the targeting approach used, like remarketing or prospecting. It can also be utilized for additional data, such as bidding strategies and audience details.

E.g. utm_marketing_tactic=remarketing_180days

Here are more details and examples of UTM parameters:

Integrating UTM Codes and CPV One

To ensure your customers’ data is effectively tracked in GA4, follow these steps to integrate UTM codes and CPV One into your campaign URLs.

But first you need to understand the benefits of this method and the why behind it.

Why capture UTM params into the ad tracker?

If you are asking yourself why you need to capture the UTM parameters into your ad tracker, then the answer is simple: to get all the information in the tracker as well and then you can optimize your campaigns much better.

When you run campaigns on multiple traffic sources you want to be able to compare same metrics, and the best way is to find them in the same dashboard.

If you want to use Google Analytics 4 (GA4) for this, you will find it difficult for 2 reasons:

• the way Google Analytics measures traffic (based on events) is way different than Google Ads reporting
• The same applies to the reports about other traffic sources if you compare the reports with Meta Ads Manager for example.

So, the solution is simple: with a marketing tracker like CPV One you get real-time reports about all your sources, and you can compare the same metrics across traffic sources.

How to capture UTM parameters in CPV One?

In order to capture UTM parameters with CPV One ad tracker you need to follow these steps:

1. You need to create a campaign in CPV One.
2. Capture Parameters in Extra Tokens or Ad Tokens:

To begin, verify that you have configured Extra Tokens or Ad Tokens in your campaign.

These tokens serve as placeholders to capture specific parameters from the Campaign URL, excluding “c” and “key” parameters.

For example, suppose you want to capture the “medium” parameter in Extra Token 2 and the “source” parameter in Extra Token 5.

In that case, ensure the appropriate tokens are set up in your campaign configuration.

_{*In the Placeholder field, add an accepted token from the traffic source used by your campaign.}

Incorporate Tokens in the Landing Page URL:

Once the necessary tokens are configured, it’s time to add them to your landing page URL. This step is crucial for passing the captured parameters to the landing page where the information can be utilized.

Construct the landing page URL in the following format:

https://domain.com/landing-page.php?utm_source={!token5!}&utm_medium={!token2!}

Breaking Down the Landing Page URL:

Tracking Additional Parameters: