How to Use UTM Parameters to Track Your Email Performance in Google Analytics
- Christina Pappas
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
With the right tools at your disposal, you can gain deep insights into your audience's behavior, preferences, and responses to your emails. One such powerful tool is UTM parameters, which can elevate your email tracking game and provide the detailed analytics you need to optimize your efforts.
Setting Up UTM Parameters
Getting started with UTM parameters might sound daunting, but it's actually quite simple! You can manually add tags to your URLs or use Google’s Campaign URL Builder tool.
Manually Tagging Your URLs
If you prefer to do it yourself, here is the structure for creating a UTM-tagged URL:
```
http://www.yourwebsite.com?utm_source=SOURCE&utm_medium=MEDIUM&utm_campaign=CAMPAIGN_NAME&utm_term=TERM&utm_content=CONTENT
```
Replace each parameter with the relevant information:
`utm_source`: Identify where your traffic is coming from. For example, "newsletter" or "email_campaign".
`utm_medium`: Specify the medium. Common examples include "email" or "social".
`utm_campaign`: Use a specific name to represent the overall campaign. For instance, "summer_sale".
`utm_term` (optional): Focuses on PPC keywords.
`utm_content` (optional): Differentiates similar content or links within the same ad.
This way, every link you include in your emails can be uniquely tracked.
Example of a UTM-Tagged URL
Let’s say you are promoting a summer sale through your newsletter. Here’s an example of a UTM-tagged URL:
```
http://www.yourwebsite.com?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=summer_sale
```
This link will help you track visitors from your newsletter who clicked through to shop the summer sale.
Using Google Campaign URL Builder
If you prefer a more visual approach, you can use Google’s Campaign URL Builder. Simply fill out the required fields, and it will generate a UTM-tagged URL for you to use in your emails.

Analyzing Email Performance in Google Analytics
Once you've incorporated UTM parameters into your email links, it’s time to analyze the performance through Google Analytics.
Navigating Google Analytics
To review your traffic data, log in to your Google Analytics account, and navigate to:
Acquisition > Campaigns > All Campaigns
Here, you’ll see the traffic segmented by the different UTM parameters you’ve set up. You can view how various campaigns perform, which emails yielded the highest click-through rates (CTR), and more.
Metrics to Watch
Keep an eye on the following metrics for a holistic understanding of your email performance:
Sessions: The total number of sessions driven by your email campaigns.
Users: The number of unique visitors that came from your campaigns.
Pageviews: How many pages your visitors viewed, which indicates engagement.
Average Session Duration: Understanding how long people stayed on your site after clicking your email.
Conversion Rate: The percentage of users that completed the desired action after clicking through.
These metrics will help you assess whether your email marketing strategy is effective or if it needs revisions.

Best Practices for UTM Parameters in Email Campaigns
To get the best out of your UTM parameters in email campaigns, consider these best practices:
Consistency is Key
Be consistent with naming conventions for each UTM parameter. Decide on a naming format and stick to it to avoid confusion when analyzing data down the line.
Test Your Links
Before sending out an email with UTM-tagged links, always test them! Make sure all links work as expected and properly track in Google Analytics.
Keep It Short and Sweet
While it might be tempting to get creative with naming your campaigns or content, ensure the UTM parameters are concise. Long parameters can look messy and could deter clicks.
Limit the Use of Optional Parameters
While parameters like `utm_term` and `utm_content` can provide additional insights, they may not always be necessary. Use them wisely to keep URLs clean and impactful.
Start tagging those URLs today and watch your email analytics unlock valuable insights. If you like data as much as I do, this is going to be fun!