Urchin Tracking Module (UTM) codes, also known as UTM parameters, are simple, customizable text-based tags that allow SaaS marketing agencies to measure the performance of marketing campaigns across traffic sources with greater accuracy and resolution.
Urchin Tracking Module (UTM) codes, also known as UTM parameters, are simple, customizable text-based tags that allow SaaS marketing agencies to measure the performance of marketing campaigns across traffic sources with greater accuracy and resolution.
UTM codes can be added to the end of any hyperlink you publish on any channel as part of your digital marketing efforts. When someone clicks on a link to your website that contains UTM codes, the information from those tags is sent back to your Google Analytics for tracking and attributed to the browser’s website session.
UTM codes can be customized by marketing teams to carry information about the specific marketing channel, platform, or campaign where the link will be published. This allows marketers to know exactly which links are generating the most referral traffic to their landing pages.
Marketers add UTM codes to the hyperlinks they publish so they can correctly attribute clicks and website traffic to the correct marketing channel, traffic source, campaign, keyword, or content element.
Here’s an example of an ordinary URL that links to our SaaS SEO agency service page:
Now, here’s the same URL with three UTM parameters attached to the end of it (highlighted in yellow):
When a user clicks on either of these links, they’ll be directed to our SaaS SEO agency service page. But when the user clicks the link that contains the UTM codes, our website analytics tool (Google Analytics) captures the information from those parameters and attributes their visit to the indicated source, medium, and marketing campaign.
In this example, any traffic coming to the designated URL through this link will be attributed to LinkedIn (the source), Social Media (the medium, or channel), and a marketing campaign we’re calling SEO Outreach.
Next, we’ll show you the five UTM codes supported by Google Analytics and how they can be used to understand where your traffic is coming from and why.
Google Analytics supports five different UTM parameters that marketers can implement to measure the origins of their referral traffic more accurately.
When adding UTM codes to a hyperlink, the utm_source and utm_medium parameters must always be included. Otherwise, marketers may include as many UTM parameters as they wish, and in any order they choose.
The five UTM parameters are:
Tag: utm_source
Overview: The Source parameter should indicate the name of the platform where the link will be published, allowing marketers to determine which platforms are driving the most traffic to their landing pages.
Examples:
Tag: utm_medium
Overview: The Medium parameter should indicate the name of the marketing channel or medium where the tracked link will be featured. This will allow Google Analytics to measure traffic by channel and determine which ones are performing the best.
Examples:
Tag: utm_campaign
Overview: The Campaign parameter should be used when a link is being published as part of a specific campaign or promotion. This allows marketers to attribute website traffic to specific marketing campaigns and see which ones are performing the best.
Examples:
ScalixAI is a performance-driven Google Ads agency specializing in helping high-growth, AI-first companies scale with predictable, profitable customer acquisition. Founded by an ex-Googler with 9 years of insider advertising experience, we manage the entire Google Ads lifecycle—from campaign strategy and account setup to conversion tracking, analytics, and ongoing optimization. Our data-centric, AI-powered approach ensures you know exactly which campaigns are working, why they’re working, and what to do next to outpace your competitors.ScalixAI is a performance-driven Google Ads agency specializing in helping high-growth, AI-first companies scale with predictable, profitable customer acquisition. Founded by an ex-Googler with 9 years of insider advertising experience, we manage the entire Google Ads lifecycle—from campaign strategy and account setup to conversion tracking, analytics, and ongoing optimization.
Most clients see performance stabilize by month three. Google Ads isn’t a slot machine—it takes time to compound.
No. We work month-to-month. All we ask is that you give us three months to prove the results.
While Google Ads is our entry point, we also support LinkedIn Ads, Reddit, and X campaigns when needed.
The CRO audit covers your landing pages, CTAs, forms, and overall user flow. We’ll flag what’s holding back conversions and recommend fixes. If changes require design or dev resources, we’ll hand over clear action steps for your team, so you know exactly what to adjust.
As an ex-Googler, I know which recommendations are useful, and which are just there to hit Google’s internal targets. We’ll filter their advice for you, implementing only what actually helps us hit revenue goals.
Weekly reports show spend, conversions, CPL/CPA, and how we’re tracking against projections. “Good” means campaigns are meeting efficiency targets. “Scalable” means we can push budget and expect the same or better efficiency without breaking ROI.