Well almost… These parameters are not yet available in your GA4 reports, but they are available to collect, ready for when they are added to the GA4 interface.
An opinion shared by many, one of the most powerful tools within Google Analytics is UTM tracking. The ability to track all inbound links with custom parameters has been invaluable in attributing our website traffic and marketing efforts.
With the move to Google Analytics 4, it’s never been more important to look at our UTM parameters and ensure they are set up correctly. This is because unlike with Universal Analytics, we can’t edit the channel groupings in GA4. This may seem counterproductive at first, but it’s a great way to create standardisation of UTM naming conventions across digital marketing.
The details of these new fixed channel groupings and their conditions can all be found in Google’s official documentation. If you have a wide array of traffic sources and more complex setups including DV360 and various publishing partners, it’s important to get ahead and update your UTM parameters before the switch. Don’t forget to update your UA channel grouping settings if you change your UTM parameters ahead of July 1st.
One of the main differences between UA and GA4 when it comes to UTM tracking is the level of granularity and customization available. In UA, UTM parameters are limited to source, medium, campaign, term, and content, which are used to identify the referral source and the campaign that drove the user to your website.
In contrast, GA4 offers more UTM parameters than UA, which gives you more control over the data you collect, and allows you to track more specific information about your campaigns. In addition to the standard UTM parameters, you can now also collect 4 additional parameters.
Standard Parameters
- utm_source: The referrer or the source of the traffic.
- utm_medium: The type of referral, such as email, social, or organic.
- utm_campaign: The name of the campaign.
- utm_term: The search term used to find your website.
- utm_content: The specific content or ad that the user clicked on.
New parameters
- utm_source_platform: The platform responsible for directing the traffic.
- utm_creative_format: The format of the ad, such as video or display.
- utm_marketing_tactic: The targeting settings for the ad such as prospecting, remarketing etc.
- utm_id: This is the ID of the specific campaign and is required for GA4 data importing.
In addition to these new UTM parameters, GA4 also offers more advanced cross-device tracking, which allows you to track a user’s engagement across multiple devices without losing their original traffic source.
In conclusion, GA4 offers more advanced UTM tracking capabilities than UA, with more UTM parameters available, and more advanced tracking capabilities such as cross-device tracking. These new features give you more control over the data you collect, and allow you to track more specific information about your campaigns. This data can help you make better-informed decisions about how to optimise your campaigns and drive more conversions.
Check out our complete guide for UTM tracking.
For help ensuring your UTM is set up correctly, reach out to our solutions team and get in touch! Or for more insights on all things GA4 and measurement, check out our blogs.
