Give each parameter one job
Google’s campaign URL documentation explains that UTM parameters identify referring campaigns and appear in acquisition reporting. It also notes that parameter values are case-sensitive. Decide your spelling before publishing links.
Our practical convention is lowercase words joined with hyphens. Source names the referring platform or partner, medium describes the channel, and campaign names the activity. For a community association linking to a service page, you might use source=neighborhood-association, medium=referral, and campaign=autumn-maintenance. Those labels are an example, not a prescribed Google taxonomy.
Keep a register someone else can understand
Create columns for destination URL, source, medium, campaign, optional content variant, final URL, placement, owner, and date published. Include a plain-English purpose: “Association website listing for seasonal gutter cleaning.” A future employee should be able to understand the link without decoding abbreviations.
Reserve campaign names for actual initiatives. If every individual post gets a completely unrelated campaign name, a small report becomes difficult to compare. Use a content label for a meaningful variation, such as before-after-photo versus preparation-checklist, when you intend to compare those placements. Avoid adding fields you will never inspect.
Build and test one real example
Google provides a Campaign URL Builder. Enter your real service-page URL and the agreed values, then copy the generated link into your register. Check the complete link on a phone: it should open the intended page with a usable contact action.
For a fictional example, a link can end with ?utm_source=community-partner&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=fall-service. If the destination already contains a question mark, do not blindly append another one; use the builder or have the URL checked. Inspect any redirect or short-link service you use to make sure the destination still receives the intended parameters.
Protect the meaning of the report
Our recommendation is to reserve UTMs for incoming campaign links and use normal navigation links inside your own site. Keep the same service-page URL as the destination and use tagged versions only where you are intentionally tracking an external placement. Do not scatter different tagged links across your menu and footer.
Keep names, email addresses, phone numbers, and customer messages out of UTM values. Google’s guidance specifically warns about personal information appearing in URLs sent to Analytics. A campaign label such as spring-estimates is useful; a customer identifier copied from a contact form is not.
Review a small sample after publication
After the campaign has real visits and reporting has processed, look for the exact agreed labels. If you see CommunityPartner, community-partner, and partner-community, correct the naming process for future links and document the historical variants. Do not promise that editing a spreadsheet will rewrite data already collected. The objective is a repeatable habit that keeps the next report useful.
When a partner publishes the link, ask them to use the final registered version rather than rebuilding it from memory. Check the live placement once. If the campaign ends but the page remains useful, record the end date in the register so future reporting still has context.
Your practical checklist
- Agree lowercase source, medium, and campaign values.
- Maintain a shared link register.
- Use the actual service page as the destination.
- Test redirects and contact actions on a phone.
- Keep personal information out of URL parameters.
Written with AI-assisted research and drafting, with source checks and editorial review for this guidebook. Platform facts link to official documentation. Examples and recommendations are our own; no client results are implied. Sources reviewed October 8, 2026. About Getting Found Local