Most people proudly open Google Analytics, glance at their traffic numbers, and call it a day.
BUT….
Traffic alone doesn’t tell you what’s actually working.
If you’re using more than one channel to drive people to your website (and you probably are), the real question isn’t “How many visits did I get?” rather it’s:
Which channel is doing the heavy lifting?
Why this matters (especially if you’re past the beginner stage)
In my own setup, I mainly use email and LinkedIn to drive traffic.
Of course I feel like LinkedIn is doing well because there’s engagement, comments, DMs, likes. Very visible. Very public.
But email? It’s quiet, private, and less flashy.
And yet… email often drives more clicks, deeper engagement, and better conversions.
This is where most creators and marketers get stuck.
They optimise for what looks good instead of what actually performs.
That’s what I mean by moving beyond vanity metrics.
👉 Knowing this difference is what separates a beginner from someone who actually knows how their marketing engine works.
Let me introduce your new best friend UTM tagging
If you don’t yet know exactly which channel, post, or campaign is driving results then let me introduce you to UTM tagging.
UTMs are small snippets you add to your URLs so analytics tools (like Google Analytics) can tell you:
Where your traffic came from
Which channel drove it
Which specific campaign or post performed best
No guesswork. No vibes-based decisions.
Just data.
How UTM tagging works (step-by-step)
Step 1: Start with your destination URL
This is the page you want people to land on.
For example:
https://www.koalalab.rocks/
This stays the same, the UTMs just sit after it.
Step 2: Add the core UTM parameters
At minimum, you’ll use these three:
utm_source → Where the traffic is coming from
Example:
email,linkedin,instagram
utm_medium → The type of channel
Example:
newsletter,social,paid
utm_campaign → The campaign or theme
Example:
july_content_push,new_blog_launch
Put together, your URL might look like this:
www.koalalab.rocks/newsletter?utm_source=linkedin&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=Black-Friday-Campaign
Template 👇🏼
[insert-destination URL]?utm_source=[insert]&utm_medium=[insert]&utm_campaign=[insert]
⚠️ Disclaimer: Make sure the whole link does not contain any spaces
OR you can also use free UTM Tag Generators like https://ga-dev-tools.google/campaign-url-builder/
Step 3: Be consistent (this part matters more than you think)
UTMs only work if you name things consistently.
Bad example:
utm_source=LinkedInutm_source=linkedinutm_source=li
Analytics will treat these as three different sources.
Good rule of thumb:
Pick one naming format
Stick to lowercase
Document your conventions somewhere
Future you will be very grateful.
Step 4: Use the tagged link everywhere
Now use that UTM-tagged link:
In your email buttons
In your LinkedIn posts
In your bio links
In CTAs across platforms
Each channel gets its own version of the link.
Same page. Different UTMs.
Step 5: Check the results (this is the fun bit)
Inside Google Analytics, you’ll now be able to see:
Which channel drove the most clicks
Which campaign performed best
Make sure your Google Analytics account is set up, then follow the steps below.
That insight alone can change how you spend your time.
UTM tagging is a baseline skill that helps you:
Stop guessing
Stop optimising blindly
Start making confident decisions
If you’re serious about growing a website, newsletter, or personal brand then this is non-negotiable.
One small action you can take today
Pick one link you share regularly and add UTMs. Then check the data in a week.
That’s it.
You don’t need more tools. You need clearer visibility.
And that’s how you graduate from posting content to actually running a marketing system.
And if this guide helped, forward it to one creator who’s scared to touch their list. 🐨💌