UTM Tagging Explained: Smarter Tracking for Local Businesses
You’ve probably asked yourself:
“We’re getting more traffic, but is it from the work we’re doing, or just random?”
That’s exactly what UTM tracking solves. It gives you real, measurable insight into what’s driving visits, clicks, and customer actions from all the local SEO work you’re doing.
If you’ve never heard of a UTM tag before, don’t worry. This guide breaks it down and explains how we use it to show what’s working and what needs improvement.
What’s a UTM Tag
A UTM tag is a small piece of text added to the end of a website URL that helps you track exactly where a visitor came from.
Here’s an example of a URL without a UTM tag:www.localhowl.com
Now here’s the same URL with a UTM tag attached:www.localhowl.com/?utm_source=yelp&utm_medium=directory&utm_campaign=local_citations
It looks more complicated, but it does something powerful, it tells Google Analytics exactly where that click came from and why.
How We Set It Up at Local Howl
We handle the heavy lifting so you don’t have to mess with code or dashboards. Here’s how it works:
1.We Benchmark Your Current Website Traffic
We start by connecting to your Google Analytics and Google Search Console. This helps us see how many people are already coming to your website, and from where.
2. We Tag Your URLs with UTM Parameters
We create a custom URL (with a UTM tag) that looks something like this:
yourwebsite.com/?utm_source=googlebusiness&utm_medium=profile&utm_campaign=local-seo
This URL goes into all your citations, Google Business Profile, Yelp, BBB, Apple Maps, and more, so we can track them separately.
3. We Update All Your Listings
Once your UTM-tagged URLs are ready, we push them to every citation and review-based site you’re listed on (or that we add you to). This gives us full visibility into what’s working across your entire local SEO footprint.
4. We Track Conversions Too
Everything we do is designed to make your business more visible and discoverable. UTM tracking takes it a step further by showing what happens after someone finds you.
Whether your goal is:
Phone calls
Form fills
Service bookings
Free class signups
Menu views or reservations
We can show you exactly how many people took that action, and which citation, post, or platform they came from.
What’s the ROI of a Website Click?
Knowing how many clicks you’re getting is one thing. But what’s the value of those clicks?
We’ll help you figure that out using simple math:
How many site visits turn into real customers?
How much is each customer worth to you?
How many actions does it take to land one sale?
Example:
You get 10 phone calls per 100 visitors
1 out of 10 books your service
That customer is worth $1,000
Each click is worth ~$100 in potential revenue
We can also show how this compares to paid channels like Google Ads or Facebook. (Example: Average cost per click on Google is $3–$5. If your local SEO traffic is converting at a higher value? That’s real ROI.)
See What Your Website Visitors Are Really Doing
With UTM tracking, you’re not just getting traffic, you’re getting answers.
Where did they come from?
Did they book a service?
How many clicked the “Call Now” button?
Are your new listings performing better than your old ones?
And when you combine that data with Twilio call tracking (for phone calls) and Google Analytics (for site behavior), you get the full picture.
If you’ve never heard of a UTM tag before, don’t worry. This guide breaks it down and explains how we use it to show what’s working and what needs improvement.
What’s a UTM Tag
A UTM tag is a small piece of text added to the end of a website URL that helps you track exactly where a visitor came from.
Here’s an example of a URL without a UTM tag:www.localhowl.com
Now here’s the same URL with a UTM tag attached:www.localhowl.com/?utm_source=yelp&utm_medium=directory&utm_campaign=local_citations
It looks more complicated, but it does something powerful, it tells Google Analytics exactly where that click came from and why.
How We Set It Up at Local Howl
We handle the heavy lifting so you don’t have to mess with code or dashboards. Here’s how it works:
1.We Benchmark Your Current Website Traffic
We start by connecting to your Google Analytics and Google Search Console. This helps us see how many people are already coming to your website, and from where.
2. We Tag Your URLs with UTM Parameters
We create a custom URL (with a UTM tag) that looks something like this:
yourwebsite.com/?utm_source=googlebusiness&utm_medium=profile&utm_campaign=local-seo
This URL goes into all your citations, Google Business Profile, Yelp, BBB, Apple Maps, and more, so we can track them separately.
3. We Update All Your Listings
Once your UTM-tagged URLs are ready, we push them to every citation and review-based site you’re listed on (or that we add you to). This gives us full visibility into what’s working across your entire local SEO footprint.
4. We Track Conversions Too
Everything we do is designed to make your business more visible and discoverable. UTM tracking takes it a step further by showing what happens after someone finds you.
Whether your goal is:
Phone calls
Form fills
Service bookings
Free class signups
Menu views or reservations
We can show you exactly how many people took that action, and which citation, post, or platform they came from.
What’s the ROI of a Website Click?
Knowing how many clicks you’re getting is one thing. But what’s the value of those clicks?
We’ll help you figure that out using simple math:
How many site visits turn into real customers?
How much is each customer worth to you?
How many actions does it take to land one sale?
Example:
You get 10 phone calls per 100 visitors
1 out of 10 books your service
That customer is worth $1,000
Each click is worth ~$100 in potential revenue
We can also show how this compares to paid channels like Google Ads or Facebook. (Example: Average cost per click on Google is $3–$5. If your local SEO traffic is converting at a higher value? That’s real ROI.)
See What Your Website Visitors Are Really Doing
With UTM tracking, you’re not just getting traffic, you’re getting answers.
Where did they come from?
Did they book a service?
How many clicked the “Call Now” button?
Are your new listings performing better than your old ones?
And when you combine that data with Twilio call tracking (for phone calls) and Google Analytics (for site behavior), you get the full picture.
See What Your Website Visitors Are Really Doing
With UTM tracking, you’re not just getting traffic, you’re getting answers.
Where did they come from?
Did they book a service?
How many clicked the “Call Now” button?
Are your new listings performing better than your old ones?
And when you combine that data with Twilio call tracking (for phone calls) and Google Analytics (for site behavior), you get the full picture.