MTC URL Builder
Overview
When using Master Tracking Codes (MTC) you must tag all the links in your online ads with the numerical code found in the Master Tracking file. Master Tracking Codes allow you to simplify the amount of data embedded in your URLs. Tagging your advertising links incorrectly will cause inconsistencies in the source, medium and campaign data found in your Urchin reports.How to use this tool
1. Enter the URL of your landing page on your website. Don't worry if you have other tracking variables, the script will detect them and attach the master tracking ID at the end of the variables.2. Specify the Master Track File. This file, according to Urchin specs, must be a tab delimited file that has a "lt" extension. Furthermore, the first column in the file must be a number and the first row must list the names of the columns. The script will test for all four of these conditions and fail if any of them is not true
3. Choose the format of the return data. If you only have a few records in your Master Tracking File choose "text". The resulting URLs will be output to your browser window. You can then copy and paste them as needed. If you have a lengthy Master Tracking File choose "Tab Delimited File". The script will create a tab delimited Excel file that you can save to your computer
If you are not using Google AdWords click the "Process File" button to create your URLs. If you are using Google AdWords please complete strep 4 before clicking "Process File".
4. Google AdWords offers a special syntax for using the utm_term variable. Rather than create a different row in your Master Trcking File for each search term, Google AdWords can extract the term and add it to your URL automatically
Split your Master Tracking data into two files, one for Google ads and one for non-Google ads. Then remove the utm_term column from the Google file and choose "Yes" for the "Add utm_term for Google AdWords?" question. When the Google specific file is processed, the URLs created will have utm_term={keyword} attached to the URL. Google AdWords will automatically extract the keyword that was searched on and add it to the URL where {keyword} is located. If you do not remove the utm_term column from the Google Specific file then the keyword added by AdWords will be overwritten with the value from the Master Tracking File.
