Using UTM Tags, GA4 events, and Attribution Models

Getting traffic is easy — knowing which traffic actually leads to customers is where most advertisers fail. This chapter breaks down how to use UTM tags, GA4 events, and attribution models to finally connect clicks with revenue.

Knowing where your conversions actually come from means connecting the dots between clicks and customers using UTM tags, GA4 events, and attribution models.

1. UTM Tags

UTM tags are small text snippets added to the end of a URL.
They tell analytics tools exactly where a visitor came from and which campaign brought them.

https://yourstore.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=summer_sale

You can build tagged links easily with Google's Campaign URL Builder.

2. GA4 Events

Every user action (like a page view, click, or purchase) is an event in Google Analytics 4 (GA4).
GA4 automatically collects basic events such as:

• first_visit;
• page_view;
• session_start.

But you can (and should) add custom events to match business goals.

Example: E-commerce Events

An online store might track:

• add_to_cart;
• remove_from_cart;
• select_promotion;
• purchase.

Each event can include parameters like item name, color, or price.
These help you analyze shopping behavior and product performance.

3. Creating Custom Events and Dimensions

If an action isn't in Google's recommended list, you can create your own custom event. Steps:

1. Create the event in GA4 or through Google Tag Manager (GTM);
2. Go to Admin → Custom definitions → Create custom dimension;
3. Use the same name as your event parameter (for example, button_click);
4. Choose the scope:
   • Event scope: one-time actions (like a button click);
   • User scope: traits of the visitor (like region or device);
   • Item scope: product data (like color or size).

For custom metrics, follow the same process, but they always use event scope.

4. Attribution

Attribution defines how credit for a conversion is distributed across multiple touchpoints in a customer journey.