Tracking email clicks with tagged links (could be google analytics or custom)

Question

I'm trying to track a series of emails and where users are clicking. I really only have google analytics to work with. I'm attempting to use google analytics to tag my links but all I'm getting is the campaign, all the other tags are coming up (not set).

example of the links I am using:

http://www.example.com/en/secured/rewards?entity_id=<%~user%>&pw=<%~pw%>&utm_source=confirmEmail1&utm_medium=email&utm_content=button1&utm_campaign=ssconfirmEmail1

This part of the link HAS to be there.

http://www.example.com/en/secured/rewards?entity_id=<%~user%>&pw=<%~pw%>

I believe something with the entity_id and pw tags are creating a conflict with google's tags. Currently I'm testing weather doing this to the link will work or not.

http://www.example.com/en/secured/rewards?utm_source=confirmEmail1&utm_medium=email&utm_content=button1&utm_campaign=ssconfirmEmail1&entity_id=<%~user%>&pw=<%~pw%>

My question is, first: Does anyone know a reason why this would be happening?

second (forget google analytics and do something custom): I know I could track the link by creating a redirect through a page and then having it redirect to the correct url, but I'm too new at this to know if I can carry the entity_id and pw through the redirect. If so, how?

Thanks!

Actually when I add the exact parameters to an url in one of my sites source and medium are showing up in the realtime view. So this would seem to work. — Eike Pierstorff

OneEightLeft OneEightLeft · Accepted Answer · 2013-10-14T17:12:52

Since the link was picking up everything but the content, I just eliminated that and changed the source to what I was using in the content. It's working now

http://www.example.com/en/secured/rewards?entity_id=<%~user%>&pw=<%~pw%>&utm_source=button1&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=ssconfirmEmail1

Tracking email clicks with tagged links (could be google analytics or custom)

1 Answers