Coremetrics URL Query Strings MMC Tags for Marketing Programs Tracking Code
Coremetrics® Tracking Code
From: http://www.kpilist.com/2009/02/coremetrics-url-query-strings-mmc-tags.html
Coremetrics® is one of the most powerful and easy to configure Enterprise Level Web Analytics Solutions in today's marketplace. One of the key features that set's this web analytics tool apart from its closest competitor Omniture®, is the ease of use in creating and Tracking Marketing Campaigns. Similar to the use of UTM tags in Google Analytics. Coremetrics® uses MMC Parameters. These URL Query Strings quickly and easily triage your incoming click based traffic in the predetermined campaign, which is all specified by the way the URL Query string is structured and formatted. Incoming traffic data is reported under the Marketing Programs Report. There is a maximum of 4 variables or campaign meta-data that can be captured. Coremetrics® is pre-configured to capture Vendor, Category, Placement and Item. But you can use these parameters how-ever you wish, just know that your data is will be found under that corresponding Marketing Program attribute. Generating Tracking Code is very simple and easy. This can either be done by hand coding the mmc parameters into each link leading back to your site or supplying the URL Query strings to your Display media Vendor such as Atlas, Dart, Query Strings should be appended to all Paid Search or PPC ads for Yahoo! Search Marketing or Google AdWords or for all Affiliate Marketing like Link Share or Commission Junction.
FORMATTING URL QUERY STRING TRACKING CODE
There are two ways of formatting Coremetrics Marketing Programs Tracking Code. The 4 parameter format (old) or the 1 parameter format (new).
- Use a question mark at the very end of your URL destination, whether that is the top level domain or the targeted landing page. Use "?" to designate that the URL Query string is starting.
- Always separate Parameters by using an ampersand "&"
- If you have to use other Query String Parameters in conjunction with Coremetrics Marketing Programs Tracking Codes, such as a promo code or page specific code, make sure that the Coremetrics Tracking Codes are placed last.
4 PARAMETER FORMAT
cm_ven=Vendor
cm_cat=Category
cm_pla=Placement
cm_ite=Item
Paid Search
http://www.domain.com?cm_ven=SEM&cm_cat=Google&cm_pla=AdGroup&cm_ite=Keyword
http://www.domain.com/landing-page.html?cm_ven=SEM&cm_cat=Yahoo&cm_pla=AdGroup&cm_ite=Keyword
Banner Ad
http://www.domain.com?cm_ven=Display&cm_cat=ValueClick&cm_pla=Messaging&cm_ite=728x90-Leaderboard-Creative-One
Affiliate Link
http://www.domain.com?cm_ven=Affiliate&cm_cat=LinkShare&cm_pla=Affiliate-Website&cm_ite=Product-Offer
1 PARAMETER FORMAT (variables are separate by a dash underscore dash "-_-")
cm_mmc=Vendor-_-Category-_-Placement-_-Item
Paid Search
http://www.domain.com?cm_mmc=SEM-_-Google-_-AdGroup-_-Keyword
http://www.domain.com/landing-page.html?cm_mmc=SEM-_-Yahoo-_-AdGroup-_-Keyword
Banner Ad
http://www.domain.com?cm_mmc=Display-_-ValueClick-_-Messaging-_-728x90-Leaderboard-Creative-One
Affiliate Link
http://www.domain.com?cm_mmc=Affiliate-_-LinkShare-_-Affiliate-Website-_-Product-Offer
ATTENTION TO DETAIL
There are several illegal characters that are not to be when creating URL Query String Parameters. Remember to never use a "space" to separate words or data points within a parameter, use a dash "-" instead, do not use an underscore "_". If a special character has to be coded with the Coremetrics Query String Tracking Code please use the appropriate html designated URL Query String Parameter Code.
For a Percent "%" Use "%25"
For a Space " " Use "%20"
For a Open Bracket "{" Use "%7b"
For a Closed Bracket "}" Use "%7d"
For a Pipe "|" Use "%7c"
For a Backslash "\" Use "%5c"
For a Carrot "^" Use "%5e"
For a Open Bracket "[" Use "%5b"
For a Closed Bracket "]" Use "%5d"
For a Accent "`" Use "%60"
For a Less Than "<" Use "%3c" For a Greater Than ">" Use "%3e"
For a Number Sign "#" Use "%23"
For a Semi-colon ";" Use "%3b"
For a Forward slash "/" Use "%2f"
For a Question Mark "?" Use "%3f"
For a Colon ":" Use "%3a"
For a At "@" Use "%40"
For a Equals "=" Use "%3d"
For a Ampersand "&" Use "%26"
For a Plus "+" Use "%2b"
For a Single Quote "'" Use "%22"