Stop Guessing and Start Knowing Where Your Sales Come From
If you’re running a business in Brisbane—whether you’re a sparky in Coorparoo or running a boutique in Paddington—you’ve likely felt that nagging doubt when you pay your monthly marketing bills.
You see money leaving your bank account for Facebook ads, Google ads, or that local directory listing, but when the phone rings, you aren't 100% sure which one did the heavy lifting. Was it the 'Spring Special' post you put up on Tuesday? Or was it the email you sent out to your old customers last week?
Most business owners I talk to rely on a "gut feeling." They think their marketing is working because they’re busy. But "busy" doesn't always mean "profitable."
There is a simple, free way to put a digital "tag" on every link you share online. This tag tells Google exactly where a visitor came from, what they clicked on, and—most importantly—if they ended up spending money with you. In the marketing world, these tags are called UTM parameters. But for you, they are simply Profit Trackers.
In this guide, I’m going to show you how to use these trackers to see exactly where sales come from so you can stop burning cash on ads that don't work and double down on the ones that do.
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What Are These "Profit Trackers" and Why Should You Care?
Imagine you hand out three different types of flyers in the Queen Street Mall. One is red, one is blue, and one is green. You tell people to bring the flyer into your shop for a discount. At the end of the day, you count the flyers in your till. If you have 50 red ones and only 2 green ones, you know exactly which person handing out flyers is doing their job.
Profit Trackers (UTMs) do the exact same thing for your digital links.
When you post a link on Facebook, or put one in an email, you add a little bit of extra text to the end of your website address. It looks like a mess of code to a computer, but to you, it’s a clear label.
Why most Brisbane businesses get this wrong
Most small businesses just post their website link:www.yourbusiness.com.au.
If ten people click that link from ten different places, your website records them all as "Social Media" or "Direct Traffic." You have no way of knowing if they came from your paid ad, a random group post, or your bio link.
By using trackers, you can differentiate between: The "Book Now" button in your monthly newsletter. The "Learn More" button on your Facebook Ad. The link in your Instagram bio. The QR code on the side of your work ute.
When you know which ads make money, you stop being a victim of "hope marketing." You start making decisions based on cold, hard cash.
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The 5 Pieces of Information You Need to Track
You don't need to be a tech genius to set this up. There are five main labels you can attach to any link. You don't always have to use all five, but the first three are non-negotiable.
1. The Source (Where is the traffic coming from?)
This is the platform. Is it Facebook? Google? Your email software? Example:facebook, google, newsletter.
2. The Medium (How is it getting to them?)
This is the type of traffic. Is it a paid ad? An organic post? An email? Example:cpc (this stands for cost-per-click, or paid ads), social, email.
3. The Campaign (What is the big idea?)
This is the name of your specific promotion or sale. Example:spring_sale, emergency_plumbing_promo, christmas_2024.
4. The Content (Which specific version did they click?)
This is great if you are testing two different photos or headlines. Example:photo_of_truck vs photo_of_team.
5. The Term (What keywords are you paying for?)
Mostly used for Google Search ads to see which specific search words (like "electrician near me") led to the click.---
Step-by-Step: How to Create Your Own Tracked Links
You don't have to manually type these long links. There are free tools that do it for you. Google has one called the "Campaign URL Builder," but even simpler, you can just use a spreadsheet.
Step 1: Pick your destination
Where do you want the customer to go? Usually, it’s a specific service page or a contact form. Example:https://www.brisbanepainter.com.au/get-a-quote
Step 2: Use a Builder Tool
Search for "Google Campaign URL Builder." It’s a simple form. You plug in your website address and fill in the Source, Medium, and Campaign names.Step 3: Copy the "Long" Link
The tool will spit out something like this:https://www.brisbanepainter.com.au/get-a-quote?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=interior_painting_special
Step 4: Use this link in your ad
Instead of using your plain website address, use this long one. Don't worry, people rarely look at the address bar, and if you're using a button (like "Apply Now"), they never even see the text.Step 5: Check your results
Log into your website analytics (usually Google Analytics). Instead of seeing a big pile of "Facebook" traffic, you will now see exactly how many people clicked the "Interior Painting Special" vs the "Exterior Painting Special."---
Real-World Scenario: The Morningside Landscaper
We recently worked with a landscaping business based in Morningside. They were spending $2,000 a month on Facebook ads. They were getting clicks, and the phone was ringing, but the owner was convinced the ads weren't doing much. He thought most of his work was coming from word-of-mouth.
We implemented these Profit Trackers on every single ad.
After 30 days, we looked at the data. It turned out that one specific ad—a video showing a 30-second timelapse of a backyard transformation—had generated 12 high-quality enquiries. Another ad, which was just a static photo of their logo, had generated 0 enquiries despite costing $500 in clicks.
Without tracking, he would have kept spending $500 a month on a photo of his logo. By owning your data, you can see these patterns and move your money to what actually works. He cut the dud ads and moved that money into more video content. His enquiries doubled without him spending an extra cent.
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Common Mistakes That Will Mess Up Your Data
If you're going to do this, you have to be disciplined. If you're messy with your labels, your data will be a mess.
1. Capitalisation Matters
Google seesFacebook, facebook, and FB as three different things. If you use different versions, your reports will be split into three rows, making it a nightmare to read. Always use lowercase.
2. Using Spaces
Links don't like spaces. If you want to separate words, use an underscore (_) or a dash (-).
Bad: utm_campaign=spring sale
Good: utm_campaign=spring_sale
3. Tracking Internal Links
Never use these trackers on buttons inside your own website (e.g., a link from your Home page to your Contact page). This actually breaks the tracking and makes it look like a new person just arrived. Only use these for links coming from outside* your website (Social media, Email, Other websites, Print ads).4. Forgetting the "Why"
Don't just track for the sake of it. If you aren't going to look at the data once a month to decide where to spend your budget, don't bother. This is a tool for growth, not a hobby.---
How Much Does This Cost?
Setting this up costs $0 in software. The tools are free.
The only cost is time. It takes about 60 seconds longer to create a tracked link than it does to just copy-paste your website URL.
If you hire an agency like Local Marketing Group, we do all of this for you as part of our standard service. But if you’re doing it yourself, that 60 seconds is the best investment you’ll make all week. It’s the difference between guessing and knowing.
How Long Until You See Results?
You will see data the moment people start clicking. However, I usually recommend waiting at least 30 days before making big decisions. You need enough people to click through to see a pattern. One person clicking and not calling doesn't mean the ad is bad. Fifty people clicking and not calling means you have a problem with your offer or your website.
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What Should You Do First?
Don't try to track everything at once. You'll get overwhelmed and quit.
1. Start with your next Email: If you send out a newsletter or a blast to your customers, use a tracked link for the main button. 2. Track your Facebook Bio: Change the link in your Instagram or Facebook "About" section to a tracked link. You'll be surprised how many people actually click that. 3. Create a simple Spreadsheet: Keep a record of the links you create so you remember what labels you used.
Summary for the Busy Owner
Stop treating your marketing budget like a donation to Mark Zuckerberg or Google. You are an investor, and every investment should show a return.
Using Profit Trackers (UTMs) is the only way to see if your digital marketing is actually putting money in your pocket. It’s simple, it’s free, and it’s the hallmark of a business that is ready to scale.
If you’re tired of wondering if your ads are working, or if you want someone to take the technical headache off your plate and just show you the results, we can help.
Ready to grow your Brisbane business with marketing that actually move the needle? Contact Local Marketing Group today and let’s get your tracking sorted.