# How to Track Which Marketing Channels Bring the Most Customers
Ever feel like you’re throwing money at Facebook, Google Ads, and SEO, but you aren’t quite sure which one is actually paying the bills? As the old saying goes, half the money spent on advertising is wasted; the trouble is knowing which half.
In this guide, we’re going to fix that. I’m going to show you how to set up a professional tracking system so you can see exactly where your Brisbane customers are coming from—whether it’s a local search, a social media post, or that expensive ad campaign you started last month.
Why this matters for your Australian business
Most small business owners in Australia rely on 'gut feel'. You might ask a customer, "How did you hear about us?" and they’ll say "Google." But did they find you through a paid ad, your Google Business Profile (map listing), or an organic search result? The strategy for each is completely different. Accurate tracking allows you to stop wasting budget on things that don't work and double down on the ones that do.---
Prerequisites: What you’ll need before we start
Before we dive into the 'how-to', make sure you have access to the following:- A website for your business (WordPress, Shopify, Squarespace, etc.).
- A Google Account (preferably a business one, e.g., yourname@gmail.com or your workspace email).
- Google Analytics 4 (GA4) installed (Don't worry if you haven't done this yet; we'll touch on it).
- Admin access to your social media and ad accounts.
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Step 1: Understanding the 'Source' and 'Medium'
Before we click any buttons, we need to speak the same language. Google Analytics (the tool we'll use) categorises traffic into two main buckets:- Source: Where the traffic comes from (e.g., Google, Facebook, Newsletter).
- Medium: How it got to you (e.g., CPC for paid ads, Organic for free search, Email for your blasts).
Step 2: Setting up Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
If you’re still using the old 'Universal Analytics' (the one with the ID starting with UA-), I have some bad news: it stopped collecting data in mid-2023. You must have GA4 running.- Go to analytics.google.com.
- Follow the prompts to create a 'Property' for your business.
- Screenshot Description: You should see a data stream setup page asking for your website URL. Enter your Brisbane business URL (e.g.,
www.yourbrisbanebusiness.com.au). - Copy your Measurement ID (it starts with G-).
- Paste this ID into your website’s SEO plugin (like Yoast or RankMath on WordPress) or the 'Integrations' section of Shopify.
Step 3: Use UTM Parameters for EVERY Link
This is where the magic happens. A UTM parameter is a bit of extra code you add to the end of a URL so Google knows exactly which link someone clicked. The Problem: If you post a link on your Facebook page and also run a Facebook Ad, Google might just group them both as 'Facebook'. You won't know which one actually generated the sale. The Solution: Use the Google Campaign URL Builder.- Enter your website URL.
- Campaign Source:
facebook - Campaign Medium:
organic_post(for a free post) orcpc(for a paid ad). - Campaign Name:
summer_sale_2024. - Copy the long URL it generates and use that in your post.
Step 4: Tracking your Google Business Profile (The Local King)
For Brisbane businesses, your Google Maps listing is often your biggest source of leads. But by default, Google Analytics often calls this 'Organic Search', making it look like your SEO is doing the work when it's actually your map listing. The Trick: Go to your Google Business Profile manager. Where it asks for your 'Website', don't just putyoursite.com.au. Instead, use a UTM link like this:
https://yoursite.com.au/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=gbp_listing
Now, when someone clicks 'Website' from the map, you’ll see it specifically in your reports. This is a game-changer for local service businesses like plumbers or lawyers.
Step 5: Define what a 'Customer' actually is (Conversions)
Tracking traffic is useless if you don't track actions. You need to tell Google what counts as a win. Usually, this is:- A contact form submission.
- A click on your phone number.
- A completed purchase.
- In GA4, go to Admin > Events.
- If you see an event like
generate_leadorfile_download, you can simply toggle the switch to 'Mark as conversion'. - The fiddly bit: If you want to track a 'Thank You' page (the page people see after filling a form), click 'Create Event'. Name it
form_complete, and set the condition topage_locationcontainsthank-you.
Step 6: Tracking Phone Calls
In Australia, many customers prefer to pick up the phone. If you only track website forms, you're missing half the data. Pro Tip: Use a tool like CallRail or WildJar. These services give you a unique phone number to put on your website. When someone calls it, the software tells Google Analytics: "Hey, this person who just called came from a Google Ad!"Without call tracking, your marketing will always look less effective than it actually is.
Step 7: How to read the reports
Now that you've set up the tracking, where do you see the results?- Open GA4.
- Go to Reports > Acquisition > Traffic acquisition.
- This table shows you where your visitors are coming from.
- Crucial Step: Look for the 'Session default channel group' column. Click the small blue '+' sign next to it and select Traffic source > Session source/medium.
- Scroll to the right to see the Conversions column.
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Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Not using an ABN for Google Ads: If you're running ads in Australia, ensure your billing is set up correctly with your ABN to avoid GST headaches later.
- Tracking yourself: Your own visits to your website will skew the data. In GA4, go to Data Streams > Configure Tag Settings > Define Internal Traffic and add your office IP address.
- Ignoring 'Direct' traffic: If you see a lot of 'Direct/None', it usually means your UTM links aren't working or people are typing your URL directly. Some 'Direct' traffic is normal, but too much means your tracking is 'leaky'.
Troubleshooting
"I don't see any data in my reports!" GA4 isn't real-time. It usually takes 24-48 hours for data to process and show up in the standard reports. Check the 'Realtime' report to see if your own hits are being recorded right now. "The UTM links make my site look broken." Ensure there is a '?' before the first UTM parameter. If your URL already has a question mark in it, use an '&' instead. The URL builder tool mentioned in Step 3 handles this for you. "My conversions are showing 0 even though I got an email." This usually means the 'Thank You' page trigger isn't firing. Check that the URL you entered in Step 5 matches your website exactly (watch out for /thank-you vs /thank-you/).---
Next Steps
- Audit your current links: Check your Facebook 'About' section and your Instagram bio. Are they using UTM links? If not, update them today.
- Set up your 'Thank You' page: If your contact form just shows a message like "Message sent" without changing the URL, you'll find it very hard to track. Change it to redirect to a dedicated
/thank-youpage. - Monthly Review: Set a calendar reminder for the first Tuesday of every month to look at your Traffic Acquisition report.
Setting this up is a bit of a weekend project, but once it's done, you'll have more clarity on your business than 90% of your competitors.
If you get stuck or want a professional to handle the technical implementation and reporting for you, we're here to help. You can reach out to the team at Local Marketing Group for a chat about your analytics strategy: https://lmgroup.au/contact.