Paid Search Without utm_term: Can't Track Which Keywords Convert

You're running paid search ads on Bing, DuckDuckGo, or manually tagged search campaigns. $5,000/month budget, bidding on 50 keywords.

End of month: 1,000 clicks, 80 conversions. Decent 8% conversion rate.

Question from your boss: "Which keywords should we bid higher on?"

Your answer: "Uhh... I don't know. They're all grouped together."

The problem: No utm_term parameter. Can't track keyword-level performance.

The solution: Add utm_term to search ads so GA4 tracks which keywords drive conversions.

What is utm_term?

utm_term is a UTM parameter designed to track paid search keywords.

Example:

Keyword: "buy crm software"
URL: ?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=product-search&utm_term=buy-crm-software

What GA4 shows:

Insight: "buy-crm-software" has 3-5x better conversion rate. Increase bid.

When You Need utm_term

Scenario 1: Bing/Microsoft Ads with Manual UTMs

If using manual UTMs (not auto-tagging):

✅ Add utm_term:
?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=product-search&utm_term=`{"{"}{"{"}QueryString{"}"}{"}"}}`

Note: If using Bing auto-tagging (msclkid), don't add manual UTMs.

Scenario 2: DuckDuckGo Ads

DuckDuckGo has no auto-tagging. Must use manual UTMs:

?utm_source=duckduckgo&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=privacy-search&utm_term=`{"{"}{"{"}keyword{"}"}{"}"}}`

Scenario 3: Baidu, Yandex, Other Search Engines

International search engines often lack GA4 integration:

Baidu (China):
?utm_source=baidu&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=product-search&utm_term=`{"{"}{"{"}keyword{"}"}{"}"}}`

Yandex (Russia):
?utm_source=yandex&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=product-search&utm_term=`{"{"}{"{"}keyword{"}"}{"}"}}`

Scenario 4: Reddit Search Ads

Reddit search ads (different from feed ads):

?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=search-ads&utm_term=`{search-query}`

Scenario 5: Amazon Sponsored Products (External Traffic)

If driving traffic to your site from Amazon search ads:

?utm_source=amazon&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=sponsored-products&utm_term=`{"{"}{"{"}keyword{"}"}{"}"}}`

When You DON'T Need utm_term

Google Ads with Auto-Tagging

Google Ads auto-tagging (gclid) captures keywords automatically.

❌ Don't add:
?gclid=abc123&utm_term=buy-crm-software
(gclid already includes keyword data)

✅ Correct:
?gclid=abc123
(Let gclid handle everything)

Why: gclid provides more data than manual UTMs:

• Exact keyword that triggered ad
• Match type (broad, phrase, exact)
• Ad group
• Ad copy variant

Adding manual UTMs breaks auto-tagging benefits.

Microsoft Ads with Auto-Tagging

If using msclkid (Microsoft's auto-tagging):

❌ Don't add:
?msclkid=abc123&utm_term=keyword

✅ Correct:
?msclkid=abc123

Real Example: $15,000 Wasted on Wrong Keywords

Client: B2B SaaS company Platform: Bing Ads (manual UTMs, no auto-tagging) Budget: $5,000/month Keywords: 50 keywords

Without utm_term

All keywords used same URL:

?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=product-search-jan-2025

GA4 showed:

Assumption: "All keywords performing equally at 8% CVR."

Budget allocation: Even split across 50 keywords ($100 each)

After Adding utm_term

Each keyword got unique tracking:

Keyword "buy crm software":
?utm_term=buy-crm-software

Keyword "free crm tools":
?utm_term=free-crm-tools

Keyword "crm comparison":
?utm_term=crm-comparison

GA4 revealed:

Shocking insights:

1. "buy-crm-software" had 40% CVR (5x better than average!)

   • But only $500 budget (10% of total)

2. "free-crm-tools" had 3.8% CVR, $100 CPA (expensive, low-intent)

   • Yet had $1,500 budget (30% of total)

3. Most keywords (45 of 50) had <5% CVR

   • Wasting $500/month collectively

Budget Reallocation

New budget (based on utm_term data):

Results (next month):

• Conversions: 80 → 150 (+88%)
• CPA: $62.50 → $33 (-47%)
• ROAS: 2.0x → 4.5x (+125%)

Annual impact: $15,000 wasted spend eliminated, +$45,000 additional revenue

This was only possible because utm_term revealed keyword performance.

How to Add utm_term to Search Ads

Bing/Microsoft Ads

Step 1: Campaign → Ad group → Keywords

Step 2: Click "Destination URL" or "Final URL"

Step 3: Add parameter:

Before:

https://yoursite.com/demo?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=product-search

After:

https://yoursite.com/demo?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=product-search&utm_term=`{"{"}{"{"}QueryString{"}"}{"}"}}`

{"{"}{"{"}QueryString{"}"}{"}"}} = Bing's dynamic keyword insertion (auto-fills actual search query)

Step 4: Save

DuckDuckGo Ads

Step 1: Campaign settings → Tracking template

Step 2: Add:

?utm_source=duckduckgo&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=product-search&utm_term=`{"{"}{"{"}keyword{"}"}{"}"}}`

Check DuckDuckGo's documentation for exact macro syntax.

Other Search Platforms

Most platforms support dynamic keyword insertion:

Always check platform documentation for correct syntax.

utm_term Naming Best Practices

Format

Lowercase, hyphens:

✅ utm_term=buy-crm-software
✅ utm_term=best-project-management-tool
✅ utm_term=free-email-marketing

❌ utm_term=Buy%20CRM%20Software (URL-encoded spaces)
❌ utm_term=buy_crm_software (underscores)

Match Type (Optional)

Include match type if helpful:

utm_term=buy-crm-software-exact (exact match)
utm_term=buy-crm-software-phrase (phrase match)
utm_term=buy-crm-software-broad (broad match)

Use case: Compare which match type performs best.

Analyzing utm_term in GA4

Report 1: Keyword Performance

GA4 → Explore → Free form

Dimensions: First user manual term Metrics: Sessions, Conversions, Conversion rate, CPA

Result: See which keywords drive best ROI.

Report 2: Campaign + Keyword

GA4 → Reports → Acquisition → Traffic acquisition

Primary dimension: Campaign Secondary dimension: First user manual term

Result: Break down each campaign by keyword performance.

Report 3: Top Converting Keywords

GA4 → Explore → Free form

Dimensions: First user manual term Metrics: Conversions Sort: Conversions descending Limit: Top 20

Result: Your best keywords. Scale these.

Report 4: Negative Keyword Candidates

GA4 → Explore → Free form

Dimensions: First user manual term Metrics: Sessions, Conversions, Conversion rate Filter: Conversion rate < 2%

Result: Keywords with high traffic but low conversions. Consider adding as negative keywords.

Common Mistakes

Mistake #1: Not Using Dynamic Insertion

Wrong (hardcoded):

All keywords: utm_term=product-search

Problem: All keywords merge, can't differentiate.

Fix (dynamic):

utm_term=`{"{"}{"{"}QueryString{"}"}{"}"}}`

Platform auto-fills actual keyword.

Mistake #2: Mixing with gclid

Wrong:

?gclid=abc123&utm_term=buy-crm-software

Problem: Breaks Google Ads auto-tagging benefits.

Fix: Use EITHER gclid OR manual UTMs, never both.

Mistake #3: Using utm_term for Display Ads

Wrong:

Display banner: utm_term=300x250-blue-cta

Problem: utm_term is for keywords (search), not display creatives.

Fix: Use utm_content for display ad variations:

utm_content=300x250-blue-cta

Mistake #4: Not URL-Encoding Special Characters

Wrong:

utm_term=buy crm software! (spaces + special chars)

Problem: Breaks URL.

Fix: Use platform's dynamic macro (auto-encodes):

utm_term=`{"{"}{"{"}QueryString{"}"}{"}"}}`

Prevention Checklist

✅ Add utm_term to paid search campaigns (non-Google/non-auto-tagged) ✅ Use dynamic keyword insertion {"{"}{"{"}QueryString{"}"}{"}"}} or {"{"}{"{"}keyword{"}"}{"}"}} ✅ Don't mix with auto-tagging (gclid, msclkid) ✅ Verify in GA4 real-time reports ✅ Analyze keyword performance monthly ✅ Reallocate budget to high-converting keywords ✅ Pause or negative match low-converting keywords

FAQ

Should I use utm_term for Google Ads?

No. Google Ads auto-tagging (gclid) captures keyword data automatically. Adding manual utm_term breaks auto-tagging benefits.

Use utm_term for:

• Bing Ads (if not using auto-tagging)
• DuckDuckGo Ads
• Other search engines without auto-tagging

What's the difference between utm_term and utm_content?

utm_term: Keywords (for search ads) utm_content: Creative variations (for display ads, email, A/B tests)

Example:

Search ad:

?utm_term=buy-crm-software (keyword)

Display ad:

?utm_content=300x250-blue-cta (banner variation)

Can I use both utm_term and utm_content?

Yes, but rare.

Example (search ad with specific ad variation):

?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=product-search&utm_term=buy-crm-software&utm_content=ad-variant-a

utm_term = keyword utm_content = ad creative variant

How do I track branded vs non-branded keywords?

Option 1: Separate campaigns

utm_campaign=branded-search (your brand name keywords)
utm_campaign=nonbranded-search (generic keywords)

Option 2: Use utm_term analysis

GA4 → Explore → Filter utm_term contains "yourcompany"

What if my platform doesn't support dynamic keyword insertion?

Manual approach:

1. Export keyword list
2. Create unique tracking URL for each keyword:

   CodeCopy

   Keyword 1: ?utm_term=buy-crm-software
   Keyword 2: ?utm_term=free-crm-tools
   

3. Upload to platform

Labor-intensive but necessary for keyword-level tracking.

Should I include match type in utm_term?

Only if comparing match types.

Most cases:

utm_term=`{"{"}{"{"}QueryString{"}"}{"}"}}`
(Exact search query, regardless of match type)

If comparing match types:

utm_term=`{"{"}{"{"}keyword{"}"}{"}"}}`-exact
utm_term=`{"{"}{"{"}keyword{"}"}{"}"}}`-phrase
utm_term=`{"{"}{"{"}keyword{"}"}{"}"}}`-broad

Conclusion

Paid search without utm_term = no keyword performance visibility.

The fix:

1. Add utm_term to search campaigns (Bing, DuckDuckGo, etc.)
2. Use dynamic insertion: utm_term={"{"}{"{"}QueryString{"}"}{"}"}}
3. Analyze in GA4: See which keywords drive conversions
4. Optimize budget: Scale winners, pause losers

Result: Same budget, 2x conversions by focusing on high-converting keywords.

Key insight: Not all keywords perform equally. utm_term reveals which are winners.

Related: Keyword Performance Tracking Complete Guide