How to Make MSN AdCenter Work with Google Analytics

Per my post last week regarding Solving the (not set) in Google Analytics and Yahoo, we’ll continue this week bridging the gap between MSN AdCenter and Google Analytics. I did ask a MSN AdCenter representative once how come my two biggest keywords (in impressions, spend and clicks) didn’t register at all in Google Analytics, but yet I can see several of the keywords in other ad groups just fine. I was informed that MSN cannot be responsible (or apparently helpful) for anything involving 3rd party software or programs. And if I wanted transparency into my AdCenter accounts I should use their cupcake answer to Google Analytics’ 7-layer cake, Gatineau.

But I digress. Today I offer up Alex L. Cohen’s workaround to the AdCenter fog, along with the PPC Hero version. I’ve implemented Cohen’s suggestion of simply adding {QuerySting} into my already existing tracking URLs that were picking up medium, source and campaign just fine.

Examples:

Old UTM code:

http://www.monkeyparts.com/ Campaign ID (if you used them): ?utm_id=400
Source: &utm_source=msn
Medium: &utm_medium=ppc
Campaign: &utm_campaign=monkey+brains

New UTM code:

http://www.monkeyparts.com
Campaign ID: ?utm_id=400
Source: &utm_source=msn
Medium: &utm_medium=ppc
Term: &utm_term={QueryString}
Campaign: &utm_campaign=monkey+brains

As you can see, not much of a difference, and yes, I should be pointing my ads directly to the product page for monkey brains and not the home page, but for the sake of example, let it go.

Bottom Line: This works and it rocks. Use it.