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.