Dynamic Text Replacement Issue

  • 16 January 2018
  • 4 replies
  • 8 views

I just realized that I’m having a pretty big issue with the Dynamic Text Replacement feature on my landing pages.

I’m using DTR on dozens of pages. And just today, I realized the UTM tracking codes are being carried forward onto my landing page when I use DTR.

In the example below, DTR should be replacing the headline with:

SMTP Service

But instead, it’s using SMTP Service/?utm_source=google?

So it’s taking part of the utm and using it in the DKR area.

https://mydomain.com/smtp-server-lp/?smtp=service/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=SMTP&utm_term=smtp%20service&matchtype=e&adid=222627282159&network=g&ismobile=&adposition=1t2&opti_ca=358054937&opti_ag=22342768937&opti_ad=222627282159&opti_key=kwd-19535021&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIxcC5kvXc2AIViY2zCh0nNwK4EAAYAiAAEgLu7PD_BwE

Any suggestions about what I can do to prevent this from happening?


4 replies

@john_p

Try this. In your url you are using two ? that is most likely the culprit. The first ? tells the browser that php type code follows. If you try:

I took out 2nd ? and replace with & you should be able to grab the query parm you want for DTR and let the rest just be for GA.

Let me know if that doesn’t do the trick and we’ll keep debugging!

Joe

https://mydomain.com/smtp-server-lp?smtp=service&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=SMTP&utm_term=smtp%20service&matchtype=e&adid=222627282159&network=g&ismobile=&adposition=1t2&opti_ca=358054937&opti_ag=22342768937&opti_ad=222627282159&opti_key=kwd-19535021&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIxcC5kvXc2AIViY2zCh0nNwK4EAAYAiAAEgLu7PD_BwE

@Joe_Savitch thanks for the response. That seems to work when I copy and paste the link directly into the browser.

The second part (starting at utm_source=google) is actually being attached by Adwords via the tracking template, which is:

{lpurl}/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=SMTP&utm_term={keyword}&matchtype={matchtype}&adid={creative}&network={network}&ismobile={ifmobile:yes}&adposition={adposition}&opti_ca={campaignid}&opti_ag={adgroupid}&opti_ad={creative}&opti_key={targetid}


{lpurl} is replaced with https://mydomain.com/smtp-server-lp?smtp=service

Then the tracking template is added to the domain.

I went into the tracking template and replaced the first part {lpurl}/**?utm_source=google with the & sign, so it reads {lpurl}/&**utm_source=google.

But then when I test the URL, I get a message saying that the landing page failed.

So, do you think your solution of using the & sign will still work when using the Adwords tracking template? Or is there another solution using a tracking template at the campaign level?

Thanks

John,

This is a great question! Another expert and I are working through this as we both use tracking templates and have the glcid appended to links. I’m not 100% sure what the right solution is for the use of the tracking template but I plan on calling my Google rep in a bit to get a definitave answer! Stay tuned.

Joe

Sounds great thanks.

For now, I simply switched out the ? with & in the tracking template. And everything seems to be working fine now. I Googled my own ad and clicked on it. Don’t see any issues. But who knows, I probably just broke the whole tracking template. I guess I’ll know soon enough haha.

Looking forward to your update from the Google rep. Thanks again for your help. I really appreciate it.

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