# Lead source tracking for trades: know what brings work

> Find out whether Google, Facebook, your van or word of mouth brings your best jobs. UTM tags, ad click IDs and a simple “how did you hear?” question.

Source: https://roughfigure.com/blog/lead-source-tracking-for-trades (updated 2026-11-11)

Lead source tracking means recording, for every enquiry, **where the customer came from**: a Google search, a Facebook ad, a QR code on your van, a recommendation. Do it with three things together: **UTM tags** on links you control, **ad click IDs** (`gclid`, `fbclid`) saved with each lead, and a short **“How did you hear about us?”** question for everything the first two miss.

## Why it matters more than clicks

Ad platforms report clicks and form fills. You care about jobs. A campaign with plenty of cheap enquiries can bring you nothing but small jobs, while a quieter one brings the big ones. Once each lead carries its source, and you mark which ones you win, you can see cost per **won job** by channel, and spend accordingly.

## 1. UTM tags on every link you share

Add UTM parameters to links in places you control:

```
https://yourwebsite.test/estimate?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=spring-fencing
```

- `utm_source`: where (facebook, van, flyer, google-business-profile)
- `utm_medium`: what kind (social, qr, print, email)
- `utm_campaign`: which push

Use lowercase and the same spelling every time, or reports split “Facebook” and “facebook”. QR codes on vans and flyers should always carry UTMs: it’s the only way to tell them apart.

## 2. Save the ad click IDs

Google and Meta add their own IDs to ad clicks: `gclid`, `gbraid` and `wbraid` for Google, `fbclid` (and the `_fbc` and `_fbp` cookies) for Meta. Saved with the lead, they let you send results back to the ad platforms with [Google Ads offline conversions](https://roughfigure.com/blog/google-ads-offline-conversions-for-trades) and the [Meta Conversions API](https://roughfigure.com/blog/meta-conversions-api-for-lead-generation).

## 3. Ask the customer

Word of mouth, seeing your van and repeat customers leave no digital trail. A single optional question with a short list (Google, Facebook, recommendation, saw your van, used you before, other) fills the gap. Keep it short, and put it at the end.

## 4. Mark what you win

None of this pays off unless you record outcomes. In your CRM or lead list, mark each lead won or lost, with the job value. Then once a month look at:

| Source | Leads | Won | Value won |
| ------ | ----- | --- | --------- |

…and move your time and money towards the rows at the top.

## Doing it in RoughFigure

In RoughFigure we’ve built source tracking in. Every lead records the page and campaign it came from, our [QR codes and short links](https://roughfigure.com/blog/qr-codes-for-tradesmen) are tagged so the van and the flyer show separately, and with your customer’s agreement we save Google and Meta click IDs and send leads and won jobs back to Google Ads, Meta and GA4 through one-click connections. Your **Analytics** page shows your leads by source, next to the jobs you’ve won. [See ads and analytics](https://roughfigure.com/help/ads-and-analytics).

## Questions

### Do UTM tags affect my Google ranking?

No. Search engines ignore them for ranking, but use a canonical tag on your pages so the tagged addresses aren’t treated as separate pages.

### Should I tag links in my Google Business Profile?

Yes. Tag the website link with `utm_source=google-business-profile`, so those visits don’t blur into ordinary Google search.

### Can I track phone calls?

Only with call tracking numbers, which cost extra. For most small trades, asking “how did you hear about us?” on the call is enough.