Google adds UTM parameters to Gemini links for referral tracking

The addition of UTM parameters ensures that these visits are correctly tagged, even when they pass through in-app webviews. This improves visibility into how much traffic is generated by AI assistants versus traditional search. While ChatGPT also uses UTM parameters, it only applies them to links grounded in web sources, not parametric knowledge. Google has not yet documented the specific conditions under which Gemini triggers these UTM tags, leaving some uncertainty about the full scope of the feature.

For marketers and SEOs, this change provides clearer data to justify resource allocation to AI channels. By enabling better segmentation and comparison of AI-referred visitors against traditional search referrals, businesses can make more informed decisions about their digital strategies. The move addresses growing frustration over the decline in traditional search traffic and the lack of transparency in AI-driven referral data.