Personalizing for Referral Traffic

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Create targeted experiences for visitors coming from ads, social media, and partner sites to boost engagement and conversions.

Understanding Referral Traffic

Referral traffic includes visitors who arrive at your site from:

• Paid advertisements (Google Ads, Facebook Ads, etc.)
• Social media platforms (organic posts)
• Partner websites and blogs
• Directory listings

Setting Up Referrer Rules

Basic Referrer Setup

1. In your SwapTopic dashboard, create a new personalization
2. Select Rule Type → Referrer
3. Choose one of the following options:
   • Domain: Enter specific domains (google.com, facebook.com)
   • Contains: Enter partial domain matches (google, fb)
   • Match Type: Choose “exact” or “subdomain” matching

Example Configuration

Rule Type: Referrer
Domain: facebook.com
Match Type: subdomain

This will match traffic from facebook.com, m.facebook.com, etc.

Personalizing for Ad Traffic

Capturing UTM Parameters

For more precise ad targeting:

1. Select Rule Type → URL Parameters
2. Target specific UTM parameters:
   • utm_source (google, facebook, instagram)
   • utm_medium (cpc, display, social)
   • utm_campaign (spring_sale, new_product)

Aligning with Ad Messaging

Create content that continues the message from your ads:

1. Use similar headlines and value propositions
2. Maintain visual consistency with ad creatives
3. Reference specific offers mentioned in ads
4. Pre-fill form fields based on ad parameters

Social Media Referrals

Visitors from social platforms have different expectations:

Platform-Specific Content

• Facebook: Focus on social proof and community
• Instagram: Emphasize visuals and lifestyle benefits
• Pinterest: Highlight DIY, collections, and visual discovery
• LinkedIn: Focus on professional benefits and business value
• Twitter: Keep messaging concise and direct

Implementation Example

Rule Type: Referrer
Domain: instagram.com
Variation: "As seen on Instagram! Shop our most-liked styles"

Partner Website Traffic

For visitors coming from partner sites or guest posts:

1. Acknowledge the partnership
2. Offer exclusive partner benefits
3. Continue the conversation from the referring site
4. Maintain contextual relevance

Best Practices

1. Message match: Ensure your personalized content aligns with what visitors saw before clicking
2. Reduce friction: Pre-select options based on referring source
3. Segment wisely: Create broad segment patterns first, then refine
4. Monitor changes: Referral patterns change as platforms evolve

Measuring Effectiveness

Track these metrics for referral personalizations:

• Bounce rate by referral source
• Time on site for personalized visits
• Conversion rate by referrer
• Return visits from the same source

Real-World Examples

E-commerce Store

Referrer: pinterest.com
Heading: "Inspired by Pinterest? Shop the look!"
CTA: "See more Pinterest favorites"

SaaS Product

Referrer: producthunt.com
Heading: "Welcome Product Hunt community!"
CTA: "Get your exclusive Product Hunt offer"

Content Site

Referrer: google.com
UTM Medium: organic
Heading: "Found exactly what you were searching for?"
CTA: "Explore related topics"