You may have heard marketers or web developers speak about Google Tag Manager (GTM) but not have a clue what it actually is. Well luckily for you we have put together this guide which explains all. Let’s start with what Google Tag Manager actually is!
Google Tag Manager is a free tag management system that allows you to add snippets of code, or tracking pixels onto your website, without having to amend any of the existing code. This is incredibly useful for marketers that want to carry out tracking for their campaigns, without hassling developers every 5 minutes. Information from your website is shared with Google Analytics via GTM. So if you have lots of different codes to manage, GTM brings this all together in one easy place.
How Google Tag Manager Works
There are three main parts to Google Tag Manager that you need to get your head around:
- Tags – these are snippets of Javascript, known as tracking pixels
- Triggers – these tell GTM when, where and how to fire a tag
- Variables – additional information that GTM may need for both the tag and trigger to work
Let’s go into a little more detail about each of these, as they are really important to understand if you are wanting to use Google Tag Manager.
Tags
Tags are snippets of code, or tracking pixels, that come from third-party tools. They tell GTM what to do. Some examples of tags include: GA4 tracking code, Google Ads conversion tracking code, Facebook Pixel, Heatmap tracking codes (for example HotJar).
Triggers
Triggers tell GTM when, where or how to fire the tag that you have set up. For example, do you want pageviews to be tracked when someone lands on your website? Some common triggers include: link clicks, form submissions, custom events.
Variables
Variables are additional information that you might need to provide to GTM for a tag or trigger to work, but these are optional. The main variable we add to client Google Tag Manager accounts is the Google Analytics UA number, which is a constant variable.
How Does GTM Differ From Analytics?
Now we have bored you with the technical part (hopefully you are still reading!), one of the most common questions we are asked is how GTM differs from Analytics. The key thing to realise is that GTM only stores and manages third-party codes. There are no reporting or analytic functions within GTM, that is where you will need Google Analytics to take a deep-dive into your data.
Benefits of Google Tag Manager
It is free
One of the best things about Google Tag Manager is that it is completely free, just like Google Analytics! There is a premium version within the Analytics 360 Suite, but the free version is more than enough for most businesses.
Fast deployment of codes
GTM allows for the fast deployment of tracking codes too, and as we mentioned, doesn’t rely on a marketer having to wait for a developer to implement all of the separate codes. WordPress even has a GTM plugin so you can install the initial code there, without touching the main code of the website.
Testing feature
If you aren’t sure whether a tag or trigger has been set up correctly, the in-built testing tool (aka Preview and Debug mode) will let you check this. You can test all the tracking codes before deploying them to the live site.
Simple event tracking
Event tracking really is made simple with GTM. Once you enable certain triggers, they will start automatically listening to interactions on your website. So for example, if you want to track contact form completions, all you need to do is set this up in GTM and they will be tracked 24/7. This data then feeds through into Analytics so you can gather more information about your users and how they are interacting with your website.
Multiple user access
Google Tag Manager gives you the ability to give account access to multiple users, all with different privileges. For example, if you want someone else to view the tags and triggers without editing them, you can set them up as ‘Read only’. This is particularly useful if several people within your business need access to GTM. You can choose from the following permission levels: No Access, Read, Edit, Publish, Approve.
Why Tag Manager Is Important
Google Tag Manager, in conjunction with other tools such as Analytics, can really help to optimise your digital marketing campaigns. By having more insight into visitor behaviour, you will be able to identify those marketing strategies that generate a higher return on your investment. This in turn will allow you to allocate a higher proportion of your marketing budget to those campaigns, helping to increase sales or leads for your business.
If you would like more information on how to set up Google Tag Manager on your website, please feel free to contact our marketing experts.
