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Google Tag Manager: A Guide for Beginners
October 18, 2024
15 mins
With Google Tag Manager, you can quickly add and update tags for analytics, advertising, and other marketing purposes, which greatly simplifies the process of tracking and optimizing online resources.
In this Google Tag Manager tutorial from Web analyst at Promodo Andrii Korniat, we will look at the main features of Google Tag Manager, analyze the process of setting it up step by step, and show you how to use this tool effectively to achieve business goals.
To install Google Analytics, Hotjar, Meta Pixel, etc. tracking tools on your website, you need to add some JavaScript code. For marketers, these codes collect data on the duration of page visits, form completions, traffic sources, link clicks, and other user actions. For example, the Google Analytics code can track how many people fill out a form on the Contact Us page and send this information to Google Analytics.
One way to streamline the process of adding multiple tracking codes is through Google Tag Manager (GTM). But what is GTM, and what does GTM mean for marketers?
An example of what the JavaScript code might look like:
Adding a single tracking tool is not a difficult task. However, the problem arises when you need to add more scripts to track interactions, sales, and other events. It becomes an ongoing process where new codes have to be added and changed regularly. This can cause delays because the IT department has its own priorities, and marketing tasks often become secondary.
Google Tag Manager solves this problem by simplifying the tag management process.
Google Tag Manager (GTM) is a free tag management solution from Google that serves as an intermediary between your website and marketing or analytics tools. It allows you to add and update tags and code snippets without involving developers. You add tracking codes to Google Tag Manager and set up rules to activate them, for example, when a page is loaded or a button is clicked.
Imagine a tag manager as a dashboard where all the necessary marketing and analytics tools like Google Analytics or Google Ads are stored. Gtm google also allows you to test tags to make sure they are activated correctly and provides the ability to change tags and their behavior without changing the site's source code.
With a Tag Manager account, you can:
A GTM account works similarly to a Google Analytics account. One container can contain several tags, triggers, and variables.
After creating a container in GTM, you will receive two codes that you need to add to your website.
Pass these instructions on to your developer so that they add the codes correctly.
If you are using a content management system such as WordPress or Shopify, use plugins to facilitate the installation process. These codes will ensure that all the customized tags are running on your website.
First, it is important to understand three basic concepts: tags, triggers, and variables.
A tag is a piece of code that is executed on a website under certain conditions. It can include tracking code that captures user actions, such as page views or clicks, and transmits this data to analytics tools like Google Analytics. For example, a tag can collect data about a form being filled out or a purchase being made and send it to the appropriate services for further analysis.
The trigger defines when the tag should be launched. This can be when a page loads, a button is clicked, or a form is submitted. For example, a trigger can be configured to be activated every time a user clicks on a specific element on a page. This way, triggers allow you to precisely define the conditions under which tags should be executed.
A variable is a data element used by tags and triggers to provide additional information. For example, a variable can contain a page URL, a product ID, or a total order amount. Variables help make the tracking process more flexible and accurate by allowing you to collect specific data depending on the conditions set in triggers.
This structure allows you to effectively and dynamically manage the tracking of events on the site, simplifying the process for marketers and reducing the workload for developers.
After creating a Tag Manager account, the first step is to configure the tag.
Let's set up the GA4 configuration tag for our website.
Create a new tag:
Customize the tag: Name the tag and click Tag Configuration.
You'll see dozens of tag types from various marketing platforms that you can use. Select Google Analytics:
And select Google Tag.
Then paste the MEASUREMENT ID from your GA4.
And choose a trigger by clicking in any field of the Triggering block and select All Pages.
Save the tag:
Before proceeding with setting up the tag in GTM, we first need to get a Conversion ID.
After that, you will see your conversion in the advertising account. You will need to go to “View Event Tag” and get its Conversion ID and Conversion Label.
After setting up all the tags, click Submit. Your tag will not work until you do this.
After that, you will be taken to the Post Configuration page. There are two options: “Publish and create version” or ‘Create version’.
For example, I'm ready to place a tag on all pages of my site, I chose Publish and create a version, and then I clicked the blue Publis button in the upper right corner to place all your tags on the site.
Google Tag Manager greatly simplifies the process of managing tags on your website. It allows marketers to add and customize tags on their own without the need for developers, enabling quick deployment of tracking codes and efficient management of all tags from one place. Using the Tag Manager improves the accuracy of analytics, makes it easier to debug and test tags, and provides more flexibility in event tracking. Thanks to its intuitive interface and support for ready-made templates, gtm google is a powerful tool for modern marketers.
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