Released on 1st October 2012, Google Tag Manager (GTM) has become a staple in the life of every digital marketer. AdWords conversion script, Google Analytics Tracking Code, Remarketing codes, and whatnot, GTM is the one software that can help you manage it all. The best part is that it is free to use, and can be paired with Google Analytics to get maximum benefits.
This post is directed towards making you well-versed with everything that you can do with GTM, how you can use it, and what are the benefits of using it. So, let us begin.
Using Google Tag Manager
Before we move to use Google Tag Manager, let us first get to know what a Google Tag is.
In layman terms, a google tag is a piece of code that is embedded in the website JavaScript or HTML so that you can extract a specific piece of information.
Google tags are the lifeline of marketers, since marketing is all about data. The problem here is that creating these tags and embedding them on every page on your website manually can be quite cumbersome and time-consuming. This is where Google Tag Manager comes into the picture. GTM eliminates the manual process by allowing you to not only create but also monitor Google tags automatically for every page.
Here’s the step by step process to set up your Google Tag Manager account:
∙ To start using GTM, you can visit the Google Tag Manager page here
∙ You will be asked to provide basic information like a name for your account, region, and website URL
∙ It will also ask you for the Google Tag you want to create, like AMP, Android, web or iOS
∙ Click on ‘create now’ button to create the tag
∙ Follow the coding instructions prompted after this and you are all set to use GTM
Setting up a Tag
Now that you have your GTM account ready, the next step has to be creating Google Tags. In the next section, we are going to take a look at the step by step process for the same:
∙ Create a name tag – go to GTM dashboard and click on the Add New Tag button.
∙ Configure the tag – click on the ‘tag configuration’ button/
∙ Select tag type – choose from dozens of tag types available
∙ Link the tag – you can link the tag to your Google Analytics account, and select the track type
∙ Choose a trigger – so that you can determine when the tag can be recorded
∙ Save the tag – by simply clicking the save button
Once you are done with all these steps, the next step is to submit the tag by clicking the ‘Submit’ button you will get on the top right corner of your screen.
You will be prompted with a ‘Container Version Description’ which serves the purpose to help you keep your GTM organized.
Now that we have a clear idea of how to set up a GTM account, and also how to create Google tags, let us get to know more about the benefits of using this software in detail:
Benefits of using GTM
- Speeds up the process
As already mentioned at the beginning of this post, using GTM allows you to reduce the manual work in creating and managing tags by automating the process to quite a large extent. In other words, as a marketer, you can create and set up these tags at a much faster rate than earlier.
- Easier to manage
Contrary to the earlier times when you had to manage different tracking codes for different pages added to the website’s source code, GTM gives you one central place to manage and track them all.
- Troubleshooting and testing features
Another great thing about using GTM is that it comes with a preview and debug mode that lets you troubleshoot and correct the tags that are not working properly.
- Export tags to create templates
Another major benefit of using GTM is that it allows you to easily export your tags, along with triggers and variables, and store templates for commonly used codes. You can further import these tags, and use them in the future. This is wonderful for marketing teams that require adding similar codes time and again.
- It comes with in-built templates
For marketers who are beginning their career, GTM provides the wonderful option of in-built tags. For instance, you get a template for AdWords Conversions, Universal Analytics , and more. FYI – there are more than 80 templates available and the list continues to grow
- It’s secure
Not only does Google scan the tracking scripts automatically, and identifies if any malware domain is found, it also gives you the option to control the access of your GTM, and revoke at any time. You can also manage user permissions, and stay in ultimate control of everything.
- It’s easy to use and completely free!
Since its launch, GTM has become an increasingly popular tool amongst the global community of digital marketers. In fact, it won’t be wrong to say that it is one of the most commonly used tools by digital marketers, along with Google Analytics.
As it is evident from the information provided in the previous sections, it is quite easy to set up and start using. On top of all that it is completely free. There’s no reason why you should not use Google Tag Manager to improve and streamline your website tracking efforts.
So, what are you waiting for? Go ahead and follow these steps to set up your GTM account, and start reaping the benefits of the software.
All the best!