• What is Google Tag Manager and why use it? The truth about Google Tag Manager
  • Amanda Gant
  • The Nuggets translation Project
  • Permanent link to this article: github.com/xitu/gold-m…
  • Translator: zhanght9527
  • Proofread by xionglong58

Google Tag Manager reveals the truth

If you’re not familiar with Google Tag Manager, you might be wondering what it is and why you want to use it. Let’s answer some of the most common questions about Google Tag Manager.

  • What is Google Tag Manager?
  • How is it different from Google Analytics?
  • Is it easy to use?
  • Why are we using Google Tag Manager?
    • What are its benefits?
    • What other problems does it have?
  • What can we track in Google Tag Manager?
  • Where can I learn more about Google Tag Manager?

What is Google Tag Manager (GTM)?

Google Tag Manager is a tool that allows you to manage and deploy marketing tracking code (snippets or tracking pixels) on your website (or mobile app) without having to change any code, and it’s completely free.

Here is a very simple example of how GTM works. Information from one data source (your website) is shared with another data source (Analytics) through Google Tag Manager. GTM becomes very convenient when you have a lot of code to manage, because all the code is stored in one place.

One of the great benefits of Tag Manager is that, as an operator, you can manage the code yourself. “I don’t need to develop little brothers anymore. Whoo hoo!”

Sounds simple, right? Unfortunately, it’s not that simple.

Is Google Tag Manager easy to get started?

According to Google,

“Google Tag Manager helps achieve simplicity, ease of use, and reliability in code management by allowing operators and webmasters to deploy site tracking code in the same location.

They say it is a “simple” tool that any operations person can use, without the need for a Web developer.

I may get criticized in the comments section for saying the following, but I still stand my ground. Google Tag Manager can be difficult to use without some technical knowledge or training (course or self-study).

You must have some technical knowledge to understand how to set up trace code, triggers, and variables. If you’re using Facebook Pixels, you need to know something about How Facebook pixel tracking works.

If you want to set up event tracking in Google Tag Manager, You need to know something about what an “event” is, how Google Analytics works, what data you can track with events, what reports in Google Analytics look like, and how to name your categories, actions, and tracking code.

While it is “easy” to manage multiple trace code in GTM, there is also a learning curve. Once you get past this hurdle, you can ride GTM with ease.

Let’s see how Google Tag Manager works…

Google Tag Manager has three main parts:

  • Trace code: Javascript snippets or trace pixels
  • Trigger: Tell GTM when or how to trigger the trace code
  • Variables: Additional information that GTM may need to make your code and triggers work properly

What is trace code?

Trace code snippets or trace pixels from third-party tools. This code tells Google Tag Manager what to do.

Examples of common trace code in Google Tag Manager are as follows:

  • Google Analytics Universal Tracking code
  • Adwords Remarketing code
  • Adwords Conversion Tracking code
  • Heatmap Tracking (Hotjar, CrazyEgg, etc.)
  • Facebook pixels

What is a trigger?

Triggers are methods that trigger trace code for Settings. They tell Tag Manager when to do what you want to do. Do you want to trigger code in the page view, click the link, or customize?

What is a variable?

Variables are additional information that GTM trace code and triggers may need to work. Here are some examples of different variables.

The most basic type of constant variable that can be created in GTM is Google Analytics UA Number (trace ID number).

These are the basic elements of GTM that you need to know to start managing trace code yourself.

If reading this is getting boring, prove that you can manage trace code proficiently. If you still don’t have a clue, it’s time to seek technical help.

What are the differences between Google Tag Manager and Google Analytics?

Google Tag Manager is a completely different tool for storing and managing third-party code only, without any reporting or analysis capabilities in GTM.

Google Analytics is used for actual reporting and analysis. All transformation tracking Goals and Filters are managed through Analytics.

All reports (goal conversion reports, custom segmentation reports, e-commerce sales reports, user page-time, user bounce rates, user engagement reports, etc.) are done in Google Analytics.

What are the benefits of Google Tag Manager?

There are a lot of amazing things you can do in Google Tag Manager once you’re past the learning curve. You can customize the data you send to Analytics.

You can set up and track basic events such as PDF downloads, outbound links or button clicks. Alternatively, complex enhanced e-commerce product and promotion tracking can also be set up.

Suppose we want to keep track of all outbound links on our website. In GTM, select the category name, action, and code. We select off-site links, click and click urls.

Go to Behavior > Events > Top Events > Offsite link in Google Analytics.

Now, select the event action or code to get the full report. The data we set up in Google Tag Manager now appears in the analysis report. Beautiful!

Want to freely try out a tool? You can add code to Tag Manager and test it without having to involve developers.

Tip:

  • It may help speed up the loading of your site but depends on how much tracking code you use.
  • It works for non-Google products.
  • You can play around and test almost anything you want.
  • All the third-party code is in one place.
  • GTM has a preview and debug mode, so you can see what works and what doesn’t before you do anything. It will show you the trace code that is being triggered on the page. Love this feature!

What are the disadvantages?

1. You must have some technical knowledge, even in basic Settings.

See Documentation from Google for how to set up Google Tag Manager. Once you’ve read the Quick Start Guide, it feels like a development guide, not an operations guide. If you’re using it for the first time, this will read like gibberish.

2. It’s an investment of time.

Unless you’re an experienced developer, you need to set aside plenty of time for research and testing. Even if it’s reading some blog posts or taking an online class.

3. Make time to solve problems.

Many problems arise when setting up tags, triggers, and variables. Especially if you don’t often work in Tag Manager, it can be easy to forget what you just learned. For more complex tags, you may need a developer who knows how the site is built.

What can you track in GTM?

  • Events (link click, PDF download, Add cart click, Delete cart click)
  • The rolling track
  • Form abandoned
  • Shopping cart abandoned
  • Video playback times tracking
  • Click on all exit links
  • .

We’ve only scratched the surface of what you can do in Google Tag Manager, but the list seems endless. However, as Himanshu Sharma points out, the more trace code and data sources, the more difficult it is to manage.

Where can I learn more about Google Tag Manager?

I took an on-site course with Chris Mercer through Conversion XL, and it was one of the best online courses I’ve ever taken. If you’re interested, you can buy the video.

Other resources to refer to:

  • Himanshu Sharma, Optimize Smart blog
  • Simo Hava blog
  • Conversion XL blog
  • Chris Mercer, Seriously Simple Marketing
  • AnalyticsPros blog

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