You might be wondering what Google Tag Manager is and how it can work for you. This free tool is a handy way for marketers to manage marketing tags on a website, without the need for a developer. If you have questions about Tag Manager or you’re considering whether this software is right for you, we’ve put together a simple introduction that tells you everything you need to know.
What is Google Tag Manager?
Google Tag Manager software allows you to deploy marketing tags, which are small segments of JavaScript or tracking pixels, onto your website without needing to actually change the code manually. Marketing specialists don’t always have the developer skills needed to make code changes without affecting the website performance, and therefore usually need the support of a web developer. Tag Manager offers a route around this.
Data gathered from tags is then shared with Google Analytics through Tag Manager. This is especially helpful if you’re deploying a large number of different tags because it means all of your data is collated in one place. Analytics and Tag Manager are designed to work in tandem to make marketing and analytics clearer.
There are three main components in Tag Manager that you need to understand:
- Tags
- Triggers
- Variables
First, the tags themselves. These snippets of code come from third party tools; examples of tags that are commonly deployed are Google Analytics Universal tracking code and Facebook pixels. To use Tag Manager effectively, it’s important to have some understanding of how tags and pixels work.
The next significant element is triggers, which determine when or how to deploy the relevant tag. For example, this could be when a website user clicks a link or views a particular page. Custom triggers can also be set up to help you gather precisely the insights you need.
Finally, variables is a named placeholder for a value that will change, such as a product name, a price value, or a date. Simply put, a variable will tell Google Tag Manager where a tag is to be fired. There are two types of variable in Google Tag Manager; built-in variables and user-defined variables.
Reasons why you should use Google Tag Manager
For marketing professionals, there is a myriad of benefits to using Tag Manager alongside Google Analytics. To begin with, the software is free. Whilst a premium option is available, the free software offers enough features to make it sufficient for most small and medium-sized businesses.
One key advantage for marketers is the ability to add code to a website quickly and easily; Tag Manager allows code to be added on-demand, avoiding the delays associated with collaborating with a third-party developer. Most code can be added without the need for a web developer, giving your Marketing Team control over the management of your tags.
Another benefit of the software is the ability to manage all of your tags from one place. Traditionally, the more tags you use the more difficult it is to keep track of everything. However, Tag Manager allows you to keep all of this information together, which is a real aid to working efficiently.
The tool also offers a testing facility via its Preview mode. This allows you to check that tags and triggers are firing correctly, meaning that any issues can be promptly resolved. The debugging mode fixes any problems with your triggers and tags before they go live on your site.
Tag Manager comes equipped with an ever-expanding range of auto-event tracking features. After you’ve enabled specific triggers, Tag Manager starts to automatically track specific events on your site, including clicks, link clicks, time spent on a page, and form submissions. Gaining insight into user behaviour on your site is more efficient with this function, and you can add custom functions to track the events you’re interested in such as time spent scrolling.
Another positive of Tag Manager is the flexibility it offers. Multiple users can be added to an account, with individual permission settings. Companies can really benefit from this feature if they want to share access with their team members or Marketing Agency.
It’s clear that Google Tag Manager is a straightforward solution for streamlining how you manage your tracking codes, all from a single place. Whilst you’ll need to make some efforts to get up to speed with how the software works, gaining this understanding will have a positive impact on the efficiency and effectiveness of your website event analytics.
Need help with your digital marketing?
As you can see, Google Tag Manager has a lot to offer. However, we know that the time and effort required to get the most out of it can sometimes be too much for some businesses. This is why we are here to help.
Whether it's acting as your entire marketing function or providing support and guidance to your internal marketing team, we can help you make the most of Google Tag Manager and other key digital marketing tools.
If you need assistance with your marketing efforts, get in touch for a chat and we'd be happy to see how we can help.