What is Google Tag Manager and why do you need it?

Google Tag Manager, or GTM as it is also known, is a tag management system that enables you to install, store, and manage marketing tags without needing to modify website code.  

It’s a tool built for marketers to help them track information such as page views, button clicks, and how long people stay on your website - and crucially, because it does all the coding for you, it gives you the power to analyse the traffic on your website without needing to have a Computer Science degree to do it.  

Whether you’ve never heard of Google Tag Manager before, or you are familiar with it but are concerned it’s a bit too techy for your comfort zone, read on to discover everything you need to know about GTM and how it can empower you as a Marketing Manager… 

How does Google Tag Manager work? 

Google Tag Manager works by using a JavaScript code snippet that you add to your site to act as a container for all the tags you want to manage. Within the container, there are listeners that detect user action. These listeners will then check if the action matches any triggers (instructions for when the tags should fire) that have been set up. 

But wait: what are tags? To put it simply, tags are snippets of code or instructions that are added to the HTML/script of a website to track information and collect data. Think of them as observers that you put on your website to keep track of what your visitors are doing, allowing you to measure minute details of users on your website without needing to write complex code.  

Essentially, tags are “what” you want GTM to do, and triggers are “when” you want GTM to do it. Tags tell a website how and when to perform certain functions (triggers) and collect data, ultimately helping you to understand user behaviour.  

The most common example of a marketing tag is the Google Tag, which is used to install Google Analytics. Other examples include Google Ads conversion scripts, Meta Pixel, and remarketing tags.  

Because of its ability to associate triggers with tags, GTM knows exactly when to fire a tag, whether from a page view or link click. However, most importantly, it only executes a tag when a user triggers one. If the interaction matches a trigger, then the associated tag is fired. This not only reduces the amount of website code, but it also minimises the risk of error.  

And best of all, because you install, manage, and deploy marketing tags from within the GTM software, you can rest assured that you won’t accidentally break your website by testing new tags - which is always good news, right? 

Another great thing about Google Tag Manager is that it provides a place to add all your codes and tracking tags to, making your tags easy to manage without running the risk of breaking code. They will also automatically send all that information to the places you need it - such as HubSpot, or Google Analytics, - so you can track the information you need, effortlessly.  

What is Google Tag Manager used for? 

As we said above, Google Tag Manager is used for managing and developing marketing tags without needing to modify the code. This enables you to easily integrate with other marketing tools such as Google Analytics, Google Ads, Facebook, CRM platforms such as HubSpot, and more.  

As a Marketing Manager, you can then use your tags to track pretty much any kind of event, metric, or user behaviour you want, such as: 

• Link clicks 

• Button clicks 

• Form submissions 

• Conversions 

• File downloads 

• Scroll behaviour 

• CTA performance 

Basically, due to its ease of use, it’s an absolute lifesaver for marketers who need to make informed decisions and prove the ROI of their campaigns to senior teams.  

Why you need Google Tag Manager  

Still not sure about the power of Google Tag Manager? Well, here’s an overview of some of the top business benefits that we think might just change your mind: 

• It will help make your landing pages stand out from the competition 

• It reduces the risk of human error  

• It relieves the burden of manually coding each tracking tag 

• It’s completely free (wahoo!) 

• It allows you to track and monitor your audience behaviour so you can optimise your website accordingly 

• It’s fully customisable, so you can track what really matters to you  

• All tags can be managed in one place, making it easy to add or delete tags as you need  

How to use Google Tag Manager   

Now we’ve convinced you about Google Tag Manager, you’re probably wondering how to use it.  

Firstly, if you don’t already have a Google Tag Manager account, you’ll need to set one up for free. To do so, you’ll need your company name, country, website URL, and where you want to use GTM (such as your website, IOS, or Android). 

Once you’ve created your Google Tag Manager account, you can start adding tags to your website. Your GTM dashboard will have prompts to help you create new tags, but in a nutshell, you’ll need to select a tag type, link it to the Google Analytics tracking system, select a trigger to tell you when the tag is recorded, and then save and activate your tag.  

You’ll also need to add a name and description to your tags to keep them all organised. Google recommends the following naming convention: “tag type - name of app - detail” - for example, link click_menu to track who clicks on links in the main navigation bar of your website. 

So, should I use Google Tag Manager? 

In conclusion, as a Marketing Manager, yep, you should most definitely be using Google Tag Manager.  

There’s no denying that Google Tag Manager is a crucial marketing tool for businesses today. It basically provides the in-depth, statistical details you need to make important decisions, enabling you to easily collect vital data such as page views, link clicks, and more - and best of all, it’s absolutely free! 

How Angelfish can help 

However, it’s important to bear in mind that Google Tag Manager is a complex tool that needs to be properly set up and managed - which is exactly where we come in!  

Here at Angelfish, we’ve got years of experience helping our clients set up and manage GTM, empowering them to analyse their website traffic at the click of a button.  

So, if you’d like to learn more about how we can set up and manage all things GTM for you so you can take control of your marketing tools and analytics, get in touch with our team today.