What is Google Tag Manager?

How does Google Tag Manager work?

Google Tag Manager (GTM) is a free tool from Google that has two powerful features for your site: visitor tracking management and HTML code loading. For visitor tracking, you can set which site interactions you want to track that you can use on your analytics platform to analyze user behavior. For HTML code loading, you can load HTML code on specific or all pages or behind certain clicks. So this leaves you only need your GTM script on your site and you can load all other scripts through GTM which will provide an improvement in your site speed.

All these HTML scripts and visitor tracking rules are stored in tags. GTM acts as a container in which all these tags are stored. Instead of manually implementing each tag code on the Web site, you only integrate the GTM code once. Then, within the GTM interface, you can easily add, edit or remove new tags without having to modify your website's source code each time. Want to learn more about how Google Tag Manager works?

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How do you set up Google Tag Manager?

Setting up Google Tag Manager requires a few steps, but the process is generally quite simple. To set up Google Tag Manager, first create an account on the GTM website and add a container for your website. Then place the generated GTM code in the header of your website, making sure it is loaded for each page. Within the GTM interface, create tags for specific events or actions you want to track or HTML tags to load HTML code into. Then when you publish that container, those changes are put live. While this is the standard way to set up Google Tag Manager, there is more to it than just this. Want to learn more about how to set up Google Tag Manager?

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What are tags, triggers and variables within Google Tag Manager?

In Google Tag Manager, you store all your tracking rules and HTML codes in tags. But in addition to tags, there are also triggers and variables that are part of a tag. Tags are pieces of code that measure specific actions on your website, such as page views or button clicks. This code just won't be visible during use because Google Tag Manager is a no-code drag and drop platform, this means that people without coding skills can work using a graphical user interface instead of writing the code themselves.

Each tag is activated based on a trigger. Triggers thus determine when a tag is activated, based on predefined interactions or events such as page views, clicks or forms. Variables further act as dynamic values used within tags and triggers, giving you flexibility in customizing your measurement implementations. For example, you can use a variable to dynamically capture the value of a conversion for multiple tags simultaneously. Need more information about tags, triggers and variables?

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How does Google Tag Manager work with server-side tagging?

Above is mainly the standard way explained how to use Google Tag Manager, this standard way is called client-side tagging. Besides client-side tagging, where the tags are executed directly in the user's browser, Google Tag Manager also supports server-side tagging. This means that certain tags are executed on the server and your events are sent to your third-party platforms via their own server.

Server-side tagging gives you full control over your own data processing and it allows you to again measure all your conversions and events that you cannot measure with client-side tagging or third-party scripts. It allows you to collect data and run tags without depending on the user's browser or operating system and AdBlockers that can block scripts. Want to learn more about how Google Tag Manager works with server-side tagging?

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Google Tag Manager is an effective platform that significantly simplifies the management of your tracking and your HTML scripts on your website. GTM is an important part of your tracking setup that allows you to efficiently collect data, analyze your website and make better decisions based on accurate information. Whether you're a seasoned marketer or just starting out in web analytics, Google Tag Manager can be a valuable addition for you. Need help setting up server-side tagging through Google Tag Manager? Then get in touch so we can help you with that.