Google Tag Manager for Google Analytics


Google Tag Manager comes in to reduce tags workflow burden. Google Tag Manager can be your best choice, if you have a good amount of analytics and ad performance tracking tools. In addition to that, it can be your best tool in the case you have many tags (negatively affect the page loading) to add to your website when you are running search and display campaigns. Google Tag Manager for Google Analytics is a way to implement Google Analytics using the powerful tools of Google Tag Manager.

In this post, we will be walking through easy steps towards how to implement Google Analytics for your business website using Google tag Manager.

 

    1- What you need to know?

Google Tag Manger interface is easy and so encouraging. It uses simple interface and terminology. Basically, you need to hold a basic concept about how it works to take most of it. Google Tag Manger uses a single container that should be deployed in every page of your website.

The container is a JavaScript snippet code. Google Tag Manager JavaScript container is a place where hosts many other tags. Via this container, you can fire a wide range of tags such as AdWords Conversion Tracking, AdWords Remarketing, Google Analytics and even non-Google Tags.

Think of a container snippet like an army base from which rockets being fired and aircraft being take off to perform a certain specific targets!

google tag manager for google analytics

Having a Google Tag Manager Account will enable you to add, update, modify on fly, and administer multiple tags for one or several websites with total control and peace of mind. Guess what, all from one place.

 

   

   2- Google Tag Manager for Google Analytics?

Implementation of Google Analytics with Google Tag Manager goes easy with only few steps. Assuming you have a Google account (Gmail), you can sign in with Google Tag Manager using your Google credentials. You will see New Account. Click on it to get started.

You will have a page that have two steps to create the account. Fill in Account Name then next to move to Setup a Container. The latter will give the chance to choose the Container Name and the place where are you going to place the snippet. So, you can select ’’ Web pages’’ if you have a website or ‘’ Mobile Apps’’ if you have an app. Add Domain and Time Zone accordingly.

google tag manager

Then hit Create account and Container.  And viola, you have just created your first Google Tag Manager Container! And, it is ready to go.

Very important note: You should place GTM JavaScript immediately after the opening <body> tag in order to render the website when it is opens. It is to record any hit when first happens. It is not advised to put it in the bottom or even the end of HTML page.

 

2-1) Adding Tags: Google Analytics

Now you are ready to start with your first tag. Go to Tags Tap and press on New tap to create a new one. In our case, this tag will be implementing Google Analytics. You will need to name the tag (for example: Google Analytics or GA). Then you need to specify Tag Type. In our case, we are going to choose Google Analytics > Universal Analytics ( you can select Classic Google Analytics if you are using it).

When you finish from Tag Type, head ahead and add Tracking Code ID: UA-XXXXX-X.  It is your property ID and you can find it easily by visiting your Google Analytics Admin. Next, select ‘’ Page View’’ for Track Type. You can set more settings if you want to.

Now, you go to Firing Rules. It is on the right side of your screen. Add one in this way: tick on Rule Name: All pages with Description: {{url}} matches RegEx .* . Make sure you saved the settings.

This means that Google Analytics will be firing for all pages of your website. That makes the beauty of GTM.

Congratulations, you have just implemented Google Analytics for your website using Google Tag Manager. Now, if you want you can track what is happening on your website by setting up Event Tracking via GTM that is able to listen what s happening on your side. Examples : if someone submitted a form, tracking outbound links and website links.

event tracking in google tag manager

Tip : You can test the status of your tags if they are working or not by using Tag Assistant (by Google). Highly recommended video About Tag Assistant from Google. I consider Tag Assistant to be a must Debugging tool.

That’s all about Google Tag Manager for Google Analytics. As you can see it is easy steps to set up and implement Google Analytics for any website using Google Tag Manager.

 

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About Omar Belkadi

Omar Belkadi is a Search Engine Marketing Expert who specializes in Analytics, SEO and PPC advertisement. Omar has been experiencing for long in the field of digital marketing which backed up with related experience and certifications.