Benefits of Google Tag Manager

Unless you were literally sucked into an episode of Mad Men, you are currently sitting in 2020 and have probably heard of Google Tag Manager (GTM) and understand that this is related to advertising.

Perhaps you have heard that GTM can help you track visitors much more easily than other tools? Or maybe you have heard that it would eliminate the need for developers? That you can install tracking codes / pixels yourself? Is it free? Whatever you have heard, you are reading this because you are looking for information.

What is Google Tag Manager (GTM)?

What you heard is partly correct: Google Tag Manager is a free software tool that allows you to install different types of tags on your website. You may have already done this without realizing it. Have you ever added code to your website to follow Google Analytics? It is a type of tag. Other examples include: the Google Ads remarketing code, the Google Ads conversion tracking code, the heat map tracking code (LuckyOrange, Hotjar, Crazy Egg, etc.) and Facebook pixels.

In the past, businesses needed a web developer on their team to track the codes, which had to be hard-coded on each individual page and became a little complicated to update and maintain with hundreds of codes. to be continued. GTM came in and resolved this by storing all of the tags in one place the GTM account. Some have described GTM as a toolbox where all the essential web tools of a company are stored: a measuring tape (Google Analytics), a hook (Google Ads), etc.

Is Google Tag Manager difficult to use?

Although GTM is designed for non-programmers with easy-to-use features (for example, editing tags in the GTM interface and posting changes with one click), the software will still take a some time to get used to it. There may also be a programming language that you do not know. Before we get into the benefits of GTM, let's have a little vocabulary lesson.

Keywords: Tags are snippets of code. They are used to send information in order to perform a specific action in a web page. In other words, these tags tell GTM what to do and how to do it.

triggers: Triggers determine whether a tag is active and working or not. For example, if you want a user to see a form when they enter your website, a trigger activates the tag that will bring up that form.

variables: These are the values ​​used, the information necessary for Google Tag Manager to work properly with tags and triggers.

Top 10 Benefits of Google Tag Manager

1. So Darn easy to use

This is one of the biggest advantages of Google Tag Manager: no programming knowledge is required. Almost anyone can easily update, add new tags, test each change, and deploy tags without having to do complex website coding. This gives you and your team autonomy and streamlines your process, thereby speeding up launch times and giving your IT department the time it needs to focus on more important issues, such as why your website is so slow.

2. Saves a lot of time

GTM saves you time by allowing you to implement the tracking codes yourself. You no longer need a marketer to send the tracking code to a developer, only to install the code a week later because the developer was busy. You will no longer have round-trip emails when you need to follow additional events during this week. All tracking codes (aka tags) can be added, modified and deleted via the GTM platform.

3. Everything is in one place

Remember the analogy of the toolbox we made earlier? With GTM, everything is in one place. Long gone are the days when a developer needed to locate various snippets of JavaScript code in website or application source code in order to make additions, modifications, or deletions. Now everything is in the same place and these human errors where certain codes are missed and inaccurate data no longer take place.

4. Easier to troubleshoot

Because everything is in one place, it is easier to troubleshoot and correct tag errors even before they are published. GTM Preview mode will automatically show you which tags are working and which are not associated, along with information on triggers and detailed information on tracking tag data. Other useful GTM tools include Tag Assistant and Datalayer Checker.

5. You can create templates

GTM allows you to export all of your tags, triggers and variables to a file which you can then use to create your own commonly used code templates. This can be useful when you are looking to implement the same Google Analytics event (for example, page view tracking, clicks on outgoing links) for different customers. In early 2019, Google also released Custom models, a feature that allows the community to create and share custom templates that anyone can use.

In addition, GTM has a bunch of built-in tags that you can use for things like conversions and Google Ads remarketing. This allows team members with no coding experience to customize the tags without learning complicated code or depending on the help of a developer.

6. Automatic event tracking

GTM comes with a feature called automatic event tracking, which automatically tracks events (such as clicks, form submissions, and time spent on the page) without involving custom JavaScript code. This requires configuration and is not as simple as clicking a button, but once you have activated certain triggers, GTM will automatically start listening for particular website interactions.

7. It's free!

We sort of ignored this at first, but let's not forget: GTM is absolutely free, and it's perfect for small and medium businesses. Large organizations can upgrade to the premium GTM version in Tag Manager 360.

8. Version control

Each time you make a change in GTM, an archived version is saved. It makes your life easier when you need to undo certain changes, restore a previous version, or if you accidentally posted a set of changes to an online site before the tags were finished. Version control gives you the fluency of coming and going without worrying about causing permanent damage.

9. User and authorization management

GTM gives you full control of who can do what to change. From non-read-only access to editing to publishing rights, you can easily control who is allowed to make changes (such as creating tags, macros, and rules) to the website.

10. Peace of mind

Are you afraid of choosing a domain, an IP address or a malware URL in your tags? Have no fear! Google automatically analyzes all tracking scripts and immediately suspends those that correspond to any known type of malware.

What are you waiting for?

Simply put, Google Tag Manager (GTM) will improve your marketing by giving you insight into what can cause an increase (or decrease) in website activity. For example, does posting a new blog increase or decrease visits to your website? Does changing the color of a call-to-action button increase or decrease clicks? With GTM, you will get this information and be able to better analyze your website analytics to make more informed marketing decisions and improve your website performance.