Google Tag Manager (GTM) is a free to use system from Google that removes the need to add Google Analytics and other tags, such as AdWords, Facebook tracking etc. directly onto each web page. This has put advance website tracking, digital marketing activity and the opportunity to collect and analyse customised analytics data within the reach of all businesses and not just those with big budgets and advanced technical resources to hand.
The benefits of Google Tag Manager
Increased Agility: Tags can be created, tested and deployed far quicker than if hard coded.
Improved Control: All tags viewed and controlled through a single system, with an audit trail.
Reduced Deployment Costs: Tags can be created and deployed by marketing reducing and in many cases eliminating the need to involve the development team.
Improved Page Speed: Rather than having numerous different tags on each web-page that are loaded as part of the page, these are replaced by a single GTM tag thus page speed is improved..
Some simple examples of how GTM can make tracking easier
PDF Downloads: On sites with PDF downloads available on multiple pages, a single GTM tag can create an event in GA, that records the PDF name and the page it was downloaded from.
Facebook pixel: If you would like to try Facebook advertising, rather than adding the Facebook pixel to each page this can be done using single tag.
Bounce visits: If your site receives a lot of one page visits, it can be important to know if these visitors are leaving immediately or spending time reading the content of that page. Using GTM a timer tag can be added to help find out what is going on.
More advanced tracking includes
- Recording how far visitor’s scroll down the page.
- Implementing Google Analytics Enhanced E-commerce.
- Recording how far through people are watching embedded You-Tube videos.
- Tracking activity as visitors log in and use on-site applications.
With GTM a wider range of data can be captured far more reliably and easily than ever before.
