What is Google Tag Manager? Should I care, as a content marketer?
Google Tag Manager is a way of putting JavaScript tags on your site – and managing them – more easily. It's not uncommon for a site to have dozens of tags for various purposes, affecting analytics and site performance. As a content marketer, you should definitely care!
Tag Manager simplifies crucial web dev work:
- Add analytics tags when and where you need them
- Remove analytics tags when you don’t need them anymore – or only fire them if they’re needed – which makes your site faster
- Manage and troubleshoot analytics tags that are causing problems with the site.
That means more time for adding new functionality, implementing new features, and other things that are more obviously helpful to users.
What should you do?
Ask some questions of your web dev: Is your team using GTM? Who is managing it? If you’re not using Google Tag Manager – or if nobody’s looked at it in a while – there can be some quick wins there for site performance and tracking.
Now that you know why GTM matters, let's dive into the streamlined setup process:
- Create a Google Tag Manager account: Head to the GTM website and sign in or create a free account.
- Set up a new container: Containers store tags, triggers, and variables for your site. Create a container and choose "Web" as the target platform.
- Install the container code: Add the provided code snippets to your site's HTML, near the opening <head> and <body> tags.
- Add tags: In GTM, create and configure new tags (e.g., Google Analytics) to track desired events or actions.
- Set up triggers: Create triggers to determine when tags should fire, such as specific user actions or page visits.
- Preview and publish: Use GTM's preview mode to test your tags and triggers, then submit and publish your container.
- Monitor and optimize: Regularly review your analytics and site performance to ensure tags are functioning properly.
By following these simple steps, you'll enhance your site's performance and optimize your analytics tracking. Embrace the power of Google Tag Manager and elevate your content marketing strategy.
