Google Tag Manager (GTM) is an essential online tool from Google to help marketers with tracking codes and collecting analytics on websites. The feature can also be used in conjunction with Google Analytics to facilitate the collection of this information. In digital marketing it is paramount to be able to measure the results of actions through metrics such as traffic, events, or conversions. Therefore, Google Tag Manager is one of the best friends of professionals in the field.
The functionality has numerous features and is completely free. Thus, with GTM it is possible to keep track of all the information on a site in a centralized location that stores the necessary data. Want to know everything about the tool and how to use it? So come with us and keep following!
What is Google Tag Manager?
Google Tag Manager is a free tag management system that allows you to manage and deploy marketing tags (code snippets or tracking pixels) on a website (or application) without having to modify the code on the pages.
This eliminates the need to put many different codes on a single site. The same code is placed on each page, so it does not need to be rewritten for the individual pages. You can also use the tool for applications.
Instead of manually coding the tags on a site, you can use Google Tag Manager to update them automatically. That way, after you have added code snippets related to your site or application, you simply connect to the Google Tag Manager. When this step is finished, a web-based interface will place the codes on the page automatically.
Those who use Google Tag Manager can also choose triggers in the interface. That way, when some action happens on the site, the trigger will be triggered. Some examples of events would be the page loading, a user touching the screen or selecting an option, or clicking submit on any form you have on your site. As soon as the event happens, GTM is triggered, collects the data, and then it is sent back to Google Analytics.
Google Tag Manager is designed to be simple to use and requires no specialized programming skills. In this way, marketers can easily link the data measurement tools they need to the sites they manage.
How to use Google Tag Manager
There are a few different components in Google Tag Manager that are required for the tool to work properly. There are three main components that work together. They are:
- Tags: trechos de Javascript ou pixels de rastreamento.
- Gatilhos: informam ao Google Tag Manager quando, onde ou como disparar uma tag.
- Variáveis: informações adicionais que o GTM pode precisar para que as tags e os gatilhos funcionem.
What are tags
Tags are the part responsible for tracking what is happening on each of your web pages. They can, for example, find out how users interact with a site’s features. Tags are code snippets or tracking pixels from third-party tools. These tags tell the Google Tag Manager what to do.
Some common tags in Google Tag Manager are, for example:
- Códigos de acompanhamento universal do Google Analytics ou código de acompanhamento GA4, de remarketing do Google Ads, de acompanhamento de conversões do Google Ads e de rastreamento do mapa de calor (Hotjar, CrazyEgg, etc…)
- Facebook pixels
- Scripts HTML personalizados
- Cookiebot e outros scripts de privacidade de dados GDPR
What are triggers?
Triggers are a way to trigger the tag that you have set up. In other words, they tell Google Tag Manager when, where or how to do what you want. Check out some examples of common triggers in Google Tag Manager:
- Visualizações de página
- Cliques em links
- Envios de formulários
- Profundidade de rolagem
- Eventos personalizados
What are variables?
Variables are another important component of Google Tag Manager. They have the ability to send very specific information to the feature according to what is configured. This way you can specify variables, or simply use the option to include all click types when a visitor clicks on a link. This will allow all the different variable options to remain open.
It is interesting to use variables to track certain actions, such as clicks on a URL, for example. Some variables might include the speed a user scrolls up or down the page, the amount of what they purchased, or even how long they spent on a specific page on the site.
These variables can help track the most important and relevant information needed for marketing or usability purposes. Therefore, they are used in conjunction with triggers and tags to get more specific information. This can help discard unimportant data, so that you have exactly the data you need, when you need it.
Google Tag Manager Advantages
- Simplifique o gerenciamento de tags. Permite adicionar e modificar tags para avaliar todos os aspectos de sua estratégia de marketing. Seu design é fácil e intuitivo, para que você possa fazer todas as alterações necessárias.
- Reduza o risco de erros de gerenciamento de tags. Possui um sistema de verificação de erros muito simples, carrega as tags rapidamente e permite que você teste em um ambiente de pré-produção. Tudo isso facilita para você garantir que seu site funcione perfeitamente em todos os momentos.
- Implemente tags do Google e de terceiros. É compatível com todos os tipos de tags e possui um grande número de modelos de tags pré-configurados. Se você não encontrar uma tag específica, poderá adicioná-la como uma tag personalizada.
- Colabore com sua equipe. Inclui áreas de trabalho e controles de acesso para que os membros de sua equipe possam colaborar com mais eficiência.
Want to learn more about Google Tag Manager, or need professional help implementing the tool in your company? Contact our experts!
