What is Google Tag Manager? All you need to know

If you're responsible for a website, you've probably heard of Google Tag Manager. But what exactly is it and why should you use it? In this article, we'll explore the many pros and cons of Google Tag Manager, as well as some tips for optimizing its use.

Understanding the Google Tag Manager concept

Before diving into the details, it's important to understand what Google Tag Manager is. Simply put, it's a tag management tool that allows website owners to easily set up, manage, and change all the tags on their site, without requiring extensive technical knowledge.

Definition

Google Tag Manager is a free Google solution that allows you to centralize the management of tags on a website. But what is a beacon? A tag is a small snippet of code that collects information about user behavior on your site. This information can be used for conversion tracking, traffic analysis, and more.

Key features

Google Tag Manager offers a lot of useful features for website owners. Some of the key features include:

• Simplified tag management: With Google Tag Manager, you can easily add, remove, and edit tags without having to touch your site code.
• Improving site performance: By using Google Tag Manager, you can load tags asynchronously, reducing your site's load time and improving the user experience.
• Integration with other Google tools: Google Tag Manager can be used in combination with other Google tools such as Google Analytics, AdWords, and more.

In addition to these features, Google Tag Manager also offers the ability to create custom triggers and variables. Triggers allow you to specify when and where tags should be triggered, while custom variables allow you to collect information specific to your site.

Additionally, Google Tag Manager has a user-friendly interface that makes it easy to manage your tags. You can easily organize your tags into groups, activate or deactivate them with a single click, and even preview changes before publishing them to your live site.

How does Google Tag Manager work?

Now that you have a general idea of what Google Tag Manager is, let's take a look at how it actually works.

Google Tag Manager is a powerful tool that makes it easy to manage tags on your website. It allows you to update and manage all of your tracking tags, such as Google Analytics tags, remarketing tags, and more, without having to change your site's source code every time.

But how does that work exactly?

The process of setting up Google Tag Manager is relatively easy. First, you need to create an account on the Google Tag Manager platform and connect your website. Next, you need to add the tracking code provided to each page on your site.

But what does this tracking code actually do?

When a user visits your site, the Google Tag Manager tracking code is activated. It collects information about user behavior, such as pages visited, clicks made, and forms submitted. This information is then sent to Google Tag Manager, which stores and processes it.

But what is the purpose of all this information collected by Google Tag Manager?

The information collected by Google Tag Manager can be used to generate detailed reports on the use of your site. You can see how many times a specific page has been visited, what pages are the most popular, what are the most important traffic sources, and much more. This information helps you to better understand the behavior of your users and to make informed decisions to improve your site.

The benefits of using Google Tag Manager

Now that you understand how Google Tag Manager works, you might be wondering what the concrete benefits are for your website.

Simplified tag management

Tag management can be a real headache, especially if you have a complex website with lots of different tags. Google Tag Manager simplifies this process by allowing you to manage all of your tags from a single, user-friendly interface. You can easily add, remove, and edit tags without programming knowledge.

Improving the performance of the site

Another major benefit of using Google Tag Manager is improving the performance of your website. By loading tags asynchronously, Google Tag Manager allows your site to load faster, reducing load times and improving the user experience. Studies have shown that users are more likely to leave a site if it takes too long to load, so optimizing the speed of your site is essential.

By using Google Tag Manager, you can also benefit from other advantages for your website. For example, you can more easily track and analyze the performance of your tags. Google Tag Manager provides detailed reports on the tags used on your site, so you can make informed decisions to improve your tracking strategy.

In addition, Google Tag Manager offers great flexibility in terms of customization. You can create custom tags to meet the specific needs of your website. For example, you can create a custom tag to track clicks on a specific button or to track conversions on a particular landing page. This flexibility allows you to adapt Google Tag Manager to your tracking strategy and maximize its benefits for your site.

Finally, Google Tag Manager also facilitates collaboration between the various members of your team. You can give specific permissions to each team member, allowing them to manage the tags assigned to them without having access to the entire account. This makes tag management easier and ensures that each team member can contribute effectively to the follow-up strategy.

The potential disadvantages of Google Tag Manager

Despite its numerous advantages, Google Tag Manager also has a few disadvantages that should be taken into account.

Possible technical complexity

Google Tag Manager can seem complex, especially for people who are not familiar with online tracking tools. If you don't have previous experience managing tags or tracking tools, you may have trouble understanding how everything works and using Google Tag Manager effectively.

Potential security issues

As with any online tool, there is always a potential risk when it comes to the security of your data. By entrusting the management of your tags to Google Tag Manager, you should be aware of the potential risks and take steps to protect your sensitive data. Be sure to review Google Tag Manager's privacy and security policies to make sure your data is well protected.

How can I optimize the use of Google Tag Manager?

Now that you're familiar with the pros and cons of Google Tag Manager, here are some tips for getting the most out of your Google Tag Manager.

Best practices for using Google Tag Manager

To get the most out of Google Tag Manager, here are some best practices:

• Organize your tags logically: Use a clear container and tag structure to make it easy to manage and find specific tags.
• Test your tags before publishing them: Before updating your tags live, be sure to test them in the pre-production environment to avoid mistakes.
• Keep your code clean: Avoid having unused tags or outdated versions of tags that can slow down your site.

Common mistakes to avoid with Google Tag Manager

Here are some common mistakes to avoid when using Google Tag Manager:

• Do not test your tags: Not testing your tags can lead to data tracking and analysis errors.
• Delete tags without deactivating them: Deleting a tag without deactivating it can lead to the loss of valuable historical data.
• Overloading your site with too many tags: Too many tags can slow your site down and make the user experience unpleasant.

In conclusion, Google Tag Manager is a powerful tool that can greatly simplify tag management on your website. By understanding how Google Tag Manager works and following some best practices, you can get the most out of this tool and improve the performance of your site. However, if you encounter problems or want support, know that Growth Room is an agency specialized in media campaign management and that we take the time to set up Google Tag Manager correctly with you as soon as needed.