What Is Google Tag Manager? (And How Does It Work With Google Analytics?)

For a long while, Google Analytics (GA) has been around to help you gather, handle, design, and report site and versatile application information that outcomes in significant bits of knowledge. At that point in 2012, Google reported the arrival of its new earth shattering item, known as Google Tag Manager (Tag Manager or GTM). 

To put it plainly, we adore it. What's more, we expound on it frequently! In spite of GTM's convenience, there's still a great deal of disarray about what it is, the thing that it does, and how it's not quite the same as Google Analytics. Along these lines, we've chosen to commit this bit to disintegrate the disarray.


Where People Get Tag Manager Wrong

A common misconception is that Tag Manager is the same thing as (or the latest version of) Google Analytics. This is not the case! In actuality, Google Tag Manager is a completely separate tool.

Breaking It Down

To put it plainly, Google Tag Manager is an easy to use answer for dealing with the labels, or the bits of JavaScript that send data to outsiders, on your site or portable application. Adding different items to your site, including yet not restricted to AdWords Conversion Tracking and Remarketing, DoubleClick Floodlight, and obviously, Google Analytics, is a breeze. 

In more detail, GTM makes your life simpler by disentangling the way toward adding these JavaScript bits to your site. Rather than refreshing code on your site, you utilize the interface to choose what requirements to flame and on what page or what activity. GTM then adds the proper following to your site to ensure everything works. 

Google Tag Manager comprises of these three principle parts: 

1.Tag: A scrap of code (generally JavaScript) added to a page. 

2.Triggers: Defines when and where labels are executed. 


3.Factors: Used to get or store data to be utilized by labels and triggers.

Before And After Tag Manager

Before Google Tag Manager, the JavaScript on your site or versatile application must be hard-coded. At the end of the day, you were compelled to collaborate with designers to roll out even the scarcest improvements to your following. Need to include an occasion? Get in line behind the pressing site issues and routine support. Or, on the other hand, in case you're the one responsible for refreshing your site, following certain connections or structures may require grappling with JavaScript/jQuery to get the correct thing you require. 

Presently, Tag Manager gives you a cordial UI that strolls you through making labels well ordered, which takes out the need broad involvement with JavaScript. To begin, you include the specially produced following code, additionally called the holder tag, to your site or versatile application. A short time later, Google Tag Manager permits anybody with the fitting client consents to include, change, and troubleshoot labels for your site. You can utilize it to control and tweak what fires on your site while it conveys the JavaScript to your site for you. 


Above all… You can take labeling into your own particular hands, and guide your following anyway you seek, rapidly and effectively, without those occasionally bothersome busybodies (your engineers).

So GTM And GA Aren’t An Old Married Couple?

Not necessarily. Google Tag Manager and Google Analytics are two completely separate tools, and can live independently of one another: You can use Google Analytics on your site by itself, just as much as you can use Google Tag Manager on your site by itself.


However, as our Technical Marketing Manager, Jon, always says, “Google loves Google.” Therefore, it should’t be surprising that they work very well together.


GTM And GA Working Together

Quite honestly, the possibilities of how the two tools work together are endless!


However, there are a few ways to use Google Tag Manager with Google Analytics that are commonplace. For instance, you can use GTM to send different pieces of data to Google Analytics, such as pageviews and events. Let me reiterate that normally, you would have had to add JavaScript on your site, but not when using Tag Manager.


Here’s an example:

For Google's purpose, we'll demonstrate to you industry standards to send information to Google Analytics utilizing Tag Manager. Suppose that you have to track asset downloads on your site (pdfs, docx, xls). For following reasons for existing, it's essential to know two things: 

1.What number of individuals downloaded the document? 

2.What page was the client on when it was downloaded? 

For this situation, GTM enables you to effortlessly set up a Click Trigger and a Google Analytics Tag to perceive what and where assets are being downloaded without expecting to add any extra code to your webpage. 


Moreover, you can utilize Google Tag Manager triggers to direct when this information ought to be sent to Google Analytics. To develop our past illustration, perhaps you need to just send a virtual site visit to Google Analytics when a client taps on an asset download connect. Provided that this is true, you can utilize Tag Manager's triggers to determine these conditions.

7 Reasons Why Google Tag Manager Is Special

1.  It’s Free

Not to worry, it’s both free and awesome! Google Tag Manager has a multitude of robust features, including (but not limited to) usability, accounts and user roles, tag firing rules, and supported tags (Google, third-party, and custom HTML tags)

2. Do It Yourself

Insert the container tag once, make changes whenever you want without much hassle, and voila. With the available debugging tools and preview mode, you can be sure of what you’re doing before you publish it.

3. Forget About Limitations

You can use Google Tag Manager with more than just Google products. Take a peek at the other predefined tags, such as Marin, comScore, AdRoll, and more! Can’t find the tag you need? Customize one! You can also add Tag Manager to not only your website, but also to your iOS and Android apps. You’re truly unlimited.

4. Cool Features With Google Analytics

Google Tag Manager makes it less demanding to execute a portion of the more entangled Google Analytics elements, for example, User ID following. Client ID following gives you the capacity to quantify genuine clients rather than gadgets. This gives more precise information to you, which eventually helps your clients! It's a win-win. Label Manager additionally assists with regular difficulties in Google Analytics, for example, Custom Dimensions, Cross-Domain Tracking for different destinations that are followed together in Google Analytics, and Enhanced Ecommerce that requires joint effort with engineers.

5. Easily Track More Things

With so many great resources available on the web (and our own site!) it’s easier than ever to track things like YouTube videos on your site, print tracking, or AJAX form submissions.

6. Worry-Free Security

No compelling reason to stress. Google Tag Manager has the majority of the security highlights you require. One great component is two-figure validation that requires both your typical secret key and after that a numeric code that you get through an instant message, voice call, or versatile application. You are additionally ready to control the entrance by giving diverse levels of authorization at both the record and compartment levels.

7. Debug Central

With debug options, built-in error checking, and version controls, you can rest easy knowing that everything you do with Google Tag Manager can be tested and debugged before it goes live.

When Can You Migrate To Google Tag Manager?

Any time is a good time to migrate, especially if you haven’t already upgraded to the latest version of Google Analytics (Universal Analytics), then it would be a great opportunity to also migrate to Google Tag Manager. Check out these important migration tips and tricks that you should put into practice. Migrate whenever you feel you’re ready to take advantage of its many awesome features!