{"id":21551,"date":"2021-05-18T08:53:00","date_gmt":"2021-05-18T07:53:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fifteen-staging.fifteen.dev\/blog\/a-beginners-guide-to-google-tag-manager\/"},"modified":"2025-01-31T09:16:41","modified_gmt":"2025-01-31T09:16:41","slug":"a-beginners-guide-to-google-tag-manager","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fifteendesign.co.uk\/blog\/a-beginners-guide-to-google-tag-manager\/","title":{"rendered":"A beginner’s guide to Google Tag Manager."},"content":{"rendered":"

Google Tag Manager\u00a0is a tool that can be readily embraced by SEO folk. Once you get past the learning curve of all the terminology and the initial setup, you’ll no longer have to bother a developer to implement some critical elements to your landing pages that can increase your visibility.<\/p>\n

What is Google Tag Manager?<\/h2>\n

Google describes<\/a> Tag manager as so:<\/p>\n

“Use Google Tag Manager to manage tags (such as tracking and marketing optimization JavaScript tags) on your site. Without editing your site code, you use GTM user interface to add and update Google Ads, Google Analytics, Floodlight, and non-Google tags. This reduces errors and allows you to to deploy tags on your site quickly.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And, that’s it. It’s a way to deploy tags quickly on to your site. The reduction of errors comes from the fact that you can quickly test and undo any implementation. It’s also very tricky to break your site via. Tag Manager – although give it a go and let me know how you got on.<\/p>\n

Setting up Google Tag Manager<\/h2>\n

1. Go to\u00a0https:\/\/tagmanager.google.com\/<\/a><\/h3>\n

I’d bookmark this for future use.<\/p>\n

2. Sign in to a Gmail\u00a0account.<\/h3>\n

Preferably\u00a0with an account associated with your website.<\/p>\n

3.Create an Account<\/h3>\n

If you’ve never used GTM before, you’ll be greeted with this dashboard:<\/p>\n

\"Google<\/p>\n

Click on Create Account.<\/p>\n

4. Enter your website details<\/h3>\n

First, enter your company name as your account name, then select your country. Feel free to share your data with Google.<\/p>\n

\"Google<\/p>\n

Then, enter your website URL\u00a0in the container name, does not need http:\/\/ or https:\/\/. Select Web<\/strong> under ‘Where to Use Container then click create.\u00a0 And, accept all the terms and conditions. (If you want)<\/p>\n

\"Google<\/p>\n

4. Install Google Tag Manager<\/h3>\n

Once the above is done, you should be greeted with a pop up with the code that needs to go into the backend of your website.<\/p>\n

\"Google<\/p>\n

This may look complicated and probably where you’ll need a web developer with full access to install on every page on your site.\u00a0However, assuming you’re using WordPress, you don’t have a web developer at hand then there is a solution in the form of a quick and easy plugin called DuracellTomi’s Google Tag Manager for WordPress<\/a>. Once installed all you have to do is head over to the plugin and insert your unique Google Tag Manager ID which you can find on the GTM dashboard. Select the appropriate container code placement, which will differ depending on your website build, and that’s it.<\/p>\n

\"DuracellTomi's<\/p>\n

5. Testing Google Tag Manager is working correctly<\/h3>\n

There are two easy ways to check if Google Tag Manager has been installed correctly within your website. The first, if you’re using Google Chrome, install the browser extension called Tag Assistant.\u00a0 Once installed, go to your website and click on the icon for the extension, the dropdown should look like the below if installed correctly. If it hasn’t then you’ll get a red frowny face, its best to contact your web developer if this has happened.<\/p>\n

\"Tag<\/p>\n

The other way to check is to go to your GTM dashboard and click on preview. Go back to your website, and if installed correctly you should see a Tag Manager Debugger pop up in the footer of your landing page. Don’t worry, only you can see this, and it’s where you can see whether a tag has fired, but we’ll get into this late on.<\/p>\n

\"Tag<\/p>\n

Google Tag Manager terminology<\/h2>\n

Once you’re all set up, you may be confused about what to do next or what some of the terms<\/p>\n