An Easy Guide To Using Google Tag Manager For SEO

Introduction

If you manage a website, you probably know how important it is to have a good ranking in search engines. After all, that’s how people find your site in the first place.

But what you may not know is that there’s a tool that can help you manage all of your website’s tags and improve your ranking in search engines – Google Tag Manager (GTM) is a powerful tool that allows you to manage all of your website’s tags from one central location.

Contained within the confines of this written communication, we shall endeavor to illuminate and explicate the methodology required to establish and implement Google Tag Manager (GTM) with the express intention of ameliorating the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) of your website.

What Is Google Tag Manager?

Google Tag Manager is an awe-inspiring free-of-charge tool that offers a seamless interface to control and disseminate marketing tags on your website sans delving into your site’s labyrinthine codebase.

The prolificity of GTM in appending and amending tags endows you with a potent instrument to glean nuanced data pertaining to the voluminous traffic and performance of your website. In addition, GTM empowers you to adroitly manage the multitudinous tags affixed to your website, thus liberating you to dedicate your attention to other consequential aspects of your business.

How Does Google Tag Manager Work?

In essence, the underlying mechanism through which Google Tag Manager (GTM) operates is predicated upon the incorporation of an inconspicuous fragment of code, colloquially known as a container tag, which is seamlessly integrated into your website’s extant codebase. Subsequently, this tag imbues GTM with the requisite capability to effortlessly summon forth the sundry tags that you have thoughtfully curated and appended to your aforementioned container.

Once you have dutifully completed the aforementioned task, you are at liberty to peruse and navigate GTM’s intricate interface, wherein you can seamlessly curate and manipulate the manifold tags with ease, as per your unique exigencies. The upshot of this is that you no longer have to subject your site’s source code to the tedious and cumbersome rigors of modification each time you seek to append or update any of the tags within the purview of your container.

Why Use Google Tag Manager For SEO?

The rationale for using GTM on your website’s SEO is manifold and compelling.

• GTM furnishes a veritable treasure trove of granular data pertaining to the labyrinthine contours of your website’s traffic and performance, thereby enabling you to discern and mitigate inefficiencies that might be undermining your website’s ranking in search engines.
• GTM’s seamless interface enables you to adroitly manage the nitty-gritty of your website’s tags, thus affording you the temporal and intellectual bandwidth to attend to other consequential aspects of your business, such as crafting enthralling content or cultivating coveted backlinks.
• GTM’s unparalleled versatility can supercharge your website’s loading speed by loading tags asynchronously, which translates to lightning-fast loading times that are sure to delight your users.
• And finally, GTM’s unwavering adherence to Google’s ever-evolving guidelines is a salient testament to its pedigree as a tool of choice for webmasters who are keen on staying ahead of the curve in the dynamic landscape of search engine optimization.

How to Use Google Tag Manager for SEO

1. Conceive and institute a GTM account and container

Now that you are cognizant of the manifold advantages of GTM while augmenting your website’s SEO, we can now plunge headlong into the intricacies of how you can leverage GTM to enhance your website’s ranking.

To set the ball rolling, you must first create and establish a GTM account and container. The process is a veritable cakewalk and can be completed expeditiously in a matter of minutes. Simply navigate to the GTM website and make a beeline for the “Create Account” option.

Note: For users of WordPress, the entire onus of adding the GTM code to your website sans any tinkering with the underlying theme’s source code can be shouldered via the simple expedient of installing the “insert header and footer” plugin.

Installing Tag Manager on a Website:

The installation of Tag Manager (TM) on a website is predicated on the execution of two distinct and discernible imperatives:

a) The addition of the codebase in question to each and every page of the website. Once this fundamental undertaking has been consummated, the omnipotent and omniscient TM can capably unleash an incalculable number of tags without the need for any further mollycoddling of the website’s source code.

b) The creation and curation of a litany of tags, each bespoke and germane to the multifarious functions that you wish to track, which are then seamlessly deployed by means of the TM interface.

Upon successful completion of the initial stage of account creation, you are now ready to embark upon the next crucial step of formulating and constituting a container, which is essentially an amalgamation of sundry tags that you wish to adroitly manage with GTM.

The creation of a container is an intuitive process that can be accomplished with relative ease. Simply navigate to the GTM interface and avail yourself of the “Create Container” option, which should present itself in a conspicuous and unambiguous manner.

2. Configure your tags

Once you have established your account and container, the next crucial step is to configure your tags, which can be accomplished by two methods. The first option is to utilize the pre-existing tag templates integrated within GTM, which enables you to swiftly configure your tags. These templates have been skillfully crafted to ensure optimum performance and functionality. To access these built-in tag templates, you must first navigate to the “Tags” tab in the GTM interface and subsequently activate the “New Tag” button, which will unveil an extensive array of pre-existing tag templates for you to peruse.

Alternatively, if you seek more granular control and customization of your tags, the second option entails creating a customized tag. The creation of a customized tag provides you with the flexibility and autonomy to tailor your tags to your precise specifications.

To create a custom tag, you must first access the “Tags” tab within the GTM interface and then activate the “New Tag” button. Once in the “Tag Configuration” section, proceed to select “Custom HTML Tag” from the Tag Type drop-down menu, allowing you to craft bespoke tags that align with your unique needs and preferences.

3. Configure your triggers

Triggers represent the quintessential tool utilized to dispatch tags, which are contingent upon specific user activities on your website. For instance, you may concoct a trigger that dispatches a tag whenever a user views a specific page on your website. To fashion a trigger, you must undertake a series of multifaceted steps within the GTM interface, involving the deployment of intricate configurations and settings.

To initiate this process, you must first navigate to the “Triggers” tab within the GTM interface, whereby you will subsequently activate the “New Trigger” button. Upon the activation of this feature, you will be presented with an intricate series of options and settings, enabling you to granularly specify the precise conditions under which the trigger will fire.

The “Trigger Configuration” section, in particular, necessitates an astute comprehension of the underlying mechanisms, as it requires you to meticulously stipulate the trigger’s firing conditions. For instance, you can select the trigger to fire when a user clicks on a specific element or when a page loads, depending on your unique needs and preferences.

4. Publish your changes

After configuring your tags and triggers, it’s essential to publish your changes for them to take effect. This can be achieved by clicking the “Publish” button in the GTM interface and selecting “Publish Now” from the drop-down menu.

5. Test your tags

To initiate this process, you’ll need to click on the “Preview” button in the GTM interface, which opens up a new window dedicated to testing your tags.

If everything appears to be functioning as expected, then you’re ready to go ahead and publish your changes.

6. Monitor your website’s SEO

After implementing GTM on your website, it is paramount to monitor and evaluate its Search Engine Optimization (SEO) performance continually. To accomplish this, Google Search Console stands as the most viable solution available, a free-of-cost service offered by Google itself, allowing you to comprehensively track your website’s SEO performance.

To initiate this process, you must first navigate to the Search Console website and initiate the account sign-up process, a multifaceted procedure entailing the submission of intricate information and data. Once successfully registered, you will proceed to add your website to the Search Console, an arduous task that necessitates astute cognizance and meticulous attention to detail. The process entails clicking on the “Add a Property” button and subsequently inputting your website’s Uniform Resource Locator (URL).

Upon adding your website, a plethora of reports will be accessible, each detailing the performance metrics of your website in search engines. These comprehensive reports have been carefully crafted to enable you to discern and evaluate the performance of your website’s SEO, with the aim of facilitating strategic enhancements to boost your website’s search engine ranking.

SEO Benefits of Using Google Tag Manager

1. Improve the accuracy of your tracking

Incorporating tag manager on your website can potentially catapult your tracking accuracy to unprecedented heights, constituting a game-changer in your pursuit of excellence. With the proliferation of numerous tags on your website, it can become an uphill battle to keep tabs on the firing of each tag, paving the way for a slippery slope that can lead to the dissemination of erroneous data in your reports – a cataclysmic outcome, to say the least.

However, tag managers come to your rescue, enabling you to navigate this quagmire with deftness and finesse by facilitating the management of all your tags in a centralized location. This pivotal centralization armors you with the ability to vigilantly monitor the firing of each tag, ensuring none of them slips through the cracks, a triumphant feat indeed!

2. Debug your tags

Besides augmenting your tracking accuracy, tag manager also provides an added advantage of debugging your tags. If you’re having difficulties with any specific tag, you can utilize the GTM interface to test and debug the tag.

3. Improve your website’s performance

Multiple tags on your website can impede its loading time, leading to a negative user experience and even detrimentally affecting your website’s SEO.

Tag managers offer a solution to this hitch by loading tags asynchronously, which means that the tags are loaded in the background, thus trimming down your website’s loading time. The reduction in loading time can provide your website with a competitive edge and a better user experience.

4. Reduce tag clutter

One of the most salient advantages of utilizing tag manager is its ability to mitigate tag clutter. The usage of multiple tags on your website can be overwhelming, causing difficulty in tracking all the different tags being used. Such a predicament can result in superfluous code on your website, thereby dragging down its loading time.

However, with the use of tag managers, you can resolve this situation by centrally managing all your tags in one location. This centralization enables you to monitor the firing of each tag with ease, making it effortless to identify which tags are in use and which ones aren’t. It also permits you to eradicate any unused tags from your website, thus curtailing the amount of code on your website.

5. Improve your website’s security

Furthermore, employing tag manager can also enhance your website’s security. When you’re using multiple tags on your website, it can be arduous to keep track of all the different codes being utilized. Such a predicament can lead to unsecured code on your website, making it vulnerable to attacks.

In the realm of digital marketing, a notable savior emerges to assuage the arduous task of tag management – tag managers. These managers furnish you with the capability to oversee all your tags in a single centralized location, a feature that amplifies the ease of monitoring the firing of each tag. This, in turn, facilitates an effortless discernment of the employed tags from the idle ones. Furthermore, the centralized approach empowers you to effortlessly eradicate any redundant tags from your website, effectively mitigating the risk of unsecured code, thereby fortifying the security of your website.

6. Save time

It can be a heavy task to manage and track all different codes on website if there are too many to count. This can result in wastage of valuable time that could be employed in other crucial tasks.

Tag managers can solve this problem by enabling you to centrally manage all your tags. This centralization allows you to monitor the firing of each tag with ease, making it facile to distinguish between the tags in use and those that aren’t. It also enables you to eliminate any unused tags from your website, thereby saving your time in the long haul.

7. Improve the CRO of your website

When it comes to optimizing your website’s performance, leveraging a tag manager is a crucial factor that can help to enhance your website’s conversion rate optimization (CRO). Multiple tags may be utilized on your website, and keeping track of their firing statuses can prove to be a vexing challenge. Such confusion may lead to wasteful efforts that could have been employed elsewhere.

By using a tag manager, however, you can conveniently handle all of your tags from a centralized location, enabling you to track which ones are firing and which ones are not. Consequently, this enables you to trim any excess or unused tags that are siphoning your website’s resources and impeding its CRO.

8. Get more insights into your website traffic

And finally, in addition to enhancing your website’s CRO, utilizing a tag manager can also provide greater insights into your website’s traffic. The utilization of numerous tags can result in difficulty in tracking the various codes used on your website, leading to more wasted time that could be better utilized elsewhere.

By leveraging a tag manager, you can overcome this issue by managing all your tags in a single location. This streamlines your tracking of which tags are being used, which ones are not, and which ones need to be retired. This results in significant time savings that can be put towards other website optimization tasks.

In summary, using a tag manager can help you to optimize your website’s performance, increase its traffic, and bolster its CRO. By taking advantage of the benefits that a tag manager provides, you can conserve both time and resources while also enhancing your website’s security and SEO.

How to Setup Google Tag Manager Cookie Tracking

When it comes to setting up cookie tracking with GTM, the process is a relatively simple one that can be accomplished in a few short steps. First and foremost, you must initiate the creation of a novel tag. The next phase entails selecting the “Custom HTML” tag type, which facilitates the inputting of complex coding.

To finalize the setup process, you must then meticulously paste the specifically provided code below into the “HTML” box. Once the tag is in place, you will need to select the “All Pages” trigger, which ensures the tag’s activation on all website pages.

It is imperative to then paste the code, bearing in mind to replace GTM-XXXXXX with your container ID. Following this, ensure you carefully save and publish all alterations made to the container. Your cookie tracking tag is now ready to utilize!

The code that you need to paste into the “HTML” box is as follows:

In order to paste the code required to set up GTM cookie tracking, you must first navigate to the “HTML” box. This is where you will need to take extra care and attention to input the coding precisely.

The coding that you will require is as follows:

<!– Google Tag Manager –>

<script>(function(w,d,s,l,i){w[‘GoogleTagManager’]=w[‘GoogleTagManager’]||{};w[‘GoogleTagManager’].l=1*new

Date();l=d.createElement(s),i=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];l.async=1;l.src=’https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?

id=’+i;l.parentNode.insertBefore(l,i);})(window,document,’script’,’dataLayer’,’GTM-XXXXXX’);

</script>

<!– End Google Tag Manager –>

<!– Google Tag Manager (noscript) –>

<noscript><iframe src=”https://www.googletagmanager.com/ns.html?id=GTM-XXXXXX” height=”0″ width=”0″ style=”display:none;visibility:hidden”></iframe></noscript>

<!– End Google Tag Manager (noscript) –>

It is important to take note that GTM-XXXXXX needs to be replaced with your very own container ID, in order for the process to be successful.

Once the container is published, you will be able to view cookie data in the “Variables” section of GTM. This data can be utilized to create tags and triggers that cater to your specific cookie tracking needs.

If you’re looking to gain further knowledge about SEO, be sure to explore our vast array of articles on the subject!

Conclusion

Google Tag Manager, a formidable tool in your arsenal, boasts immense potential to bolster your website’s SEO. In this exhaustive guide, we’ve meticulously examined the numerous ways in which you can leverage GTM to scale the search engine rankings. Not only that, but we’ve delved into the intricate workings of GTM to enable you to glean invaluable insights into your website’s traffic. Last but not least, we’ve elucidated the intricacies of setting up GTM cookie tracking. By diligently implementing these meticulously crafted tips, you can transform your website’s SEO, paving the way for a torrent of traffic to your site.

And if you require assistance kickstarting your journey, the subject matter experts at 12 Channels are at your disposal! Simply contact us today to schedule your free consultation and get started on your path to success.