What Is Google Tag Manager (GTM) for Traditional Marketers?
This article aims to explain Google Tag Manager (GTM) from a traditional marketing perspective, moving past the typical tech-focused content.
The Problem with the Standard Definition of Google Tag Manager
Google Tag Manager is a tag management system that allows you to set up and manage tags on your site without changing your website’s code ” Google Introduction to Tag Manager
The official Google definition (GTM manages tags without changing website code) is confusing for anyone, who are unfamiliar with terms like “tags” and “data layers,” and who don’t see a connection to core marketing concepts like Conversion Rates or Attribution.
Traditional Marketer 😕 I thought GTM – was Go To Market? What is a tag? And why do I need to manage it? Does it impact the 4Ps or AIDA?
Marketing Tech Geek – YES to Data Layers, triggers, and Java Scripting
Key Definitions for Marketers
- Tagging (Verb): Identifying a key event or action on a website that is important to the business, such as a form submission, sign-up, or purchase.
- Tag (Adjective): A small piece of code (snippet) that is used to send information about a key event back to a measurement system like Google Analytics, Google Ads, or Facebook.
Why Google Tag Manager is Needed? (The 3 Components)
GTM facilitates the critical link between high-volume website activity and valuable marketing insights:
1 / Measurement (Google Analytics – GA4): GA4 measures ALL events on a website (thousands per day). Every click, every scroll, time on web pages, click on menu items, its like listening to multiple conversations in a crowded restaurant, which is too much information to be useful.
2 / Tagging (Google Tag Manager):
- Marketers want to focus on identifying the handful of key events that matter such as important Call To Actions or outreach.
- GTM is used to create “custom event tags” that specifically signal these key events to measurement platforms.
- Conversion: This is the highest level of key event, typically involving an exchange of contact information (like an email/phone number), typically when filling out a contact form, download, making appintments.
3 / Reporting & Attribution (Looker Data Studio):
- Marketers need to answer: “How many leads and where did they come from?”
- While GA4 reports, tools like Looker Data Studio are often preferred because they are easier to use and can integrate data from other marketing channels (Facebook, YouTube, etc.) as well as Google Ads.
- GTM facilitates the process of sending Conversion data to systems like Google Ads, which then adds attribution information (campaign, keywords, cost per conversion, etc) to directly answer the question of lead origin.
The GTM Build Sequence
| Marketing Steps | Google Tag Manager Steps |
|
Step 1A. Identify and document key events Example – Contact Form Submission |
Step 1B. Analyze technical environment, match build technique to environment Example. Build “Form Submission Event Tag and signal GA4 for each submission occurrance |
| Step 2A. Test for key events |
Step 2B. Test custom event tag Example: Test in GTM preview test and GA4 debug mode |
| Step 3A. Report on key events |
Step 3B. Create a reporting framework and automate reporting Example: Setup Looker Studio for customized reports on webiste and Campaign performance and setup weekly or monthly schedule |
So What Is Possible?
[ Google Ads Call Reporting ]
Once GTM is properly configured and we’ve pinpointed the key conversions on the website we intend to track, we can deploy specific tags. These tags signal to Google Ads every time one of those identified conversions occurs.
Google Ads will then accurately record these conversions, allowing you to generate a detailed performance breakdown for each campaign based on the type of conversion achieved.
So lets ask the question again
Question: What is Google Tag Manager?
Answer: Google Tag Manager (GTM) is a tool that Marketers can deploy to identify and signal select key events (incl conversions) on a website to various marketing and measurement platforms.
The most common key events include form submissions, phone calls, make appointments, downloads and chat. When GTM is setup correctly, each key events can be attributed to a campaign, and the campaign system can add other attributes such as location, technology used, and sometimes demographic profile.
This is what I tell my clients in a language they understand with no techno-babble.. We have Implemented Google Marketing Platform for 50+ Accounts
Frequently Ask Questions
What are the Main Components of Google Marketing Platform?
-
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) – Tracks user behavior across websites and apps; provides event-based insights, attribution, and audiences
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Google Tag Manager (GTM) – Select and “Tag” events (form fills, phonecalls, etc) as conversions and signals the event to Google Analytics, Google Ads or other marketing measure system
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Looker Studio (formerly Data Studio) – Visual reporting tool for creating custom dashboards that combine data from GA4, Ads, Youtube, Social media and many data sources
- Google Ads (GAds) – Google’s online advertising platform that allows businesses to create ads to reach potential customers on Google Search, YouTube, and partner websites
How long does it take to set up Google Marketing Platform?
Normally the setup build happens over a number of days. When we build tags – Google Analytics / Google Ads takes up to 24 hours to process and confirm the event tags. Another factor to consider is the frequency of events such as Form submissions or Phone calls that fire off events. We like to match real live conversions with measured events.
Other factors that can add extra time is that state of the website, the components used – there are literally hundreds of different brand of form builders and they all work differently against Google Tag Manager. Also the platform used WordPress vs Wix vs Squarespace can affect the time for implementation. And of course, integration with external software, such as booking or appointment software, requires extra time and effort.
Before we handover the system, we perform a complete audit of the system as part of the completion process. Reporting can be set to once per week or once per month.
I have Google Analytics, why do I need Google Tag Manager?
Google Analytics is designed to measure all events on a websites. There are normally thousands of events on most websites such as a menu click, or a screen scroll. So we need a system to “tag” and select the key events, and to go one step further, tag conversion events, Google Tag Manager (GTM) is that system.
However GTM, can be quite complex to configure it requires a mix of skills ranging from web development, javascript, analytics and Google Ads.
What is a Conversion?
In useful marketing terms – a “conversion” is an event involving an exchange of contact information between the website visitor and your business.
The most popular conversion are:
- Form Submission
- A Tracked Phone call
- An online appointment or Booking
- An online purchase
- A Chat or download with mandatory contact information
A key event is any meaningful action a user takes that you want to measure — for example, specific page views, form starts, video plays, or add-to-cart clicks. Key events are normally events that happen before a conversion event as well as the conversion events.
All conversions are key events, but not all key events are conversions.
We have fixed many GTM accounts that confuse Key Events for Conversions. This is an important distinction because most advertising systems are set to maximize for conversions by default.