A Step-by-Step Guide on How to Add Google Tag to Website

To add Google Tag to your website, you'll need to create a new tag in the Google Tag Manager (GTM) interface. This will serve as the foundation for tracking and analyzing your website's performance.

First, log in to your Google Tag Manager account, then click on the "Tags" tab in the left-hand menu. From there, select the "New" button to create a new tag.

Next, choose the tag type that best suits your needs, such as Google Analytics or AdWords. Make sure to select the correct website and account before proceeding.

For more insights, see: Nextjs Google Tag Manager

To add a Google tag to your website, you'll need to create a conversion action in your Google Ads account. This is a crucial step that will allow you to track your website's conversions.

To create a conversion action, follow the instructions in set up conversion tracking for your website. You'll need to have the ability to edit your website, either you or your web developer will need to be able to add the tag to your website code.

Before you can add the conversion tracking tag to your website, you'll also need to identify a conversion page on your website. This can be a page like a "Thank you for your order" page that a customer sees after making a purchase.

Here are the basic requirements to get started:

Before you begin, you'll need to create a conversion action in your Google Ads account. To do this, follow the instructions in set up conversion tracking for your website.

You'll also need to have the ability to edit your website, either you or your web developer will need to be able to add the tag to your website code.

Identify a conversion page on your website, this can be a "Thank you for your order" page that a customer sees after making a purchase.

Here are the three things you need to do before you can add a conversion tracking tag to your website:

To create an account for Google Tag Manager, start by going to the Google Tag Manager website at tagmanager.google.com. You'll be greeted with the option to sign in or create an account.

If you already have a Google account, you can use the same account to sign in to Google Tag Manager. If not, you'll need to create a new Google account.

To sign in or create an account, click on the "Sign in" button if you have an existing Google account, or choose "Create account" if you need to make a new one. Follow the on-screen prompts to sign in or to create your new Google account.

Once you're signed in, you'll be prompted to create a new GTM account. Click on the "Create Account" button located in the top right corner.

You'll need to provide a name for your GTM account, which is typically the name of your company or organization. You'll also be asked to select your country.

Here are the basic requirements for creating a Google Tag Manager account:

Placing the Google Tag Manager code in the head section is highly recommended, as it loads faster and allows for better tracking. This is because the higher up in the page the snippet is, the faster it is loaded.

You can place the code in the head section by installing Google Tag Manager in the head section of your website. This will ensure that the tracking codes are initiated quickly, even on heavy websites.

If you have a WordPress site, you can use a plugin like Insert Headers and Footers to install Google Tag Manager without editing your site's source code. This method is suitable for beginners and makes the process much easier.

Here's an interesting read: Google Analytics Code on Website

Placing the Google Tag Manager code in the head section of your website is highly recommended for better tracking. This is because it loads faster, allowing you to catch more visitors and see how they behave.

The higher up in the page the snippet is, the faster it is loaded. This is especially important for heavy websites that may take more than a few seconds to load.

In older versions of Google Tag Manager, it was recommended to place the snippet in the body tag, but this could potentially miss users who left the page before the body tag loaded. This is because the tracking codes are launched later when placed lower in the website's code.

Not adding tracking codes to certain pages, like "privacy policy" pages, can save you hours of copy-pasting. However, it's worth considering the benefits of tracking all pages, even if it's just to identify the percentage of traffic that bounces before the page completely loads.

For another approach, see: Google List All Pages on a Website

If you're using a popular Content Management System (CMS) like WordPress, Magento, or Shopify, chances are there's already a plugin that installs Google Tag Manager for you.

You can find GTM plugins in the CMS's plugin repository, making it a breeze to get started. For example, on WordPress, I always recommend GTM4WP for its ease of use. On Magento, you'll find several good options, and on Shopify, you'll find this one.

Some platforms even offer built-in Google Tag Manager integration, like WIX. This can save you a lot of time and hassle.

Here are a few examples of CMS platforms with GTM plugins:

These plugins can help you get started with Google Tag Manager quickly and easily.

You can place the noscript part somewhere else, but it's not recommended. Google's recommendation is to put the Google Tag Manager script and noscript tags in the head section.

Placing the noscript tag in the body section can cause issues with A/B testing, so if you're using GTM for that, it's best to put the top snippet in the head. However, if you're only using basic tracking, you might be fine.

As of late 2016, Google recommended placing the entire Google Tag Manager code in the body section, but this is no longer the case. It's recommended to move the script part to the head section for better tracking data.

If you're using a limited CMS like 3dcart, you might not have a choice, but you can still install the GTM script code in the footer and abandon the noscript tag. However, this might cause issues with load times.

In some cases, the noscript tag might not be visible in the developer tools or page source, but it can still be there. If you're having trouble finding it, you can try looking in the body section where the Facebook and analytics script tags are.

If you're using a plugin that doesn't provide an option to put code in the body, you can leave out the noscript tag, but it's not the best solution.

If this caught your attention, see: Add Script to Google Sheet

Verification is key to ensuring your Google tag is working correctly. To check your conversion tracking tag, click the Goals icon in your Google Ads account, then click the Conversions dropdown and Summary.

You can also use Tag Assistant to verify your Google tag. Check if your Google tag ID appears in the header Google tags found, and if Tag Assistant doesn't recognize your tag, find debug tips in the Tag Manager help center.

To verify Google Tag Manager (GTM) is installed and sending data, click "Preview" on the GTM dashboard for your website, enter your website's URL, and navigate to your site. You'll see a debug window at the bottom of your site that shows which tags are firing and which are not.

Here are some common mistakes to watch out for:

Verifying that your Google Tag Manager (GTM) is installed correctly and your tags are collecting data is a crucial step in troubleshooting. You can use the Preview mode in GTM to see which tags are firing on your website. Click "Preview" on the GTM dashboard, enter your website's URL, and navigate to your site to see a debug window at the bottom showing which tags are firing and which are not.

Recommended read: Google Drive Tags

To further verify that GTM is sending data, check the Realtime report in Google Analytics. If you see active users on your site, it indicates that GTM is correctly sending data to Google Analytics. You can also use your browser's developer tools to inspect network requests being made when a page on your site loads.

Here are some methods to verify that your Google tag is sending data:

You can also verify that GTM is installed correctly by right-clicking on your website's background and viewing the page source to find the GTM code. Alternatively, enable preview and debug mode in GTM to see if the preview and debug panel appears at the bottom of the screen.

If you're using a popular Content Management System (CMS), such as WordPress, Magento, or Shopify, there may be a plugin available to install Google Tag Manager for you. Simply add your Google Tag Manager container ID to the plugin.

Check this out: Google Tag Manager Seo

To validate that Google Tag Manager is installed correctly on your website, go into the preview and debug mode by clicking the Preview button in Google Tag Manager. This will put your browser into a special mode that will pop up a debug console in a separate tab.

If the Summary of Google Tag Manager pops up at the bottom of the webpage, it means that Google Tag Manager is installed on all pages. However, if you don't see this console pop up, it's likely that you haven't installed Google Tag Manager correctly.

Before deploying any tags, make sure to submit the first version in Google Tag Manager to initialize it correctly.

If this caught your attention, see: What Is Aem Adobe

You can use a plugin to install Google Tag Manager on your WordPress site, which is a great option for beginners. This method doesn't require editing your site's source code.

Some popular plugins for WordPress include GTM4WP, which is highly recommended, and Insert Headers and Footers. This plugin is free and allows you to paste your Google Tag Manager code snippets into the corresponding boxes.

Related reading: Optimize Site for Google

To use a plugin, go to your WordPress admin page, navigate to "Plugins", then "Add new", and search for "Install Headers and Footers." Once you find it, click "Install Now."

If you're using a popular CMS like WordPress, there's likely a plugin that installs Google Tag Manager for you. All you need to do is add your Google Tag Manager container ID.

Here are some examples of plugins available for popular CMS platforms:

Some platforms, like WIX, even offer built-in Google Tag Manager integration.