Google, I [expletive] love Google. They make a digital marketers life so much easier. Google offers so many free tools that it is difficult to speak to only three but this trio is essential for digital marketing. Google Analytics, Google Search Console and Google Tag Manager work independently of each other but are best utilized when combined to form a better picture for tracking and analyzing website data.
I’ll break down the purpose of each and then cover how they can work together if configured properly.
Google Analytics
Probably the most known and utilized out of the three, Google Analytics is a free tool that can assist with uncovering insights into your website’s performance. If you have a website and aren’t tracking or measuring performance, now is the time to start. Implementing Google Analytics into your website is a pretty simple two step process. First you need to create an account and then you will need to copy some code from your analytics account and place within the header section of your website. Now sit back and watch data pour into your Google Analytics account. You even have the ability to look at real time data as people visit your website.
So what data does Google Analytics track and publish? The answer is a whole bunch, probably way more than you need especially as you begin to track performance. Simple metrics like pageviews, bounce rate, average time spent on your website, acquisition (where your website visitors came from), demographics of website visitors (age, location, interests, gender, device, etc) and more can be found within your Google Analytics account.
Analytics also gives you the ability to get very granular. You can look at the behavior flow, which shows you the path of users as they go from one page to another which can highlight ways to create a more efficient website or point to problem pages where traffic drops off. You can set up goals, which could be a form conversion on your website (say contact us or get a quote) or e-commerce purchase so you can establish and track conversions within the platform.
Google Search Console
Formerly labeled “Webmaster Tools”, Google Search Console enables marketers to check their website indexing status and optimize visibility of their website. Essentially, Search Console helps you measure search traffic and performance from Google Search. Search Console shows you valuable information such as search queries your website is gaining impressions for and how many clicks your website has gotten for each search query, all for free.
Getting set up with Google Search Console is relatively easy. The first step is to sign up for Search Console. The second, is to verify you are in fact the owner (or administrator) of the site as there is a fair amount of sensitive data that is shared within Search Console.
Google Tag Manager
Google Tag Manager is a free tool that allows you to track specific events on your website without having to modify the code on your website. Imagine you want to track views of a video embedded on your website, conversions that occur, pixels from social media sites that enable ad visitor tracking and a whole lot more. Without Tag Manager, you would need to implement specific pieces of code within your website to track each one of these functions.
Instead, Tag Manager enables you to place a few pieces of code within the head and body sections of your website that contain all the information you need. Once implemented on your website, you can make adjustments within your Tag Manager account for any additional tracking you would like to perform. Tag Manager enables you to cut out the costly need for a website developer to perform code updates to your website, putting the power back in your hands.
Google Tag Manager has a few main components within the tool that provide the information needed to track the right events on your website. You will need to create both tags (the what) and triggers (the when) in order for Tag Manager to function.
To start, you will need to set up a Google Tag Manager account (completely free). Once your account is established, you will need to place the container code on your website as detailed within the installation instructions.
Combining For More Convenience
These three free tools can work independently of each other and provide rich data to help guide your digital marketing efforts. However, there is incredible convenience when you connect these tools together. Below are the combinations that Google has enabled to make your life even easier when it comes to website tracking and performance.
Google Search Console + Google Analytics
Linking your Search Console with Analytics brings in the organic search data from Search Console into your Analytics account. By doing this, you will be able to see additional search data within your Google Analytics account. More data in one place means there is a better chance you will actually utilize that data to make better decisions.
If you already have both a Search Console and Analytics account, configuring the two to work together is pretty simple. It can all be done within your Analytics settings and will take just a few short minutes.
Google Tag Manager + Google Analytics
Remember that Analytics tracking code you needed to place within the head section of your website? Well, if you utilize Tag Manager you won’t need this anymore. Tag Manager features direct integration with Analytics through what is called a “Universal Analytics Tag” which can be configured within Tag Manager. This tag will pass your website tracking data directly to your Analytics account without the need to use the Analytics tracking code. So, to keep things clean and mitigate any data issues, do not use both the Analytics tracking code and the Universal Analytics Tag.
In order to utilize the Analytics Tag within Tag Manager, you will need to have both a Tag Manager and Analytics account. Once that process is completed, Google has made it very simple to configure the Universal Analytics Tag within your Tag Manager account.
Concluder
Some closing thoughts here. Search Console and Analytics are a necessity for any business, small, medium, big or mega huge. If you want to step up your website tracking ability or want additional convenience, Google Tag Manager is the way to do this. One note on Tag Manager, while it can take a website developer out of the equation, there is a technical learning curve associated with it. I wouldn’t recommend a digital marketing newbie to go in and attempt to properly set up and configure Google Tag Manager. There are tons of resources out there to assist with it but it is more complex than most want to bite off. Avoid the headache and interface with someone that has experience with Tag Manager and you’ll thank yourself later.
Unsure about all this new fangled technology? No worries, shoot me a message and we can chat.