Google Tag Manager: A GA4 Beginners Guide

Learning a new skill, like Google Analytics 4, is intimidating. Add to this the fact that there’s a looming deadline, and you can’t afford to be dragging your feet on getting started.

 

Let's get you up and running with this easy-to-follow beginners guide for setting up Google Analytics 4 using Google Tag Manager.

 

Learning a new skill, like Google Analytics 4, is intimidating. Add to this the fact that there’s a looming deadline, and you can’t afford to be dragging your feet on getting started.

 

In it, we’ll take a look at how Google Tag Manager works, followed by an easy five-step GA4 setup tutorial with pictures.

 

Google Tag Manager Defined

Google Tag Manager (GTM) is a free tag management solution that allows you to add and edit segments of code (tags) that collect and send data to Google Analytics.

 

For example, “back in the day,” marketers would receive a segment of code from a third-party vendor – like Facebook Ads.

 

This code would collect and send information about how users from Facebook Ads engaged with the site back to Facebook.

 

Site owners and marketers relied heavily on developers to install the code directly on the website.

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Let's get you up and running with this easy-to-follow beginners guide for setting up Google Analytics 4 using Google Tag Manager.

 

Learning a new skill, like Google Analytics 4, is intimidating. Add to this the fact that there’s a looming deadline, and you can’t afford to be dragging your feet on getting started.

 

I’m sharing an easy-to-follow beginners guide for setting up GA4 using Google Tag Manager to get you up and running.

 

 

In it, we’ll take a look at how Google Tag Manager works, followed by an easy five-step GA4 setup tutorial with pictures.

 

Google Tag Manager Defined

Google Tag Manager (GTM) is a free tag management solution that allows you to add and edit segments of code (tags) that collect and send data to Google Analytics.

 

For example, “back in the day,” marketers would receive a segment of code from a third-party vendor – like Facebook Ads.

 

This code would collect and send information about how users from Facebook Ads engaged with the site back to Facebook.

 

Site owners and marketers relied heavily on developers to install the code directly on the website.

 

 

But if we use Google Tag Manager, all we need to do is place one snippet of code on the website, and that container acts as a middleman between your site and third-party vendors.

 

Any tags we need to add or edit can be adjusted from within the GTM interface.

 

Aside from ease of use, the major benefit is condensed code and a much faster site.

 

Difference Between Google Tag Manager And Google Analytics

Google Tag Manager (GTM) and Google Analytics (GA) are completely different tools that work together to get you the data you need to make smart marketing decisions.

 

Google Tag Manager is used for storing and managing the code – it is literally a container.

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