June 6, 2023

Google Tag Manager vs Google Analytics: Key Differences

Discover the key differences between Google Tag Manager vs Google Analytics. Learn which tool to choose for your website's data analysis.

Are you confused about the differences between Google Tag Manager and Google Analytics? Both tools are essential for tracking website statistics and user activity, but they serve different purposes. If you're new to GA4, check out our guide for getting started with this updated version of Google Analytics.

Google Analytics is a free tool that provides valuable insights into website traffic and user behavior statistics. It allows users to track important metrics such as page views, bounce rates, and conversion rates. With the new GA4 update, it can also provide more comprehensive customer data. On the other hand, Google Tag Manager is a tag management system that simplifies the process of adding tracking tags to your website without needing to edit its code. This guide can help you optimize your website's performance and make informed decisions based on the data collected.

While some may wonder if Google Tag Manager replaces Google Analytics or if it's part of it, the truth is that they work best when used together. By using both tools in tandem, you can gain deeper insights into your website's performance and make more informed decisions about your online presence. This guide can help you understand how to use ga4 to track user activity and customer data.

So what exactly is Google Tag Manager? How does it differ from Google Analytics GA4? And how can these two tools be used in conjunction with one another to track website traffic data and preview web pages? Let's dive in!

google headquarters google analytics

Key Differences Between Google Tag Manager and Google Analytics

Google Tag Manager vs Google Analytics Tool

The primary difference between Google Tag Manager (GTM) and Google Analytics (GA) is that GTM is a tag management system, while GA is an analytics tool. GTM allows users to manage and implement various tracking codes, including GA and ga4, on both web pages and mobile apps, and preview the implementation before going live. whereas GA focuses solely on analyzing data collected from those tracking codes.

Implementation Process

Another significant difference between GTM and GA is the implementation process. With GTM, implementing Google Analytics tags on a website becomes much easier as it requires no manual coding or developer assistance. Additionally, Google Tag Manager events can be easily set up to track specific actions on your website. On the other hand, with GA, you need to manually add Google Analytics events tracking codes to your website's HTML code or use plugins for popular content management systems like WordPress. It's worth noting that GA4 has a different implementation process compared to the previous version of Google Analytics.

Tracking Custom Events and Variables

Google Tag Manager provides more flexibility in tracking custom events and variables than Google Analytics does. While GA has limited options, GTM allows users to track almost any type of event or variable they want with ease. This enables website traffic data and customer data to be tracked easily, as well as providing the ability to preview the tracking on web pages.

For instance, if you want to track how many times visitors click on a specific button on your website or how long it takes them to fill out a form, you can do so using Google Analytics Tag Manager (GTM), a powerful tracking tool that allows you to easily add and manage Google Analytics Tracking Code (GATC) on your website. With GTM, you can also set up and monitor various Google Analytics Events, such as clicks, form submissions, and pageviews, without any issues.

Collaboration Between Marketing and Development Teams

GTM, as a tag management tool, offers an efficient tracking tool for Google Tag Manager events and customer data. Compared to GA, GTM allows for easier collaboration between marketing and development teams, making it easy for both teams to work together seamlessly.

With GTM's user-friendly interface, marketers can easily manage their website's tracking tags, including Google Analytics events, without needing developer assistance. This saves time and reduces communication barriers between departments while providing valuable insights into customer data. Plus, with the ability to create and manage multiple containers, GTM offers a flexible solution for tracking various aspects of your website.

Website Load Times

Google Tag Manager can help reduce website load times by consolidating multiple tracking codes into one container tag. This means that instead of having several tags slowing down your site's performance by making multiple requests to the server, you can have just one tag that handles all your tracking needs, including customer data and user events.

On the other hand, if your tracking tool like GA is not integrated with a proper tag management tool and container tag, it can slow down your website's performance. This is because the tracking tool sends data to Google servers every time a page loads, which can increase page load times significantly.

To optimize GA and reduce its impact on your site's performance, you should consider using a tag management tool to set up asynchronous tracking or using Google Analytics 4 (GA4), which uses a new measurement model that reduces data collection and processing latency through the use of a container tag.

data transfer city google tag manager

Benefits of Using Google Analytics for Site Performance Improvement

Track Your Website Traffic Data

One of the biggest benefits of using Google Analytics as a tracking tool is that it provides website traffic data to help improve website performance. This web analytics service tracks pageviews and other metrics to identify areas for improvement. By utilizing tag management tools such as container tags, you can easily implement Google Analytics and analyze your website traffic. This way, you can optimize the user experience and increase conversions.

Identify Areas for Improvement

Google Analytics is a tracking tool that provides valuable insights into website traffic data and visitor behavior. You can use it to find out which pages on your site are most popular, how long visitors stay on each page, and where they come from. To get started, simply add a container tag to your website and start collecting data. With this information, you can identify areas for improvement and make changes that will benefit your users.

Improve User Experience

By utilizing a web analytics service such as Google Analytics and implementing a tracking tool like the Google Analytics tracking code, you can monitor user behavior on your site and identify areas for improvement. For example, by analyzing Google Analytics events, you may notice that visitors are leaving your site quickly after landing on a particular page. This data can help you improve the content or design of that page to make it more engaging and increase the likelihood of conversion.

Increase Conversions

Another important benefit of using Google Analytics is that it can help increase conversions. By tracking user behavior on your site, you can identify which pages are most effective at driving conversions and which ones need improvement. You can also set up conversion goals in Google Analytics to track specific actions taken by users on your site (such as filling out a form or making a purchase).

Benefits of Using Google Tag Manager for Data Collection

Simplify Your Data Collection with Google Tag Manager

Google Tag Manager is a powerful tool that simplifies the process of adding and managing tracking tags on your website. With Google Tag Manager, you can easily add tags to track user behavior, such as clicks, page views, and form submissions. This means that you can collect more data about your customers without having to write any code.

Not only does this save time and effort, but it also makes it easier to keep your website up-to-date with the latest tracking technologies. For example, if you want to start using Facebook Pixel or Google Ads conversion tracking on your site, all you need to do is add the appropriate tag in Google Tag Manager. It's that simple!

Historical Data Made Easy

One of the biggest benefits of using Google Tag Manager is that it allows you to access web analytics service historical data quickly and easily. This means that if you've been collecting data for a while now, you can use Google Tag Manager to analyze that data more effectively.

For instance, let's say that you want to see how many people clicked on a particular button on your website last month. With Google Tag Manager, all you need to do is find the tag associated with that button click event and look at the historical data.

This level of accessibility, combined with the implementation of Google Analytics tracking code and container tag, makes it much easier for businesses to track their progress over time and make informed decisions based on their past performance.

More Accurate and Comprehensive Data Collection

Another significant benefit of using Google Tag Manager is that it leads to more accurate and comprehensive data collection. When tracking tags are added manually or through other methods like hardcoding them into your website's HTML code or using plugins like Jetpack or Yoast SEO plugin for WordPress sites, there's always room for error.

With GTM (Google tag manager), however, there are fewer chances of errors since everything is done within one platform. This means that you can trust the data you collect and use it to make informed decisions about your business.

analytics on a desk printed sheet google

Do You Need Both Google Tag Manager and Google Analytics?

Different Purposes

Google Tag Manager (GTM) and Google Analytics (GA) are both essential tools for website owners, but they serve different purposes. GTM is a tag management system that allows you to manage multiple tracking codes in one place. With GTM, you can add tags to your website without having to modify the code manually. This makes it easier to manage tags from various sources, such as advertising platforms, analytics tools, and social media networks.

On the other hand, GA is a web analytics tool that provides detailed insights into website traffic and user behavior. It tracks various metrics such as pageviews, bounce rates, average session duration, and conversion rates. With GA, you can see how visitors interact with your site and identify areas for improvement.

More Comprehensive Understanding

Using both GTM and GA together can provide a more comprehensive understanding of website performance. By using GTM to manage tags from various sources and integrating them with GA's Google Analytics tracking code, you can track a wide range of metrics that would be difficult to measure otherwise. For example, you can track e-commerce transactions by integrating GA's Google Analytics tracking code with your online store platform via GTM.

Moreover, using GTM allows you to implement advanced tracking features in GA without modifying the code manually. For instance, you can use GTM to set up custom dimensions and metrics in GA that track specific user behaviors or events on your site.

Not Necessary for All Websites

However, using both tools may not be necessary for all websites. If your site is small or has a relatively low traffic volume, using only GA may be sufficient for tracking basic metrics such as page views and bounce rates.

Furthermore, if you have limited technical expertise or resources available for managing tags and implementing advanced tracking features in GA via GTM, it may be best to focus on using just one tool at first rather than trying to use both simultaneously.

Does Google Tag Manager Include Google Analytics?

No, GTM and GA are separate tools that serve different purposes. While GTM allows you to manage tags from various sources and implement advanced tracking features in GA, it does not replace GA or include it as a built-in feature. You still need to set up GA separately and integrate it with GTM if you want to use both tools together.

data tag manager google

Installing Tracking Tags with Google Tag Manager

What Can I Track Using Google Tag Manager (GTM)?

Google Tag Manager is a tag management system that allows you to add and manage tags on your website without having to modify the code. With GTM, you can track various user interactions on your site, including clicks, form submissions, page views, and more.

One of the primary benefits of using GTM is the ability to install both analytics and marketing tags easily. Analytics tags allow you to track user behavior on your site and gather data about how users interact with your content. Marketing tags help you measure the effectiveness of your advertising campaigns by tracking conversions, clicks, and other important metrics.

How Does Google Tag Manager Work?

Google Tag Manager works by adding a container tag to your website's HTML code. This container tag acts as a placeholder for all of the tracking tags that you want to install on your site. Once the container tag is in place, you can then add individual tags using GTM's web-based interface.

Tags can be added to specific pages or across your entire site using rules that define when each tag should fire. For example, you might set up a rule that fires an analytics tag whenever someone views a specific product page on your site.

Once you've configured all of your tags in GTM, they'll start firing automatically based on the rules that you've defined. You can then use GTM's reporting features to monitor how each tag is performing and make adjustments as needed.

Adding Code Snippets with Google Tag Manager

In addition to installing analytics and marketing tags, Google Tag Manager also allows you to add custom code snippets to your website. These snippets can include things like Facebook pixels or other third-party scripts that need to be installed directly into your site's HTML code.

To add a custom code snippet using GTM, simply create a new "Custom HTML" tag in the interface and paste it into the code that you want to add. You can then use rules to define when the snippet should fire, just like you would with any other tag.

Using Google Tag Manager Events

One of the most powerful features of Google Tag Manager is its ability to track user interactions using events. Events allow you to track specific actions that users take on your site, such as clicking a button or submitting a form.

To set up an event in GTM, you'll need to create a new tag and select "Event" as the tag type. You can then define the specific conditions under which the event should fire, such as when a certain button is clicked or when a form is submitted.

Once your event is set up, you can use GTM's reporting features to monitor how users are interacting with your site and make adjustments as needed. For example, if you notice that users aren't clicking on a particular call-to-action button, you might consider moving it to a more prominent location on your page.

AlteredPixel Man explaining to woman

Configuring Events with Google Analytics

What are Google Analytics events?

Google Analytics is a powerful tool that allows you to track user behavior on your website. One of the most useful features of Google Analytics is event tracking. Events allow you to track specific user actions on your website, such as clicks, form submissions, and video plays. By tracking these events, you can gain valuable insights into how users interact with your website.

How do I configure events with Google Analytics?

To configure events with Google Analytics, you need to add an event tracking code to your website. This code tells Google Analytics what actions to track and how to report them. There are two types of event tracking codes: Universal Analytics and Google Tag Manager.

Universal Analytics

Universal Analytics is the older version of the tracking code and requires more manual setup. To set up event tracking using Universal Analytics:

  1. Log in to your Google Analytics account.
  2. Click on "Admin" in the bottom left corner.
  3. Under "Property," click on "Tracking Info."
  4. Click on "Event Tracking."
  5. Turn on "Event Tracking."
  6. Add event tracking code to your website.

Google Tag Manager

Google Tag Manager is a newer version of the tracking code that simplifies the setup process by allowing you to manage all your tags in one place. To set up event tracking using Google Tag Manager:

  1. Create a new tag for your event.
  2. Choose "Event" as the tag type.
  3. Configure the tag settings based on what action you want to track.
  4. Add the tag trigger(s) based on when you want the tag to fire.

Example Event Tracking

An example of an event you might track is when a user submits their email address through a form on your website.

To set up this event using Universal Analytics:

  1. Log in to your Google Analytics account.
  2. Click on "Admin" in the bottom left corner.
  3. Under "Property," click on "Tracking Info."
  4. Click on "Event Tracking."
  5. Turn on "Event Tracking."
  6. Add the following code to your form submission button:

onclick="ga('send', 'event', 'Form Submission', 'Submit Email Address');"

To set up this event using Google Tag Manager:

  1. Create a new tag for your event.
  2. Choose "Event" as the tag type.
  3. Set the category to "Form Submission."
  4. Set the action to "Submit Email Address."
  5. Add a trigger for when the submit button is clicked.

By tracking this event, you can see how many users are submitting their email addresses and where they are coming from.

google analytics data closet

Understanding the Purpose of Each Tool: GTM for Tag Management, GA for Data Analysis

GTM: Simplifying Tag Management

Google Tag Manager (GTM) is a powerful tool that simplifies tag management on websites. With GTM, you don't have to make any code changes to your website to implement tracking codes and third-party scripts. Instead, you can use the platform's user-friendly interface to add tags and manage them efficiently.

GTM allows you to add tags from various sources, such as Google Analytics and AdWords, with ease. You can also create custom tags using JavaScript or HTML, making it easier for you to track specific events on your website. This feature makes it easy for marketers and website owners to track conversions, button clicks, form submissions, and video plays, among others.

Another advantage of using GTM is that it enables you to set up triggers and variables based on specific conditions. For instance, if you want a tag to fire only when a user clicks on a particular button or visits a specific page, you can set up triggers accordingly. Variables allow you to pass dynamic data into your tags automatically.

GA: Analyzing Website Traffic

Google Analytics (GA) is an essential tool for analyzing website traffic and user behavior. It provides valuable insights into how users interact with your website by tracking metrics like page views, bounce rate, and session duration time-on-page among others.

With GA's detailed reports about traffic sources like organic search results or social media platforms used by visitors; their demographics such as age range or gender; interests based on topics they engage with online; behavior flow showing how users navigate through different pages of your site before converting into customers - businesses can make informed decisions about their marketing strategies.

GA also has advanced features such as goal tracking that enable businesses to track specific actions taken by users on their site leading up to conversion. This feature helps businesses understand which marketing campaigns are most effective in driving conversions, allowing them to optimize their strategies further.

GTM and GA: Working Together

While both tools have distinct purposes, they work together to provide a comprehensive understanding of website performance and user behavior. GTM allows you to add tags that track specific events on your site while GA provides detailed reports on the data collected by these tags.

For instance, if you want to track how many users clicked on a particular button or watched a video on your site, you can create custom tags using GTM. Once these tags are implemented, GA will collect data from them and provide detailed reports about user interactions with those elements.

Furthermore, businesses can use GTM's triggers and variables to set up goals in GA that align with their business objectives. This integration enables businesses to measure the effectiveness of their marketing campaigns accurately.

Why Hire a Google Tag Manager vs Google Analytics Expert?

AlteredPixel Digital Marketing Agency

At AlteredPixel Digital Marketing Agency, we pride ourselves on being a leading authority in the realm of digital marketing. With our team of certified professionals who are not only Google Premier Partners but also experts in Google Tag Manager and Google Analytics, we offer an unrivaled level of expertise and proficiency. By entrusting your business's digital marketing needs to us, you gain access to cutting-edge strategies, advanced tracking capabilities, and comprehensive data analysis. We delve deep into the intricacies of your website's performance, uncover valuable insights, and translate them into actionable recommendations that drive tangible results. When it comes to harnessing the power of Google Tag Manager and Google Analytics, AlteredPixel Digital Marketing Agency is the trusted partner you can rely on to propel your business forward in the digital landscape.

Frequently Asked Questions About Google Tag Manager vs Google Analytics

What are they: Google Tag Manager vs Google Analytics?

Google Tag Manager and Google Analytics are free tools provided by Google to help businesses track and analyze website data. While they both have similar functions, they serve different purposes.

Google Analytics is primarily used for analyzing website traffic and user behavior. It provides valuable insights into the number of visitors to a website, where they come from, how long they stay, and what actions they take on the site. This information can be used to optimize the website's performance, improve user experience, and increase conversion rates.

On the other hand, Google Tag Manager allows businesses to easily manage and implement various tracking tags on their websites. These tags provide additional data that can be used in conjunction with Google Analytics to gain a more comprehensive understanding of website performance.

How do Google Tag Manager and Google Analytics work together?

By using both tools together, businesses can gain a more comprehensive understanding of their website performance and optimize their digital marketing efforts.

For example, by implementing tracking tags for specific campaigns or events with GTM (Google Tag Manager), marketers can track conversions or other important metrics beyond just pageviews through GA (Google Analytics). This enables them to better understand which marketing channels are driving the most traffic and conversions for their business.

GTM allows users to add custom HTML codes without having any coding knowledge. By doing so users can add third-party scripts like Facebook Pixel code or Hotjar tracking code easily onto their websites without altering their source code.

Why do marketers confuse google analytics and google tag manager?

Marketers often confuse these two tools because they both deal with collecting data about website visitors. However, while they may seem similar at first glance, there are significant differences between them that should not be overlooked.

In simple terms:

  • Google Analytics collects data about your site's users.
  • Google Tag Manager helps you manage the tags that collect data on your site.

Google Analytics is a tool for analyzing website traffic and user behavior, while Google Tag Manager is a tool for managing and implementing various tracking tags. By using both tools together, businesses can gain a more comprehensive understanding of their website performance and optimize their digital marketing efforts.

Choosing the Right Tool for Your Business Needs: GTM or GA?

Determine your business needs before choosing between GTM and GA.

Before you decide whether to use Google Tag Manager (GTM) or Google Analytics (GA), it's important to determine what your business needs are. Both tools offer different functionalities that cater to different aspects of website management.

If you're looking for a tool that can help you manage tags and track events on your website, then GTM might be the right choice for you. With GTM, you can easily add tracking codes and scripts to your website without needing to modify the code directly. This makes it easier for non-technical users to implement tracking codes and manage tags on their own.

On the other hand, if you're looking for a tool that can help you analyze your website data, then GA might be more suitable. GA provides detailed insights into user behavior on your website, including metrics such as pageviews, bounce rates, session duration, and more. You can also set up conversion tracking in GA to measure specific actions taken by users on your website.

GTM is ideal for managing tags and tracking events, while GA is best for analyzing website data.

As mentioned earlier, GTM is designed specifically for managing tags and tracking events on websites. It allows you to add various types of tags such as Google Analytics tags, AdWords conversion tracking tags, remarketing tags, etc., without having to modify the code directly.

GTM also offers several advanced features such as tag sequencing and debugging tools that make it easier to manage complex tag implementations. GTM integrates with other Google products such as Optimize and Data Studio which makes it easier to create custom reports based on the data collected through these tools.

On the other hand, GA is primarily used for analyzing website data. It provides detailed insights into how users interact with your website including information about traffic sources, user behavior, and conversions. You can use this data to optimize your website for better user experience and higher conversion rates.

GA4 is the latest version of Google Analytics, offering advanced features such as cross-device tracking and machine learning.

GA4 is the latest version of Google Analytics which offers several new features that were not available in the previous versions. One of the most notable features is cross-device tracking which allows you to track user behavior across multiple devices including mobile phones, tablets, and desktops.

Another key feature of GA4 is machine learning which provides insights into user behavior patterns based on the data collected from your website. This helps you identify trends and make informed decisions about how to optimize your website for better performance.

Consider using both GTM and GA to get a comprehensive view of your website's performance.

While GTM and GA offer different functionalities, they can be used together to provide a more comprehensive view of your website's performance. By using GTM to manage tags and track events, and GA to analyze website data, you can gain valuable insights into how users interact with your website at every stage of their journey.

For example, you can use GTM to track specific events such as button clicks or form submissions on your website. Then you can use GA to analyze the data collected through these events to identify areas where users might be dropping off or experiencing issues with your website.

Choosing the right tool can help you optimize your website and improve your business results.

Ultimately, choosing the right tool between GTM and GA comes down to understanding what your business needs are. If you're looking for a tool that can help you manage tags and track events on your website then GTM might be the best choice for you. On the other hand, if you're looking for a tool that can help you analyze user behavior on your site then GA might be more suitable.

By choosing the right tool(s), you'll be able to optimize your website for a better user experience and higher conversion rates. This, in turn, can help you improve your business results and achieve your goals.

Streamlining Your Tracking Efforts with the Right Tool

Google Tag Manager and Google Analytics are two essential tools that help businesses track website performance and user behavior. While both tools serve different purposes, they can work together to provide a comprehensive understanding of your website's data.

Key Differences Between Google Tag Manager and Google Analytics

Google Tag Manager (GTM) is a tag management system that allows you to add tracking tags without having to modify the code on your website. On the other hand, Google Analytics (GA) is a web analytics tool that provides insights into user behavior on your website.

Benefits of Using Google Analytics for Site Performance Improvement

Google Analytics offers valuable insights into how users interact with your website. It provides data on user demographics, acquisition channels, bounce rates, and conversion rates. By analyzing this data, you can identify areas for improvement on your website and optimize it for better performance.

Benefits of Using Google Tag Manager for Data Collection

With GTM, you can easily add tracking tags to your website without having to rely on developers or modify the code manually. This makes it easy to collect data from various sources such as social media platforms, email marketing campaigns, and more.

Do You Need Both Google Tag Manager and Google Analytics?

While both tools serve different purposes, they complement each other well. GTM helps simplify the process of adding tracking tags while GA provides valuable insights into user behavior on your website. Together, they provide a comprehensive understanding of how users interact with your website.

Installing Tracking Tags with Google Tag Manager

To install tracking tags using GTM, all you need to do is create a new tag in the GTM interface and specify where you want it placed on your site. Once done correctly, this will allow you to track specific events or actions taken by users on your site.

Configuring Events with Google Analytics

Events are actions taken by users on your site such as clicking a button or completing a form. By configuring events in GA, you can track these actions and gain insights into how users interact with your website.

Understanding the Purpose of Each Tool: GTM for Tag Management, GA for Data Analysis

GTM is primarily used for tag management while GA is used for data analysis. While both tools serve different purposes, they work together to provide valuable insights into user behavior on your website.

Frequently Asked Questions About Google Tag Manager vs Google Analytics

What is the difference between Google Tag Manager and Google Analytics?

Google Tag Manager is a tag management system that allows you to add tracking tags without modifying the code on your website. On the other hand, Google Analytics provides insights into user behavior on your website.

Do I need both Google Tag Manager and Google Analytics?

While both tools serve different purposes, they complement each other well. GTM simplifies the process of adding tracking tags while GA provides valuable insights into user behavior on your website.

Can I use Google Tag Manager without using Google Analytics?

Yes, you can use GTM without using GA. However, by using them together, you can gain a comprehensive understanding of how users interact with your website.

How do I install tracking tags with Google Tag Manager?

To install tracking tags using GTM, create a new tag in the interface and specify where you want it placed on your site. This will allow you to track specific events or actions taken by users on your site.

How do I configure events with Google Analytics?

To configure events in GA, go to the admin panel and select "Goals" under the View column. From there, click "New Goal" and select "Custom." Then specify what event you want to track and save it.

Choosing the Right Tool for Your Business Needs: GTM or GA?

Choosing between GTM and GA depends on what data you need to collect from your website. If you need to collect data from various sources, GTM is the right tool for you. On the other hand, if you want to gain insights into user behavior on your website, GA is the best choice.

In conclusion, using Google Tag Manager and Google Analytics together can provide valuable insights into how users interact with your website. By streamlining your tracking efforts with these tools, you can optimize your site for better performance and drive more conversions.

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