Top 10 Must-Have Tags Every Business Should Implement in Google Tag Manager

Google Tag Manager (GTM) is indeed a game-changing tool. It’s not just a tag management system—it’s a platform that empowers businesses to streamline data collection, optimize marketing efforts, and make informed decisions without getting bogged down by technical hurdles.

Key Benefits of GTM for Businesses

1. Simplifies Tag Management:
   • Traditional tag implementation often requires direct website code modifications, leading to delays and potential errors. GTM centralizes the management of tracking tags, allowing businesses to add, edit, or disable tags directly from the GTM interface—no coding required.
   • Tags include anything from Google Analytics tracking, Facebook Pixel, or custom event scripts to tools like Hotjar and LinkedIn Insight.
2. Empowers Marketers:
   • GTM reduces dependency on developers. Marketers can implement and adjust tracking, saving time and enabling more agility in executing campaigns or testing new strategies.
   • Even non-technical users can confidently set up complex tracking with prebuilt templates for commonly used tags.
3. Tracks and Optimizes Performance:
   • GTM enables businesses to monitor user interactions in real-time, such as form submissions, clicks, downloads, and video plays.
   • Integrating with analytics tools like GA4 helps businesses identify areas for improvement and optimize their website or app performance.
4. Supports Advanced Marketing Strategies:
   • For businesses running sophisticated ad campaigns, GTM makes it easy to set up conversion tracking, remarketing tags, and audience segmentation.
   • It ensures every marketing dollar is tracked, helping calculate ROI accurately and refine ad targeting.

The True Power of GTM: Implementing the Right Tags

While GTM simplifies tag management, its true value lies in what you track and how you track it. More than just setting up GTM is required to unlock its full potential. Without a strategic approach, businesses might:

• Need to improve critical user interactions, leading to incomplete insights.
• Overload their GTM container with unnecessary tags, causing performance issues.
• Collect data that isn’t actionable or aligned with their goals.

For example, an e-commerce business might prioritize tags for tracking product impressions, add-to-cart events, and transactions. Meanwhile, a lead-generation business might focus on form submissions, downloads, and engagement with key landing pages.

In the following lines, we’ll explore the top 10 must-have tags businesses should implement in GTM to ensure comprehensive data tracking and marketing success. Let’s get started!

1. Google Analytics 4 (GA4) Configuration Tag

Why It’s Essential:

The GA4 configuration tag forms the foundation of your analytics setup. It is responsible for tracking critical metrics like page views, user sessions, and engagement, ensuring you have a steady stream of data to analyze user behavior. As the primary connection between your website or app and your GA4 property, this tag ensures that every interaction is logged accurately and efficiently, providing the insights needed for data-driven decisions.

How to Use It:

• Please create a new GA4 property in your Google Analytics account and obtain its Measurement ID.
• In GTM, create a new tag, choose Google Analytics: GA4 Configuration as the tag type, and enter your Measurement ID.
• Set the trigger to fire on All Pages to track page views across your site.
• Test the tag using GTM’s Preview Mode, then publish the container to activate it.

2. Google Ads Conversion Tracking Tag

Why It’s Essential:

For businesses investing in Google Ads, tracking conversions—like purchases, form submissions, or sign-ups—is vital for measuring campaign ROI. This tag ensures you can accurately attribute conversions to specific ad interactions, helping optimize campaigns and allocate budgets more effectively.

How to Use It:

• Define the desired conversion action (e.g., purchase, lead) in your Google Ads account and generate the corresponding tag.
• In GTM, add a new tag for Google Ads Conversion Tracking and paste the conversion ID and label from Google Ads.
• To capture conversions accurately, configure a trigger to fire the tag only on specific pages (e.g., a "Thank You" page).

3. Remarketing Tag

Why It’s Essential:

The remarketing tag is indispensable for businesses looking to re-engage users who visited their site but didn’t convert. It collects data on user behavior and enables tailored ad campaigns to specific audience segments, such as abandoned cart users or product viewers.

How to Use It:

• In GTM, create a Google Ads Remarketing Tag and link it to your Google Ads account.
• Customize audience lists within Google Ads based on user behaviors like specific page visits, time spent on site, or actions taken.

4. Facebook Pixel Tag

Why It’s Essential:

The Facebook Pixel tag is a must-have for businesses running campaigns on Facebook and Instagram. It allows you to track user actions, measure ad performance, and create lookalike audiences to target new customers like your best converters.

How to Use It:

• Install the Facebook Pixel base code in GTM using a custom HTML tag.
• To track conversions tied to your campaigns, add specific event tags for actions like Add to Cart, Purchase, or Lead Submission.
• Test the setup with Facebook’s Event Setup Tool to ensure accurate data collection.

5. Scroll Depth Tracking Tag

Why It’s Essential:

Tracking scroll depth provides valuable insights into content engagement by measuring how far users scroll on your pages. This data helps identify where users drop off, allowing you to optimize content placement and improve user retention.

How to Use It:

• In GTM, create a Scroll Depth Trigger and define thresholds (e.g., 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%) to measure user engagement.
• Link the trigger to a Google Analytics event tag to send scroll data to your analytics platform.
• Analyze the data to determine how effectively your content captures user interest.

6. Enhanced E-commerce Tags

Why It’s Essential:

Understanding user behavior at every step of the purchase journey is critical for optimizing sales and marketing strategies for e-commerce businesses. Enhanced e-commerce tags in GTM enable tracking key interactions like product impressions, add-to-cart actions, and completed transactions. These tags provide detailed data on what’s driving conversions, what products are popular, and where users drop off during checkout.

How to Use It:

• Set Up Enhanced E-commerce in GA4: Enable enhanced e-commerce reporting in your GA4 property settings.
• Implement E-commerce Tags:
  • Use tags to track product impressions (when a product is viewed), cart actions (add/remove items), and transactions (completed purchases).
  • Connect the tags to triggers based on user actions on your e-commerce site.
• Integrate with Your Platform: Ensure your e-commerce platform (e.g., Shopify, WooCommerce) supports enhanced e-commerce and can populate the data layer with product and transaction details.

7. Custom Event Tracking Tags

Why It’s Essential:

Standard tags in GTM are powerful, but businesses often have unique needs that require tracking interactions outside the norm. Custom event tracking tags enable you to log specific user interactions such as video plays, file downloads, or form submissions. These insights help businesses measure engagement deeper and refine their strategies based on user behavior.

How to Use It:

• Define Event Details: Decide on the event action (e.g., “form submission”), category (e.g., “contact form”), and label (e.g., “newsletter signup”).
• Create Triggers: Configure GTM triggers to fire when the desired interaction occurs, such as a button click, video progress, or specific page interaction.
• Link to Analytics: Use custom tags to send event data to Google Analytics or other platforms for reporting.

8. Outbound Link Click Tracking Tag

Why It’s Essential:

If your website includes links to external resources, tracking outbound clicks can reveal user intent and identify which external links drive the most engagement. This is especially valuable for affiliate marketing, partnerships, or resources shared on your site.

How to Use It:

• Create an Outbound Click Trigger: Configure a trigger in GTM that fires when users click links pointing to external domains.
• Send Data to Analytics: Use a tag to log these clicks in Google Analytics, categorizing them as outbound events.
• Analyze Behavior: Use this data to understand referral traffic patterns or measure the success of affiliate campaigns.

9. Heatmap Integration Tag

Why It’s Essential:

Heatmaps provide visual insights into how users interact with your website, showing where they click, scroll, or hover. By integrating heatmap tools like Hotjar or Crazy Egg with GTM, you can gather valuable UX/UI data without manually adding additional scripts.

How to Use It:

• Add Heatmap Scripts: In GTM, insert the tracking code from your chosen heatmap tool using a custom HTML tag.
• Set Up Triggers: Configure the tag to fire only on specific pages, such as high-traffic landing pages or checkout pages.
• Analyze the Data: Review the heatmap reports to identify user behavior trends, such as ignored CTAs or areas of high engagement.

10. Cookie Consent Tag

Why It’s Essential:

With privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA becoming more stringent, businesses must manage user consent for tracking and analytics scripts. A cookie consent tag ensures compliance by controlling when tracking scripts fire based on user preferences.

How to Use It:

• Integrate a Consent Management Platform (CMP): Add a cookie consent tool to your site, such as Cookiebot or OneTrust.
• Configure GTM Tags: Set up triggers in GTM to fire only after a user consents. For example:
  • Analytics tags fire only for users who accept performance cookies.
  • Remarketing tags fire only for users who accept marketing cookies.
• Test Compliance: Regularly test your setup to ensure no tags fire before consent is granted.

Why You Need Google Tag Manager Consulting

Google Tag Manager (GTM) is a powerful tool that enables businesses to track and optimize user interactions efficiently. However, a strategic and well-executed setup can only realize its true potential. Managing GTM effectively requires expertise to avoid common pitfalls such as data discrepancies, duplicate tracking, and missed opportunities for insight. 

That’s where Google Tag Manager consulting services come into play. They provide the knowledge and experience needed to maximize your GTM implementation.

Key Benefits of Google Tag Manager Consulting Services

1. Expert Setup
   • Accuracy from the Start: Consultants ensure that all essential tags—such as GA4 configuration, conversion tracking, and custom event tags—are implemented accurately.
   • Seamless Integration: They help connect GTM with other platforms, such as Google Analytics, Google Ads, Facebook Pixel, and CRM systems, to create a cohesive analytics ecosystem.
   • Eliminate Errors: Experts ensure your setup is error-free, from preventing duplicate tags to troubleshooting firing issues.

Why It Matters: A properly configured GTM setup is the foundation for reliable data collection, helping you make informed, data-driven decisions without second-guessing the accuracy of your reports.

1. Customized Solutions
   • Business-Specific Tagging: Consultants tailor GTM configurations to meet your unique needs. For example:
     • E-commerce businesses need enhanced e-commerce tracking.
     • Lead generation sites may require detailed form submission tracking.
   • Advanced Event Tracking: They design custom events to track user interactions that matter most to your goals, such as video plays, outbound clicks, or engagement with key content.
   • Scalable Strategies: Experts ensure your GTM setup can scale as your business grows or adapts to new tools and campaigns.

Why It Matters: A one-size-fits-all approach won’t work. Customized solutions ensure that you’re tracking the right metrics for your business, resulting in actionable insights that directly impact performance.

1. Ongoing Support
   • Troubleshooting: Experts help identify and resolve issues with tag firing, data discrepancies, or integration conflicts.
   • Adapting to Change: Whether it’s a new platform integration, updates to privacy regulations, or shifting business priorities, consultants ensure your GTM setup evolves with your needs.
   • Continuous Optimization: They regularly audit and refine your GTM container to ensure it runs efficiently without slowing down your site.

Why It Matters: Digital marketing and analytics are constantly changing. With expert support, you can stay ahead of trends, adapt to new challenges, and maintain a high-performance setup.

Additional Advantages of GTM Consulting

• Time Savings: Avoid the trial-and-error of DIY setups and get your GTM implementation up and running faster with expert assistance.
• Compliance Assurance: Consultants help you align with privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA, ensuring your setup respects user consent and avoids legal risks.
• Better ROI: By optimizing your GTM setup, consultants help you capture accurate data, leading to smarter decisions, better campaigns, and higher returns on your analytics investment.

Wrapping Up

Implementing these top 10 must-have tags in Google Tag Manager (GTM) can revolutionize how your business tracks, analyzes, and optimizes marketing performance. These tags provide deep insights into user behavior, measure critical interactions, and ensure every marketing effort is aligned with your goals. From tracking conversions and engagement to enhancing privacy compliance, GTM empowers businesses to make data-driven decisions confidently.

However, the real power of GTM lies not just in its capabilities but in how effectively it’s implemented. Businesses can overcome common challenges such as misconfigured tags, data discrepancies, and integration hurdles by seeking professional Google Tag Manager consulting. With expert guidance, you can unlock GTM's full potential, enabling precise tracking, actionable insights, and scalable solutions tailored to your needs.

Ready to take your GTM implementation to the next level?

Partner with seasoned experts at Growth Natives today and ensure that every user interaction counts toward driving growth and success! For more information, email us at info@growthnatives.com or visit our website.