Link Google Tag Manager with Google Analytics

Integrating Google Tag Manager (GTM) with Google Analytics (GA) is a step you shouldn't neglect if you value precise data analysis. By linking these two powerful tools, you can significantly simplify and optimize tracking your data. In this guide, I will show you step by step how to perform the integration and which settings you should pay special attention to.

Key Takeaways

• You should create a variable in Google Tag Manager before starting the linking process. This will save you time later on.
• The tracking ID from Google Analytics is the key to the linking process.
• IP anonymization is an important aspect that you must consider in terms of data protection.
• You should carefully adjust the settings in your Google Tag Manager and Google Analytics to ensure that the data is accurately captured.

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Create a Variable in Google Tag Manager

First, create a new variable in Google Tag Manager. This step is not mandatory but makes sense to save you time later on. To create a new variable, navigate to "Custom" and click on "New". Name the variable, for example, "Google Analytics Settings".

Step 2: Configure the Variable

Next, go to the settings of the newly created variable. Click on the "Utilities" tab and select "Google Analytics Settings". Here you can insert the required tracking ID that you will need later for the linking process.

Step 3: Retrieve the Tracking ID

To get the tracking ID, you need to go into your Google Analytics account. Click on the "Admin" section and choose the relevant Property you want to link. Then navigate to "Tracking Info" and then to "Tracking Code". Here you will find the tracking ID, copy it for the next setting.

Step 4: Enable IP Anonymization

Another important point is IP anonymization. This is necessary to comply with data protection regulations such as GDPR. In the advanced settings of the variable, you can enter the field "anonymized". Set the value to "true" to ensure that the IP addresses are anonymized.

Step 5: Add a Tag

Once the variable is created, you can now add a new tag. Name this tag something like "Google Analytics Link". Select the tag configuration and decide which version of Google Analytics you are using, e.g., Universal Analytics or Google Analytics 4.

Step 6: Configure Triggers for Page Views

For the trigger, select "All Pages". This will trigger the tag on every page view, which is usually the desired standard. Click "Save" to secure your changes.

Step 7: Publish Changes

Now that Google Tag Manager is linked with Google Analytics, you can publish the changes. Go to "Submit" and confirm the steps to activate the link. You can also use the preview function here to ensure that everything is configured correctly before making the changes live.

Summary

In this guide, you have learned the steps to link Google Analytics with Google Tag Manager. You have learned how to create and configure a variable, retrieve the tracking ID, and make the necessary settings for IP anonymization. Setting up these two tools correctly is essential to optimize the performance of your website and gather valuable data for decision-making.