What the tag does
| Job | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Page views | Records visits for Analytics |
| Conversions | Reports calls, forms and sales to Google Ads |
| Click IDs | Saves ad click details for later matching |
| Audiences | Adds visitors to remarketing lists |
| Enhanced conversions | Sends hashed form data to improve matching |
Tag IDs
Each Google product has its own ID. Google Ads IDs start with "AW-," and Google Analytics IDs start with "G-." One Google tag on the page can send data to both. That avoids loading two separate scripts.
gtag.js vs Google Tag Manager
gtag.js in code
- Code added to the site directly
- Fewer moving parts
- Changes need a developer
- Good for simple sites
Google Tag Manager
- Tags managed in a web interface
- Another layer to maintain
- Changes without code releases
- Good for many tags
Keep the site fast
Every script adds load time. Install the tag once, avoid duplicates from plugins and themes and remove tags for tools you no longer use. Respect consent rules where your visitors live.
Good example. A law firm's site loads one Google tag that sends data to both Ads and Analytics. Conversions match across both tools.
Bad example. A law firm's site loads the tag three times, from a plugin, the theme and a manual snippet. Every form counts three times.
Read what Google Tag Manager is. Our PPC management checks tags before every launch.