How to setup Google Analytics using Google Tag Manager

What’s the goal? To install Google Analytics tag to website using Google Tag Manager

Why does it matter? Google Analytics will allow you to get a deeper understanding of customers. It’s the most popular tool to measure and analyze all the data related to website traffic and visitor.

What’s the result? Google Analytics tag is properly installed on website and is firing on all pages.

When do you do this? After you install WordPress, but also after every theme change.

Any special requirements? You need to have installed Google Tag Manager on site. If you haven’t added Google Tag Manager to site, you can check out our Google Tag Manager Installation SOPs for WordPress.

️Who should do it? Owner of the website or the person in charge of analytics.

Where this is done? In Google Tag Manager Workspace and Google Analytics.

How long will this take? about 10 minutes

Let’s get started, in 10-min you’ll be ready to measure audience.

Content Summary

Environment setup
Create a Google Analytics Account
Set Up Google Analytics using Google Tag Manager
Check if Google Analytics is running correctly

Environment setup

• We recommend that you use Google Chrome browser to navigate the web,
• Administrator access to Google Tag Manager Account,
• A Google Account (Gmail, G-Suite).

Create a Google Analytics Account

Step 1: Go to the Google Analytics website.

Step 2: You should sign in with Google Account or create one.

Step 3: Click on Set up for free and on the next page, you will start creating account.

Step 4: You have to name account. We recommend you to put the name of website so you can easily recognize it.

Step 5: You should check all boxes in the Account Data Sharing Setting.

Step 6: Press on Next and choose Web, you are going to measure traffic on the website.

Step 7: Press Next.

Step 8: Type website name.

Step 9: Enter website URL and choose http:// or https:// in a dropdown menu.

Check if you should choose HTTP:// or HTTPS://
Enter website URL in internet browser, then click just at the left side of the URL Adress Bar and check if it is secured or not. In some cases, there will be a red padlock (not secure) or a green one (secure).

Step 10: If it is secured choose https:// if not – http://.

Step 11: If website is not HTTPS we highly recommend you make the switch ASAP as it’s an important SEO Ranking Factory, we’ll soon release an SOP to explain how to get a free SSL certificate (to move site to HTTPS) using Cloudflare.

Step 12: Select the Industry Category of website.

Step 13: Choose the Reporting Time Zone, in most cases, it will be time zone, but if target audience is in another time zone, choose accordingly.

Step 14: Click Create.

Step 15: Read Google Analytics Terms of Service Agreement.

Step 16: Click I Accept.

Step 17: You should be able to see the Success message.

Step 18: You should see Google Analytics Admin Area. Here you can see Google Analytics Tracking ID. Copy it or write it down. There is also a code for website. In case you close it, you can revisit that page by clicking on the Tracking Code under the Tracking info section.

Set Up Google Analytics using Google Tag Manager

Step 19: Go to Google Tag Manager, sign in, and choose account.

Step 20: On the left side of the screen click on Tags.

Step 21: Create a new tag by clicking on New.

Step 22: Start off with naming tag (It should be something descriptive so you will know what tag it is, for example, “Yourwebsitename analytics”).

Step 23: Press on Tag Configuration.

Step 24: Choose Google Analytics: Universal Analytics.

Step 25: As you can see Track Type is set to Page View, you should leave it like that.

Step 26: Click on Google Analytics Settings and then New Variable.

Step 27: Start off with naming a new variable.

Step 28: Go to Google Analytics Admin Panel (Open it in a new tab of the Internet browser). Go to analytics.google.com.

Step 29: Sign In with Google account.

Step 30: Click on Admin on the left side of the screen.

Step 31: Click on Tracking Info.

Step 32: And then on Tracking Code.

Step 33: In the upper left corner, you should see Tracking ID. Copy it.

Step 34: Go back to Google Tag Manager and then paste it in the Tracking ID box.

Step 35: Click on Save.

Step 36: Click on Triggering.

Step 37: Choose the All Pages trigger.

Step 38: Review settings.

Step 39: Click Save.

Step 40: Go to Overview on the left side of Google Tag Manager.

Step 41: You should see Tag and Variable last edited a few seconds ago.

Step 42: Click on the Submit on the upper right side.

Step 43: Add a descriptive name under Version Name and add a detailed description under Version Description so you can always recall what you have added to Tag Manager.

Step 44: Click on Publish.

Step 45: Wait for a couple of seconds or sing as google tells you.

Step 46: You will be presented with a summary of new tag.

Check if Google Analytics is running correctly

Step 47: Go to website and leave it open in one tab of browser.

Step 48: In another tab open Google Analytics website.

Step 49: In Google Analytics go to Home.

Step 50: If everything is set right, you should see at least one active user right now (it is you).

This is it! You just finished to set up Google Analytics on website and now you can track and measure traffic from website!