Setting Up Google Tag Manager, Google Analytics, and Google Search Console

Modified on Mon, 29 Jun at 11:30 AM

This guide walks you through three free Google tools that work together to help you track your website traffic and understand how people find you in search. We recommend setting them up in the order below, since each step builds on the last.

Google Tag Manager, what is it and why do I need it?

Google Tag Manager (GTM) is a free tool from Google that lets you manage all the tracking codes, or "tags," on your website from one central dashboard, without having to edit your site's code every time you want to add or change one. Instead of asking a developer to hard-code each snippet, marketers and site owners can deploy and update tags for things like Google Analytics, conversion tracking, remarketing pixels, and other third-party tools themselves through a simple interface. GTM works by placing a single container snippet on your site once; from then on, every other tag is added, organized, and fired through GTM based on rules you define (for example, firing a tag when someone loads a page, clicks a button, or submits a form). People use it because it speeds up the process of managing tracking, reduces reliance on developers, lowers the risk of errors from manually editing site code, and keeps all your tags neatly organized and version-controlled in one place.

Google Analytics, what is it and why do I need it?

Google Analytics (GA) is a free web analytics service from Google that tracks and reports on what people do when they visit your website. Once installed, it collects data on things like how many people come to your site, where they came from (search engines, social media, ads, direct links), which pages they view, how long they stay, and what actions they take, such as making a purchase or filling out a form. The current version, Google Analytics 4 (GA4), organizes this around events and user journeys rather than just page views, giving you a clearer picture of how visitors actually move through your site. People use Google Analytics because it turns raw traffic into insights you can act on: it helps you understand which marketing efforts are paying off, what content resonates, where visitors drop off, and how to improve your site to get more conversions, all without any guesswork.

Google Search Console, what is it and why do I need it?

Google Search Console (GSC) is a free tool from Google that shows you how your website performs in Google's search results, focusing on the organic (unpaid) side of search. Rather than tracking visitor behaviour on your site, it tells you how your site appears in Google Search: which search queries bring up your pages, how often your pages show up, how many clicks they get, and where you rank for different terms. It also flags technical issues that could hurt your visibility, such as pages Google can't index, mobile usability problems, or security issues, and it lets you submit sitemaps so Google can discover your content faster. People use Search Console because it's the most direct line of communication between your site and Google, helping you improve your SEO, fix problems before they cost you traffic, and understand exactly how people are finding you through search.

Part 1: Installing Google Tag Manager

Go to tagmanager.google.com and sign in with your Google account.
Click Create Account.
Enter an Account Name (usually your company or website name) and select your Country.
Under the container section, enter a Container Name (your website's name works well).
Choose Web as the target platform, since you're installing on a website.
Click Create, then review and accept the terms of service.
GTM will display two snippets of code. Copy the first snippet and paste it as high as possible inside the <head> section of your site.
Next, open the Integrations section in Buddi Sites and follow these steps:
1. Go to Buddi Sites Settings > Integrations.
2. Click the 'Add Code Block' button.
3. Paste the first snippet into the 'Code Snippet' section. Name it something like 'GTM Head'.
4. For 'Code Placement' Select 'Start of Head'.
5. Click the 'Save' button in the modal.
6. Click the 'Save' button on the page.
Copy the second snippet and paste it immediately after the opening <body> tag.
Open the integrations section in Buddi Sites and follow these steps:
1. Go to Buddi Sites Settings > Integrations.
2. Click the 'Add Code Block' button.
3. Paste the second snippet into the 'Code Snippet' section. Name it something like 'GTM Body'.
4. For 'Code Placement' Select 'Start of Body'.
5. Click the 'Save' button in the modal.
6. Click the 'Save' button on the page.
Click Preview in GTM to confirm it connects to your site.
Click Submit, then Publish to make your container live.

Part 2: Installing Google Analytics through GTM

Step A: Create your Analytics property

Go to analytics.google.com and sign in.
Follow the prompts to create an Account and a GA4 property for your website.
During setup, create a web data stream for your site.
At the end, copy your Measurement ID (it starts with "G-").

Step B: Add the tag in Google Tag Manager

Open your Google Tag Manager container.
Click Tags, then New.
Choose Google Tag as the tag type.
Paste your Measurement ID into the Tag ID field.
Under Triggering, select Initialization - All Pages so it fires on every page load.
Give the tag a clear name, such as "Google Analytics," and save it.
Click Preview to confirm the tag fires when you load your site.
Click Submit, then Publish.

Your traffic data will start flowing into Google Analytics, usually within a few minutes.

Part 3: Installing Google Search Console

Go to search.google.com/search-console and sign in.
Choose a property type:
- Domain property: covers your entire domain, including all subdomains and both http and https. This is the more thorough option and is generally recommended.
- URL prefix property: covers just one specific address and offers easier verification options.

To verify a Domain property (recommended)

Search Console will give you a TXT record to add to your domain's DNS settings.
Log in to your domain registrar (the company you bought your domain from, such as GoDaddy, Namecheap, or Cloudflare).
Find the DNS management area and create a new TXT record for your root domain.
Paste in Google's string and save.
Return to Search Console and click Verify. DNS changes usually take effect within 30 minutes but can occasionally take up to 72 hours.

To verify a URL prefix property (easier shortcut)

Select Google Tag Manager as your verification method.
If you've already installed GTM using the steps in Part 1, Search Console can verify your site automatically with one click.

Final step: submit your sitemap

After verifying, submit your sitemap (usually found at yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml) so Google can discover your pages faster.