Goal setting in Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager

In general, just remember to check and validate your target set-up so that mistakes don't happen in the future. In short, it can have big consequences if your conversions are not right.

Here is an example from one of our clients, Copenhagen Airtaxi, who had targets set up by an external agency, which unfortunately had errors ↓

Let's review what we see in the picture:

First of all, it has been possible to track the number of general enquiries. However, it can be seen that the intention has been different, as other targets were set up at the same time to track other types of form submissions. 

If we dig a little deeper into the setup, the following information comes up:

From the setup it seems that the form tracking is based on destination and not the actual amount of requests that have been submitted. This can be critical, since via a destination page, one cannot be sure that a form has been submitted. For example, if you forget to fill in one of the fields - or if you refresh the page twice, which actually tells Analytics that two requests have been received, even though only one has been sent.

In the above example, if a user lands on the landing page without filling in a form, it will also be counted as a conversion, even if it is actually an error. The same can happen if you track your conversions via a button click, even if the form is not submitted. 

This is due to tracking by click or destination, which unfortunately means that there will be inaccurate data in relation to the actual number of enquiries. 

Therefore, if you want to set up proper tracking of form requests on your website, it is first of all important to find out which form provider you are using. Is it Formstack, NinjaForms or something else? Next, you can start the setup based on the given provider. 

To conclude the example, we were given the opportunity to set up the different measures correctly so that they corresponded to the actual number. Surprisingly, this gave a more accurate picture of the number of conversions - even though the number is actually lower.

If we also take a look at the target set-up, which deals with a taxi offer, this has also changed. Instead of converting via a specific URL destination, it is done via an event. The setup looks as follows: 

The incident is based on the fact that the contact form on the website is made in HubSpot. Therefore it should be tracked via the specific HubSpot form which is intended for taxi flight inquiries. Since several different HubSpot forms appear on the website, we need to find the specific ID of the correct form and enter it under "Label" in the target setup. In doing so, we tell Google Analytics that a goal is being met when a specific form is submitted - in this case, taxi flight inquiries. 

In order to track enquiries via HubSpot form, we have used Google Tag Manager. Through this, it is possible to insert your own HTML codes, tags and other relevant for a website in terms of tracking. In this case, we could insert a special HTML code that focuses on tracking HubSpot form requests.

Using Google Tag Manager is a must if you want to know what your users are doing. It is a tool that has become more relevant in online marketing in recent years. Not only because it is free, but also because the interaction with Google Analytics (and many other Google services!) makes it easier for you to set up proper tracking. 

You can also insert your own JavaScript or HTML code - without breaking anything on your website. BUT... more about that later!

So why use Google Tag Manager?
The simple reason is that you'll find it much easier to add, tailor and create targets with just a few clicks - rather than copying a piece of code into your page yourself.  

Using Google Tag Manager is not only safer. It's also generally easier when we're talking about goal creation. Everything is automated. That means you don't have to enter each goal into Google Analytics yourself. 

Let's take a brief, but quick and superficial, example.
On your website you have two phone numbers that users can call - one for private and one for business. As a committed business owner, you want to keep track of how many people click on your phone numbers. 

This must be set up manually for each target if you are using Google Analytics only. However, if you also use Google Tag Manager, you actually only need to set it up once, after which the Tag Manager will be able to create different metrics based on specific clicks. 

It is therefore quite simple to set targets for tracking clicks on email and phone numbers. You can read more about this below ↓

One of the easiest metrics to create in Google Analytics is the so-called click metric - for example, clicks on an email address or phone number on your website. To avoid setting up a goal for each phone number or email address, you can automate the process via Google Tag Manager. 

First you need to create a tag and then a trigger. In short, a tag means what it should ''listen'' for on your website - in this case, when a phone number or email address is clicked. A trigger helps to tell you when to fire the tag - it should happen when a specific link is clicked, including a phone number or email address. 

Tag type: Google Analytics: Universal Analytics 

Category: Calling

Action: Click

Etiket: {{Page Path}} (Ikke et krav, men giver mulighed for at se hvor brugeren klikker på linket henne – f.eks. telefonnummeret på forsiden)

Once you have set up the tag, the trigger needs to be set up. This is also straightforward and is set up as follows:

Trigger type: click - all elements

When: Some clicks

Click activation: when Click URL contains ''tel:'' (for mail tracking use ''mailto:''

After you have set up tracking in Google Tag Manager, you need to set up goals in Analytics. Earlier in the blog post I described the difference between an event and a goal. To summarize, you can assign a monetary value to a goal. This is useful, for example, if you think a phone call or a table reservation at a restaurant is worth x amount of dollars. However, you do not need to attach a value to a goal. 

To set up a goal in Google Analytics, navigate to ''Admin'' -> ''View'' -> ''Goals''. Then click ''new goal'' and select ''custom'' as the type under goal setup. Under goal description, choose a name for the goal and what type. Since we are working with events - i.e. tracking various events on a website, we choose this one. 

If we take the example from before, the goal is set as follows: 

It's actually quite easy to set a goal when it comes to tracking by email or phone. After you set it up correctly, you'll be able to track how many conversions come in via Google Analytics. Here's an example: 

It's clever, isn't it?

If you want more details about the target, click on it. Next, you will be able to see where and when on your website the user clicked on the phone number. Further, as mentioned, you can also attribute a monetary value to the goal, which allows you to calculate how valuable a conversion is for you. 

It may not make much sense when we're talking about calls and emails, but for more relevant goals, like a table reservation, it can certainly be relevant. 

When talking about other goals, one should not forget the form filling, which is often seen on many websites. Proper tracking of these can sometimes be difficult. However, I will try to give you an introduction, as well as what pitfalls you should watch out for. 

It is also possible to see how many users fill in one or more contact forms on your website. However, this process is more difficult to track as it depends on the form provider you use. But it can be solved relatively quickly using Google Tag Manager. 

Google Tag Manager actually has its own trigger that can help with tracking form submissions - I wouldn't recommend using this, though. 

Why do you think? 

The trigger, which is also called ''form submission'', is built to track the different types of forms that can be installed on a website. 

I would say that it only works one time out of ten, as it basically depends on the form you have on your website. For example, it doesn't work with popular Formstack or NinjaForms, as the trigger simply doesn't recognize these. 

Unfortunately, this is also a tendency we have seen with our new clients - that a previous agency has set up the tracking of the contact form incorrectly from the start, and thus has not tested whether it works or not. 

Through this blog post, you've seen how you can quickly and easily set up accurate metrics to track conversions through the interaction of Google Tag Manager and Google Analytics. 

However, this does not mean that it is flawless, as the number may differ from what you have received. 

One of the main explanations for this is the increased use of Adblocker - which not only blocks advertising, but also tracking. This means that the figure you see in Google Analytics may well be lower than the real number. Users who use an adblocker will be able to submit a form or click on a phone number, but this will not be recorded as a metric in Google Analytics as a result of the blocking. 

There is little that can be done about this, as many users value their privacy when surfing the Internet. Therefore, you should always see the numbers in Google Analytics as variable and not 100% correct. 

A good start is half the battle. Bad beginnings are.... well, not good. If you don't have the resources to put together a well-thought-out SEO strategy, feel free to drop me a line at seo@webamp.dk - As a data-driven SEM and SEO agency, we're always ready to help you with goal setting.