How to configure Google Ads remarketing tags with Google Tag Manager

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Configuring Google Ads remarketing tags with Google Tag Manager (GTM) allows you to track visitors to your website and show targeted ads to them on other websites or across Google’s ad network. Remarketing is an effective strategy to re-engage users who have previously interacted with your website but haven’t yet completed a conversion. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to configure Google Ads remarketing tags using Google Tag Manager:

Step 1: Set Up a Google Ads Remarketing Tag

Before configuring the remarketing tag in Google Tag Manager, ensure that you have a Google Ads account and the necessary permissions to create and manage remarketing lists.

  1. Sign in to Google Ads:
  2. Create a Remarketing Tag in Google Ads:
    • In Google Ads, click on the Tools & Settings icon (the wrench icon in the top right).
    • Under the Shared Library, click on Audience Manager.
    • In the Audience Manager, select the Audience Sources tab.
    • Find Website visitors and click on Set up.
    • Follow the prompts to create your audience source. Google Ads will generate a remarketing tag for you.

    This is the Global Site Tag (gtag.js) code that you’ll use in Google Tag Manager.

Step 2: Access Google Tag Manager (GTM)

If you don’t have a Google Tag Manager account, go to tagmanager.google.com and set one up for your website. If you already have an account, follow these steps:

  1. Log in to Google Tag Manager:
  2. Select your Container:
    • Select the container for the website where you want to implement the remarketing tag. A container is typically associated with a specific website or app.

Step 3: Create a New Tag in Google Tag Manager

  1. Navigate to Tags:
    • In the left-hand menu of Google Tag Manager, click on Tags.
    • Click New to create a new tag.
  2. Select Tag Type:
    • Click on Tag Configuration to choose the type of tag.
    • Select Google Ads Remarketing from the list of tag types. If you don’t see it, you can also use the Custom HTML Tag option and paste the global site tag code directly.
  3. Paste the Remarketing Code:
    • If you’re using Google Ads Remarketing tag directly:
      • You will need to enter your Google Ads Conversion ID. You can find this ID in your Google Ads account in the remarketing tag setup process.
    • If you’re using a Custom HTML Tag, paste the entire Google Ads Global Site Tag (gtag.js) code here, which will look something like this:
      javascript
      <script>
      gtag('config', 'AW-XXXXXXX'); // Replace AW-XXXXXXX with your Google Ads Conversion ID
      </script>

Step 4: Set Up Trigger for the Remarketing Tag

  1. Choose a Trigger:
    • Click on Triggering to add a trigger for when the remarketing tag should fire.
    • For general remarketing purposes, select All Pages to track all visitors on your website. If you want to remarket to users visiting specific pages (e.g., product pages or checkout pages), you can create a custom trigger.
  2. Set Up Custom Trigger (Optional):
    • If you want the tag to fire only on specific pages (e.g., the confirmation page after a purchase), you can create a custom trigger.
    • To create a trigger for a specific page, go to Triggers > New > Page View, and configure it to fire only on the URL that corresponds to the desired page.

Step 5: Preview and Publish the Tag

  1. Preview the Tag:
    • Before publishing, it’s important to test whether the tag fires correctly.
    • In Google Tag Manager, click on the Preview button in the top right corner.
    • This will enable the Preview mode, which allows you to check if the tag is firing properly on your website. Visit the website and open the Tag Assistant window to see which tags are firing.
  2. Check for Errors:
    • Ensure that the Google Ads Remarketing tag is firing as expected when visiting the pages you’ve set up the trigger for. If any issues arise, check the configurations in both Google Tag Manager and Google Ads to ensure everything is correct.
  3. Publish the Tag:
    • Once you’re satisfied with the tag setup, click Submit in Google Tag Manager to publish the changes. This will activate the remarketing tag across your website.

Step 6: Verify Remarketing Tag in Google Ads

  1. Verify Installation:
    • After publishing the tag in Google Tag Manager, you can check whether the remarketing tag has been installed correctly in your Google Ads account.
    • In Google Ads, navigate to the Audience Sources tab under Tools & Settings, and you’ll see a status indicating whether the tag is working. Google will confirm whether it has started collecting data for your audience lists.
  2. Wait for Data Collection:
    • Google Ads will take some time (typically 24–48 hours) to begin collecting data from the remarketing tag on your website. Once data starts to accumulate, you can start building and refining your remarketing audience lists.

Step 7: Create Remarketing Campaigns in Google Ads

  1. Create a Remarketing Campaign:
    • Once your remarketing tag is active and your audience lists start to populate in Google Ads, you can create remarketing campaigns.
    • In Google Ads, go to Campaigns, click on the + New Campaign button, and choose Display or Search campaigns, depending on where you want your remarketing ads to appear.
    • Select the Remarketing option and choose the audience list you’ve created.
  2. Set Up Ads:
    • Create ad creatives that will appear to users who have previously visited your website. You can design banners, text ads, or even dynamic remarketing ads that show products users previously viewed.
  3. Optimize Your Campaigns:
    • Continuously monitor your remarketing campaign’s performance, and optimize it by testing different ad creatives, bidding strategies, and audience segments to improve engagement and conversions.

Conclusion

Configuring Google Ads remarketing tags with Google Tag Manager is a straightforward process that allows you to track website visitors and serve them targeted ads across Google’s ad network. By following the steps outlined above, you can effectively set up remarketing on your website, track visitor behavior, and build custom remarketing lists in Google Ads. Once the remarketing campaign is running, monitor its performance to optimize for better engagement and conversion rates.

Categories: Digital Marketing