Tracking outbound link clicks using Google Tag Manager (GTM) is a valuable way to understand user behavior and identify which external links on your site attract clicks. Here’s a step-by-step guide to set up outbound link click tracking with GTM:

Step 1: Ensure GTM is Set Up on Your Website

Before tracking outbound link clicks, make sure that:

• Google Tag Manager is properly installed and set up on your website.
• You have access to your GTM account and the container for your website.

Step 2: Enable Built-in Variables

1. Log in to your GTM account.
2. Click on your container.
3. Go to Variables on the left-hand side menu.
4. Under Built-In Variables, click Configure.
5. Ensure that Click URL, Click Text, and Click Element are checked. These variables will help capture data related to the outbound link click.

Step 3: Create a Trigger for Outbound Link Clicks

1. Go to Triggers in the GTM interface.
2. Click New to create a new trigger.
3. Name the trigger something like “Outbound Link Clicks.”
4. Choose Trigger Type and select Click – Just Links.
5. Under This trigger fires on, choose Some Link Clicks.
6. Set the firing conditions:
   • Click URL → does not contain → your domain name (e.g., example.com).
7. Save the trigger.

Step 4: Create a Tag for Tracking

1. Navigate to Tags in the GTM interface.
2. Click New to create a new tag.
3. Name the tag (e.g., “Outbound Link Click Tracking”).
4. Click on Tag Configuration and choose Google Analytics: GA4 Event if you use GA4, or Universal Analytics if you use the older version.
   • For GA4:
     • Choose Event Name as something like outbound_link_click.
     • Set parameters (e.g., link_url as {{Click URL}}).
   • For Universal Analytics:
     • Choose Track Type as Event.
     • Set Category as “Outbound Link,” Action as “Click,” and Label as {{Click URL}}.
5. Under Tag Configuration, link the tag to your GA property by selecting the appropriate GA Settings variable.
6. Add your “Outbound Link Clicks” trigger by clicking Triggering and selecting the trigger you created earlier.
7. Save the tag.

Step 5: Test the Setup

1. Click Preview in GTM to enter the debug mode.
2. Open your website in the debug mode and click on any outbound link.
3. Check the GTM debug panel to confirm that the tag fires when an outbound link is clicked.
4. Verify that data is sent to Google Analytics by checking Real-time Reports (for GA4) or the Events section in Universal Analytics.

Step 6: Publish the Container

1. Once everything works correctly in the preview mode, go back to the GTM interface.
2. Click Submit to publish the container with the new tag and trigger.
3. Add a version name and description for reference.

Step 7: Verify in Google Analytics

1. Navigate to Google Analytics.
2. For GA4:
   • Go to Reports > Real-time and check for the event you set up (e.g., outbound_link_click).
3. For Universal Analytics:
   • Go to Behavior > Events > Overview and check for the event under the Event Category “Outbound Link.”

Tips for Better Implementation

• Exclude Specific URLs: If needed, refine your trigger to exclude certain URLs or add more conditions (e.g., avoid tracking links to subdomains).
• Tag Sequencing: If you need to ensure another tag fires before or after this one, use Tag Sequencing to manage the order of tag firing.
• Custom Dimensions: To capture more specific data, you can add custom dimensions in GA to include extra context (e.g., the link text or where on the page the link was clicked).

This setup will enable you to effectively track and analyze outbound link clicks, providing valuable insights into how users engage with external links on your website.