What is a Tagging Plan and Why is it Important?

Tagging Plan: Definition

A tagging plan is a document that details all the tags you'll install on your website or mobile application to collect data about user behavior. These tags are small pieces of code that record information when visitors interact with your site—for example, when they click a button, view a page, or make a purchase.

Why Do You Need a Tagging Plan?

Simply put, this data helps you understand how users navigate your site, what works well, and what can be improved. Without this information, you risk making decisions based on assumptions rather than concrete facts. A tagging plan helps you organize data collection in a structured way, which is essential for:

• Understanding user journeys: which pages they visit, how long they spend there, how they arrive at your site from search engines

• Measuring marketing campaign effectiveness: knowing if your ads or emails generate traffic and conversions

• Identifying friction points: spotting stages where users abandon the purchase process or leave the site

By collecting this data in an organized manner, you can make informed decisions to improve user experience and boost performance.

Tagging Plan vs. Tracking Plan: What's the Difference?

It's common to confuse tagging plans and tracking plans, but they're not quite identical, though they're closely related.

What is a Tracking Plan?

A tracking plan is a strategic document that describes in detail the entire data collection approach for your site or application. It includes:

• Business objectives: what you want to accomplish in terms of performance and conversion

• Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): specific metrics you'll use to measure objective success

• Events and interactions to track: a comprehensive list of actions users can perform that are relevant to your objectives

• Data structure: how data will be organized and stored, including the data layer

• Analytics and reporting tools: platforms you'll use to analyze collected data

How is the Tagging Plan Different?

The tagging plan is the operational component of the tracking plan. It focuses on technical implementation of tags necessary to collect data defined in the tracking plan. It details:

• Specific tags to install: what codes should be placed on the site to collect data

• Technical configurations: tag, trigger, and variable parameters

• Data mapping: how site data is transmitted to analytics tools via tags

• Developer instructions: technical information needed to properly integrate tags

Why is it Important to Distinguish Between the Two?

Understanding the difference between tracking plans and tagging plans helps you better structure your data collection approach:

• The tracking plan is your strategic roadmap—a true specification document for your data collection. It defines what you want to measure and why.

• The tagging plan is your operational guide. It details how you'll technically implement the defined measurements.

By separating the two, you ensure business objectives are clearly defined before moving to technical implementation. This also facilitates communication between teams or stakeholders, as everyone has a document suited to their needs.

Key Concepts to Know

Before diving into tagging plan implementation, it's important to understand some fundamental concepts.

Tags

A tag is code inserted into your site pages that allows collecting specific data. For example, a Google Analytics tag collects information about visitor numbers and behavior. These tags can be used to track various actions, like button clicks, form submissions, or purchases.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

KPIs are metrics you use to measure your site's or campaigns' success. They can include conversion rate, newsletter signup numbers, average time spent on a page, etc. Defining your KPIs helps determine what data is important to collect.

Data Layer

The data layer is a JavaScript object that stores and organizes information you want to collect. It serves as a bridge between your website and data collection tools, facilitating tag deployment and management. The data layer centralizes data, allowing tags to retrieve it without directly interacting with site source code.

Google Tag Manager (GTM)

Google Tag Manager is a free tool that simplifies adding and managing tags on your website. Instead of manually inserting each tag into your site code, you can manage them all from GTM, making the process more flexible and less technical. GTM allows you to quickly deploy tags, modify or remove them without touching your site code.

Analytics Tools: Google Analytics 4 and Matomo

To analyze data collected by your tags, you'll need a web analytics tool. Two of the most popular options are Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and Matomo.

Google Analytics 4 (GA4)

Google Analytics 4 is Google's latest analytics tool version. It offers an event-centric approach, enabling finer analysis of user behavior across different devices and platforms.

GA4 Advantages:

• Cross-device tracking: Understand user journeys across web and mobile applications

• Event-based analysis: Every interaction is considered an event, offering great flexibility in data collection

• Google ecosystem integration: Works well with other tools like Google Ads and Search Console

• Predictive features: Uses machine learning to provide advanced insights

Why Use It?

GA4 is particularly suitable if you already use Google services and want to benefit from in-depth analytics at no additional cost. It's also ideal for companies with both websites and mobile applications, thanks to its ability to unify cross-platform data.

Matomo

Matomo is an open-source web analytics platform that emphasizes privacy protection and total data control.

Matomo Advantages:

• Data ownership: Your data stays on your servers, reinforcing confidentiality and compliance with regulations like GDPR

• Customization: Offers great flexibility with plugins and advanced features

• No data sampling: Provides precise reports without data sampling

• Complete features: Includes tools like form analysis, heatmaps, and conversion funnel tracking

Why Use It?

Matomo is ideal if you place great importance on data confidentiality and want total control over analytics infrastructure. It's an excellent Google Analytics alternative for organizations concerned about data security or those preferring to avoid Google cloud-based solutions.

Step by Step: How to Create Your Tagging Plan

Now that we've covered the basics and available tools, let's see how to create your tagging plan following simple steps.

Step 1: Define Your Objectives

First, clarify what you want to accomplish with your site or application. Ask yourself questions like:

• What is my site's main purpose? Sell products, generate leads, inform?

• What are my specific objectives? For example, increase sales by 20% in the next six months.

If you manage an e-commerce site, your objectives might be to increase transaction numbers, average cart value, or reduce cart abandonment rate.

By clearly defining your objectives, you'll know what data is important to collect.

Step 2: Identify Key Actions to Track

Think about actions users can perform on your site that are relevant to your objectives. For example:

• Click on "Add to Cart" button (particularly important for e-commerce sites)

• Newsletter signup

• White paper download

• Video viewing

List these actions and prioritize them based on their importance to your objectives.

Step 3: Choose Relevant KPIs

For each key action, determine indicators that will let you measure its effectiveness. For example:

• Number of "Add to Cart" clicks

• Visitor-to-newsletter-subscriber conversion rate

• Average video viewing duration

Ensure these KPIs are specific, measurable, and aligned with your objectives. In an e-commerce context, KPIs like conversion rate, average order value, or repeat purchase rate are essential.

Step 4: Create Your Tagging Plan

Now it's time to write your tagging plan. You can use a spreadsheet (like Excel or Google Sheets) to organize information. Here's how to structure your plan:

• Page or screen: Indicate where the action occurs (e.g., product page, homepage)

• Action to track: Describe the specific action (e.g., click on "Add to Cart")

• Tag to use: Specify what type of tag will be used (e.g., Google Analytics event)

• Tag parameters: Indicate necessary technical details (e.g., event name, category)

• Trigger: Explain when the tag should fire (e.g., on click of button with ID "add-to-cart")

Ensure your tagging plan has a clear structure, which will facilitate implementation and maintenance.

Example:

Step 5: Implement Tags with Google Tag Manager

If you're using GTM, here's how to proceed:

• Create a GTM account: Go to Google Tag Manager and create an account

• Install GTM code on your site: You'll need to insert two code snippets provided by GTM into your site's source code

• Add tags: In the GTM interface, add a new tag for each action you want to track, using information from your tagging plan

• Set up triggers: For each tag, configure the corresponding trigger (e.g., a click on a specific button)

• Test your tags: Use GTM's preview mode to verify tags fire correctly

• Publish your tags: Once testing is conclusive, publish modifications to make them active

Step 6: Analyze Collected Data

After implementing your tags, it's time to analyze the data. Log into your analytics tool (e.g., Google Analytics 4 or Matomo) to view reports. You'll be able to see:

• How many times each action was performed

• User behavior before and after the action

• Most engaged user segments

This information will help you understand what works well and what can be improved. This analysis work is essential for optimizing your digital strategy.

Practical Example and Tips

Newsletter Subscription Tracking Example

To illustrate these steps, let's take a concrete example: you want to increase newsletter subscriptions.

1. Objective: Increase subscriptions by 15% in three months

2. Key action: Click on "Subscribe to newsletter" button

3. KPI: Daily subscription numbers, visitor-to-subscriber conversion rate

4. Tagging plan:

• Page: All pages with subscription form
• Action: Click on "Subscribe" button
• Tag: Google Analytics 4 or Matomo event
• Parameters: Category: "Newsletter", Action: "Subscription", Label: "Main form"
• Trigger: Click on button with ID "subscribe-button"

5. GTM implementation:

• Create a new tag in GTM by selecting "Google Analytics: GA4 event" or using the Matomo template if you use that tool
• Configure parameters according to your plan
• Set the trigger to fire on click of the "Subscribe" button

6. Analysis:

• Check reports in your analytics tool to track subscriptions
• Identify traffic sources generating the most subscriptions
• Adjust your marketing actions accordingly

Tips for Successful Implementation

To ensure your tagging plan is not only effective but also sustainable over time, it's important to follow certain best practices. Here are some tips to help you:

• Choose the analytics tool that suits you: If you prioritize simplicity and integration with other Google services, opt for GA4. If confidentiality and total data control are your priorities, Matomo might be a better option.

• Be precise in defining actions and triggers: This avoids errors and inaccurate data. Make sure to use the right IDs or CSS classes to target elements.

• Document your plan: Keep track of all tags and configurations to facilitate maintenance and future updates. A well-documented plan is essential for team collaboration and stakeholder communication.

• Test regularly: Verify that tags still function correctly, especially after site modifications. Updates can affect tag functionality.

• Adapt to your specific needs: Every site is unique. If you manage an e-commerce site, your tracking and data collection needs will differ from those of an institutional site. Ensure your tagging plan reflects these specificities.

As you can see, a well-designed tagging plan is a major asset for optimizing your digital strategy. By understanding how users interact with your site, you can make informed decisions to improve their experience and achieve your business objectives. Most importantly, don't be afraid to start implementing your tagging plan!