Is Google Tag Manager Killing Your SEO?

Discover how an overloaded GTM could be tanking your SEO and learn the steps to streamline your tags for optimal search engine performance.

News

Welcome to the fifth edition of the eCom Buzz! At SwiftOtter, we're committed to keeping you informed about the latest trends and developments in the ecommerce world, which is why we're adding a brand new section to this bi-weekly content with some industry news. These tidbits are meant to help you step your game up and understand where the industry may be heading.

Forrester Wave Report

Recently, Forrester released their latest reports on the best ecommerce platforms for B2B and B2C. While the B2C report didn't cause much stir, the B2B report certainly did. The report categorizes platforms into challengers, contenders, strong performers, and leaders based on their current offerings and strategies. Interestingly, Shopify has been highlighted as having a stronger current offering in the B2B space compared to BigCommerce, despite Shopify’s B2B capabilities still catching up in some areas. Salesforce also made a surprising appearance, ranked higher in both current offerings and strategy, despite it being known more for CRM than ecommerce.

Try this instead ⤵️

65 features: compare Shopify, BigCommerce, Adobe Commerce and WooCommerce [2024]

SwiftOtter has analyzed 65 points on four eCommerce platforms. See how this maps to your business requirements.

Canva’s New Features

Canva continues to evolve with new features that make it an indispensable tool for many businesses. As heavy Canva users, we can attest to its efficiency and recommend it for any business looking to streamline their design processes. Their brand kit allows for easy management of multiple brand assets, making design tasks simpler and more cohesive. The collaboration features and ever-growing list of tools and apps make it a no-brainer to use in a professional context.

Check out Canva's newest features

Walmart’s Futuristic Shopping Experience

Walmart is experimenting with a new shopping experience that mimics the interactive feel of Google Earth. Shoppers can virtually navigate through a store, view products, and make purchases. It's a fascinating approach that might just be the future of online shopping.

Give it a try and see what you think.

Google Tag Manager and Your SEO

Now, let’s talk about Google Tag Manager (GTM) and how it could be impacting your SEO. It might seem ironic, but yes, a Google product can actually harm your search engine rankings if not managed properly.

What is Google Tag Manager?

GTM is essentially a container that stores various tags used for integrations, such as Facebook Pixel or Google Analytics. These tags are pieces of JavaScript that help manage and deploy marketing and analytics tools on your website without needing to alter the codebase directly. While GTM is incredibly useful, overloading it with too many tags can lead to issues.

The Problem with Too Many Tags

Over time, your GTM can become cluttered with numerous tags, some of which may no longer be necessary. This situation is akin to a junk drawer that keeps accumulating items until it becomes a chaotic mess. This clutter can slow down your website, negatively impacting your SEO.

For instance, we worked with a client who had over 350 tags in their GTM, many of which were outdated or redundant. This excessive number of tags was slowing down their website, contributing to poor search engine performance.

Steps to Clean Up Your GTM

Inventory Your Tags. Conduct a systematic review of all the tags in your GTM. Identify which tags are essential and which ones are outdated or redundant.
Reduce Tag Load. Ensure that tags only load on necessary pages. For example, if a tag is only needed on a specific landing page, configure GTM to load it solely on that page instead of site-wide.
Collaborate with Your Team. Sit down with your marketing and sales teams to review the tags. Decide which ones are crucial and plan to remove the rest. This cleanup process shouldn't take more than 30 minutes of focused discussion.
Tag Deletion. Adopt an aggressive approach to deleting unnecessary tags. Announce a timeline for deletion and proceed to remove tags unless a clear need for them is identified.

Keeping your GTM organized and free of unnecessary tags is vital for maintaining a fast, SEO-friendly website. Regular audits and cleanups can prevent tag overload and ensure that your site remains optimized for search engines.