Conversion tracking is an essential component of any digital advertising strategy. Taboola makes it easy for you, the advertiser, to implement pixel tracking and measure campaign performance accurately.
However, if you´re a “non-techie” like me, you´ll probably go nuts trying to install the pixel. Let´s not do it the hard way.
In this post, I´ll show you step-by-step how to set up the Taboola pixel tracking in the most efficient way possible.
Taboola Pixel Tracking Assistant: Google Tag Manager (GTM)
If you´re not familiar with GTM (Google Tag Manager), it basically stores all your conversion tracking codes in one place. You simply have to copy the GTM code and paste it in between the head tags of your website.
From there, you can add all the platform pixels you want and it will automatically track data. So, GTM set up on your site is pretty much a “set it and forget it” type of thing, except that you have to audit the implementation from time to time. But that´s another story.
This article is designed to help you set up Taboola pixel tracking via GTM. So, if you don´t have GTM set up on your website, please follow this guide first.
Identify Conversion Events To Track: Your Main KPIs
Before you set up any conversion tracking on Taboola or any other platform, you need to identify what events you want to track. This will depend on the type of business you have and the KPIs that matter to you and the stakeholders.
If you have already set up conversion tracking on another platform, Facebook, for example, you can simply use those on Taboola as well.
Here are some examples of events you might use:
- View content (any website page view)
- Lead (someone subscribes to your newsletter)
- Start Checkout (user initiates checkout)
- Purchase (user completes a purchase)
For demonstration purposes, we´ll be using the Lead and Purchase event conversions as examples. Ideally, these will be custom events.
You can also create URL-based conversions, which are easier if you don´t have a developer who can assist you by adding the custom events to your site or you don´t have any events set up from other advertising platforms already.
I highly recommend setting up View Content or Page View, for all site visitors, as a Taboola conversion. It will be very useful for targeting optimizations purposes, at a later stage.
Set Up Taboola Pixel Tracking With Google Tag Manager In 7 Simple Steps
Let´s go a bit deeper into the actual setup. For this installation, you won´t even need to deal with HTML codes inside Google Tag Manager. I´ll walk you through the steps, no need to worry. It will be quick and easy. Just follow along.
Step 1 – Create Taboola Variable In GTM
The very step to setting up pixel tracking is to create a user-defined variable in GTM. This will dynamically add your Taboola account ID to the tag we´ll create in the next step. Go to Variables > New.
Open your Taboola account to copy the ID.
Now, go back to Google Tag Manager, add the ID to the constant variable and save.
Step 2 – Create Taboola Base Tag In GTM
Your next step is to create the base code tag. This is the main code that will send all page view information to your Google Tag Manager container. Go to Tags > New.
And follow this short video tutorial.
If it´s your first time setting this up, you´ll have to go to the template library. From there, you can add the Taboola template to your GTM account and use it moving forward with just one click.
Step 3 – Create Conversions On Taboola
On your Taboola account interface, go to Tracking > New Conversion.
Choose Event as the conversion type. Include in total conversions if lead is your main KPI. Then, click Create Conversion, at the bottom.
Next, you can create your purchase event. It´s similar to the previous one, the only difference is that on the purchase event, you need to add a few more parameters so GTM can receive revenue data. We´ll do this in the next step.
Step 4 – Create Ecommerce Variables In GTM
In order for Google Tag Manager to recognize different purchase values, you need to set up a data layer variable.
Taboola currently supports these parameters to be passed to your tracking and analytics tool:
- Revenue
- Currency
- Order ID
- Quantity
If you already have ecommerce variables and triggers set up that you´ve used for other advertising platforms, skip to step 6. Otherwise, go to User-Defined Variables > New.
Transaction Value
Copy this setup and click Save.
Transaction Currency
The process is pretty much the same here. The only difference is the data layer variable and tag name.
Copy this setup, save and continue to the next step.
Step 5 – Create Event Triggers In GTM
In this step, you´ll set up triggers to let Google Tag Manager know when a condition is met, the tags we´ll create in step 6 can fire.
Custom Event vs URL-Based Triggers
Here´s where it might be tricky.
Since we´re working with custom events, for these triggers, you need to ask your developer to insert the event name on your website code to track every time someone becomes a lead or purchase, in this case.
Alternatively, you can simply use a URL-based trigger. The same applies to other Taboola conversions. I recommend using events, even though trickier to set up, they give you more reliable and efficient tracking.
If you´re going to use URLs for your conversions in GTM, make sure to create them as URL-based on Taboola, as well.
This way, the same conversion data can be sent to Taboola and Google Tag Manager, which then sends it to your analytics tool. If you haven´t done so, I recommend you to install Google Analytics 4 in GTM, as well.
Lead Custom Event Trigger
Let´s start with the lead event trigger. In your Google Tag Manager account, go to Triggers > New.
Trigger type should be Custom Event, the event name is lead and choose to trigger on All Custom Events. Then, click Save.
Purchase Custom Event Trigger
For purchase, the process is pretty much the same as the previous trigger.
You´ve got the data layer variables for ecommerce and the event triggers created. We´re good to go. Let´s move to creating the tags.
Step 6 – Create Conversion Event Tags In GTM
Now, we´re going to create the lead and purchase event tags in Google Tag Manager. We´ll start with the lead event.
Lead Event
Here, the process is similar to the base code we set up in step 2. Go to Tags > New.
Next, let´s set up the purchase event tag inside Google Tag Manager.
Purchase Event
At this point, you know the drill. Go to Tags > New.
All you have to do here is save.
Step 7 – Test Your Conversions With Tag Assistant
The final step in setting up Taboola pixel tracking with GTM is to make sure all conversions are firing.
If you´re not familiar with this process, I recommend you take a look at how to use Google Tag Manager Preview & Debug Mode.
Inside your GTM account, go to Preview.
You´ll be redirected to Google´s Tag Assistant dashboard, where you can insert your website URL and test all your tags, events and triggers.
What you´ll have to do here is go through your funnel and check this Tag Assistant screen to see if the tags you´ve set up are actually being fired.
Once you´ve completed the audit and check that everything is working in GTM, go to your Taboola account. You should see activity there as well.
Now, you´re ready to start driving traffic to your website and measuring valuable conversions.
Taboola Pixel Tracking: Final Words
There are other ways to implement Taboola Pixel tracking. One of them is to add HTML codes directly to your site. I know this can get a bit frustrating especially if you´re a “non-techie” like me. Hence, Google Tag Manager is one of the most intuitive tools to use for all your tracking needs.
Nothing happens before conversion tracking. It is super important you get it right before start driving traffic on the platform.
The worst feeling for a marketer is not knowing what´s working. That´s when people get emotional with advertising and make stupid decisions. Tracking makes things logical and easy to measure so you can make smart decisions.
We´d love to hear from you in the comments. How easy was it for you to set up Taboola pixel tracking through GTM?
