Tracking conversions is an important part of any digital marketing strategy. It allows you to measure the effectiveness of your campaigns and optimize them over time. LinkedIn ads and organic posts are no exception – you’ll want to track conversions like lead generation forms, content downloads, sales and more.
Google Tag Manager provides a flexible and easy way to track conversions from LinkedIn back to your website. By setting up the right tags and triggers, you can gain insights into your best performing messages, creative, audiences and more on LinkedIn.
In this guide, I’ll walk through exactly how to track LinkedIn conversions with Google Tag Manager using step-by-step instructions and examples.
Prerequisites
Before we dive in, make sure you have the following setup already:
– LinkedIn Campaign Manager account
– LinkedIn Insight Tag installed on your website
– Google Tag Manager container installed on your website
– Conversion goals defined (like lead gen forms, downloads, purchases etc.)
With these prerequisites in place, you’re ready to start tracking conversions!
Step 1: Create a Google Tag Manager Trigger
The first step is to create a trigger in Google Tag Manager that fires when someone converts on your website.
Here’s how to create the trigger:
1. In your Google Tag Manager container, click on “Triggers” in the left sidebar.
2. Click “New” to create a new trigger.
3. Name your trigger something like “Lead Gen Form Submit”.
4. Under trigger type, select “Custom Event”.
5. Under Event name, enter your conversion goal name. For example, if you have a “Request Consultation” form, you would enter “LeadGenFormSubmit”.
6. Click “Create Trigger” to save your new trigger.
This trigger will now fire each time your chosen conversion event occurs on your site.
Step 2: Create a Google Tag Manager Tag
Next, you need to create a Google Tag Manager tag that will send conversion data back to LinkedIn when your trigger fires.
Here are the steps:
1. In your Google Tag Manager container, click on “Tags” in the left sidebar.
2. Click “New” to create a new tag.
3. Under tag type, select “Custom HTML”.
4. Under name, enter a name like “LinkedIn Insight Tag – Conversion”.
5. In the HTML field, paste the following code:
<script type="text/javascript">
_linkedin_data_partner_id = "YOUR LINKEDIN PARTNER ID";
</script>
<script type="text/javascript">
_linkedin_partner_id = "YOUR LINKEDIN PARTNER ID";
window._linkedin_data_partner_ids = window._linkedin_data_partner_ids || [];
window._linkedin_data_partner_ids.push(_linkedin_data_partner_id);
(function(){var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0];
var b = document.createElement("script");
b.type = "text/javascript";b.async = true;
b.src = "https://snap.licdn.com/li.lms-analytics/insight.min.js";
s.parentNode.insertBefore(b, s);})();
</script>
<noscript>
<img height="1" width="1" style="display:none;" alt="" src="https://px.ads.linkedin.com/collect/?pid=YOUR LINKEDIN PARTNER ID&fmt=gif" />
</noscript>
<script>
_linkedin_data_partner_id = "YOUR LINKEDIN PARTNER ID";
_linkedin_partner_id = "YOUR LINKEDIN PARTNER ID";
_linkedin_data_partner_ids = _linkedin_data_partner_ids || [];
_linkedin_data_partner_ids.push(_linkedin_data_partner_id);
window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || [];
window.dataLayer.push({
'event':'LeadGenFormSubmit'
});
</script>
Replace “YOUR LINKEDIN PARTNER ID” with your actual LinkedIn Insight Tag partner ID both times.
6. Under firing rules, select your trigger previously created. For example “Lead Gen Form Submit”.
7. Click “Create Tag” to save your changes.
Step 3: Test and Verify
You’re all setup! Now you just need to test and verify your new integration is working properly.
Here are a few ways you can test:
– Submit a test conversion on your website and look for your tag firing in Google Tag Manager debug mode
– Check your LinkedIn Campaign Manager reports to see if conversion events are being recorded
– Switch on LinkedIn Insight Tag debugging and look for conversion logs on the page
Once you verify conversions are being tracked as expected, you’re all set to fully leverage LinkedIn conversion tracking with Google Tag Manager!
Some ways to use the data:
– See your best performing campaigns, ads and posts driving conversions
– Break down conversions by audience, location and more
– Analyze conversion trends over time
– Compare conversion rates across different messaging and creative
– Optimize spend on high converting campaigns and audiences
– Build retargeting audiences of converters
With proper tracking setup, the possibilities are endless for optimizing your LinkedIn marketing performance.
FAQs
Here are some common questions around tracking LinkedIn conversions with Google Tag Manager:
What conversion events can I track from LinkedIn?
You can track any conversion goal that happens on your website – like form fills, content downloads, purchases, signups, lead generation and more. The key is having the event predefined as a trigger in Google Tag Manager.
Where do I find my LinkedIn Insight Tag Partner ID?
Your LinkedIn Insight Tag Partner ID can be found in Campaign Manager under Account Assets > Insight Tag. Reach out to your LinkedIn rep if you need help locating it.
Do I need to use both LinkedIn Insight Tag and Google Tag Manager?
Yes, you need both tags in order to track conversions. LinkedIn Insight Tag sends data back to LinkedIn. Google Tag Manager allows you to easily trigger tracking on your site’s conversion events.
Can I track multiple conversion events?
Absolutely! You can create multiple Triggers and Tags in Google Tag Manager to track different conversion goals like form submissions, downloads, purchases etc.
How quickly do conversions show up in LinkedIn?
Conversions should appear in your LinkedIn Campaign Manager reports within a few hours typically. No more than 24 hours for delayed data.
Is there a limit on number of conversions tracked?
There are no limits! You can track unlimited conversions with the LinkedIn Insight Tag integration.
Conclusion
Tracking conversions from LinkedIn is crucial to demonstrating campaign ROI and optimizing your marketing performance over time. With Google Tag Manager and LinkedIn Insight Tag properly implemented, you gain the ability to connect your LinkedIn activity to real business results.
The steps outlined in this guide provide a framework to start tracking conversions with minimal dev work required. Be sure to test and verify tracking is working as expected. Then start digging into the conversion data within LinkedIn Campaign Manager and Google Analytics to take your LinkedIn marketing to the next level.
About The Author
I am an experienced SEO writer and marketing technology enthusiast. I enjoy creating educational resources that make complex topics easy to understand. My goal is to empower marketers and businesses to grow through informed digital strategies. Connect with me on LinkedIn for more digital marketing tips and insights!
