7 Ways to Grow Your Business With Google Tag Manager

By Zach Schleien

Google Tag Manager is one of the most underused growth tools. Here are 7 ways I used outbound link tracking to grow my dating site to 20,000 monthly visitors.

Most marketers have heard of Google Tag Manager. Almost none of them use it to its full potential. I used outbound link tracking to grow my dating site Top Romp to over 20,000 unique monthly visitors - and it changed how I think about audience intelligence.

What Is Google Tag Manager?

"Google Tag Manager is a free tool that makes it easy for marketers to add and update website tags - including conversion tracking, site analytics, remarketing, and more - with just a few clicks, and without needing to edit your website code." - Google

I learned GTM from Simo Ahava's blog (a must-read for anyone serious about analytics). The key feature I leveraged: outbound link tracking.

Outbound links take visitors to another website. In Google Analytics, you can find them under Behavior > Events > Top Events. They tell you exactly what your audience wants - not in theory, but in clicks.

7 Ways to Use GTM Outbound Links

1. Learn What Your Customers Actually Want

Every outbound click is a signal of intent. On Top Romp, the most-clicked outbound link was from "Which Friends Use Tinder." Another high performer: "Become an A-List Member" from our OkCupid article. An outbound click is far more valuable than a page view or a Facebook like - because the user is actively seeking something. Use this data to optimize your content strategy.

2. Optimize Your SEO

If your OkCupid outbound links get heavy traffic, write more content about OkCupid. You'll rank for long-tail keywords and attract high-intent visitors.

3. Show Tangible Numbers to Advertisers

Instead of saying "60% of our users are men," show advertisers that 100 readers clicked through to their site last month. Data beats demographics.

4. Build Affiliate and Advertising Partnerships

Go to brands with your outbound link data and propose partnerships. The risk is mitigated because you already have proof your audience is interested in their products.

5. Test and Optimize Your Outbound Links

If 1 of your 10 outbound links gets 80% of the clicks, you've found your audience's sweet spot. Double down on that product or brand. Cast a wide net, then narrow.

6. Better Than Google Analytics Affinity Categories

GA's affinity categories are too broad to be useful ("Movie Lovers," "TV Lovers" - everyone falls into those). Outbound links tell you exactly what your audience wants.

7. Create Marketing-Editorial Synergy

When outbound link data flows to your marketing team, they understand the audience. Writers create targeted content. SEO improves. Partnerships form. Everyone wins.

The Bottom Line

Google Tag Manager turns your website into an intelligence platform. Every outbound click is a data point that can drive content, partnerships, and revenue.

This is the kind of data-driven thinking I bring to every growth engagement. If you're a founder who wants to understand your audience and turn insights into revenue, let's talk.