{"id":8803,"date":"2021-03-29T15:03:02","date_gmt":"2021-03-29T12:03:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.travelpayouts.com\/en\/?p=8803"},"modified":"2021-10-02T20:50:27","modified_gmt":"2021-10-02T17:50:27","slug":"how-to-track-outbound-link-clicks-in-google-analytics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/how-to-track-outbound-link-clicks-in-google-analytics\/","title":{"rendered":"How to track outbound link clicks in Google Analytics"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why track outbound link clicks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Here is what you can learn after checking the number of clicks on outbound links:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Calculate your conversion from website visitors to those who clicked on the link to your advertiser\u2019s website.<\/li><li>Compare the effectiveness of links that direct to the same website, but are placed in different articles.<\/li><li>Compare the effectiveness of similar links with different anchors.<\/li><li>Compare the conversion for different advertisers.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>To understand how many users go from your blog to third-party resources, set up events in Google Analytics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are two ways to set up events:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Add the tracking code directly to your blog.<\/li><li>Set up analytics through Google Tag Manager.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The second method is easier, as you\u2019ll only need to add the code once. Then, you\u2019ll be able to set up all the events through GTM without adjusting the code on the website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to set up tracking of outbound link clicks in Google Analytics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If, for some reason, you find it easier to track clicks directly through GA, here is how you can set up tracking. First, connect your blog to Google Analytics (if you haven\u2019t already).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>1. Create a resource in GA. Find detailed instructions in <a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\/analytics\/answer\/1042508\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Google\u2019s guidelines<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2. Add the analytics.js tracking code to your blog pages. This code will look as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"background: #ffffff;overflow: auto;width: auto;border: solid gray;border-width: .1em .1em .1em .8em;padding: .2em .6em\">\n<pre style=\"margin: 0;line-height: 125%\"><span style=\"font-style: italic\">&lt;!-- Google Analytics --&gt;<\/span>\n<span style=\"font-weight: bold\">&lt;script&gt;<\/span>\nwindow.ga=window.ga||<span style=\"font-weight: bold\">function<\/span>(){(ga.q=ga.q||[]).push(arguments)};\nga.l=+<span style=\"font-weight: bold\">new<\/span> Date;\nga(<span style=\"font-style: italic\">'create'<\/span>, <span style=\"font-style: italic\">'UA-XXXXX-Y'<\/span>, <span style=\"font-style: italic\">'auto'<\/span>);\nga(<span style=\"font-style: italic\">'send'<\/span>, <span style=\"font-style: italic\">'pageview'<\/span>);\n<span style=\"font-weight: bold\">&lt;\/script&gt;<\/span>\n<span style=\"font-weight: bold\">&lt;script <\/span>async src=<span style=\"font-style: italic\">'https:\/\/www.google-analytics.com\/analytics.js'<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: bold\">&gt;&lt;\/script&gt;<\/span>\n<span style=\"font-style: italic\">&lt;!-- End Google Analytics --&gt;<\/span>\n<\/pre>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>UA-XXXXX-Y<\/strong> \u2014 your individual tracking code.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have already connected your blog to Google Analytics, make sure that you\u2019ve set up this tracking code exactly, as the script that we\u2019ll discuss below only works using this code.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tracking outbound link clicks in Google Analytics<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>To see internal link clicks on your blog, you can simply set up a standard tracking code. In order to send data on internal link clicks to GA, add the following script to the &lt;head&gt; after the tracking code:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"background: #ffffff;overflow: auto;width: auto;border: solid gray;border-width: .1em .1em .1em .8em;padding: .2em .6em\">\n<pre style=\"margin: 0;line-height: 125%\"><span style=\"font-weight: bold\">&lt;script&gt;<\/span>\n<span style=\"font-weight: bold\">var<\/span> trackOutboundLink = <span style=\"font-weight: bold\">function<\/span>(url) {\n   ga(<span style=\"font-style: italic\">'send'<\/span>, <span style=\"font-style: italic\">'event'<\/span>, <span style=\"font-style: italic\">'outbound'<\/span>, <span style=\"font-style: italic\">'click'<\/span>, url, {\n \t<span style=\"font-style: italic\">'transport'<\/span>: <span style=\"font-style: italic\">'beacon'<\/span>,\n \t<span style=\"font-style: italic\">'hitCallback'<\/span>: <span style=\"font-weight: bold\">function<\/span>(){document.location = url;}\n   });\n}\n<span style=\"font-weight: bold\">&lt;\/script&gt;<\/span>\n<\/pre>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Add the \u201conclick\u201d attribute to codes of those links on the page with an installed script for which you want to track clicks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"background: #ffffff;overflow: auto;width: auto;border: solid gray;border-width: .1em .1em .1em .8em;padding: .2em .6em\">\n<pre style=\"margin: 0;line-height: 125%\"><span style=\"font-weight: bold\">&lt;a<\/span> href=<span style=\"font-style: italic\">\"http:\/\/www.example.com\"<\/span> onclick=<span style=\"font-style: italic\">\"trackOutboundLink('example.com');<\/span>\n<span style=\"font-style: italic\"> return false;\"<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: bold\">&gt;<\/span>\u041e\u0442\u043a\u0440\u044b\u0442\u044c example.com<span style=\"font-weight: bold\">&lt;\/a&gt;<\/span>\n<\/pre>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to check that tracking works properly<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Go to Google Analytics, choose \u201cReal-Time Report\u201d.<\/li><li>Select &#8220;Events&#8221; from the drop-down menu.<\/li><li>Click on a few outbound links on your blog.<\/li><li>Return to Google Analytics and see if these events have appeared.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to set up tracking of outbound link clicks in Google Tag Manager<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you want to manage all the settings in Google Tag Manager, you can remove GA tracking codes from your blog after setting up GTM. Your statistics in GA won\u2019t be removed, because, in fact, you have simply changed the way of adding Google Analytics to your website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>1. Set up Google Tag Manager on your blog:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Create a resource in Google Analytics.<\/li><li>Create a container in GTD following the instructions. Add the container code to your blog.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;69f22ba08458e&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" class=\"wp-block-image size-large wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"458\" height=\"436\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on-async--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.travelpayouts.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image2.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8809\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image2.png 458w, https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image2-300x286.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 458px) 100vw, 458px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\taria-label=\"Enlarge\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;69f22ba0848f3&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" class=\"wp-block-image size-large wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"713\" height=\"514\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on-async--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.travelpayouts.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image5.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8810\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image5.png 713w, https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image5-300x216.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 713px) 100vw, 713px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\taria-label=\"Enlarge\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>If your blog operates on WordPress, open the header.php file. Add the first code to &lt;head&gt; immediately after the opening tag. Add the second code to &lt;body&gt; after the opening tag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>2. Activate built-in variables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These variables are necessary for tracking link clicks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Choose \u201cVariables\u201d in the left sidebar.<\/li><li>Click \u201cConfigure\u201d in the \u201cBuilt-In Variables\u201d section.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;69f22ba084c51&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" class=\"wp-block-image size-large wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"778\" height=\"344\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on-async--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.travelpayouts.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image4.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8811\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image4.png 778w, https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image4-300x133.png 300w, https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image4-768x340.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 778px) 100vw, 778px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\taria-label=\"Enlarge\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Check the boxes labeled \u201cClick URL\u201d and \u201cClick Text\u201d in the dropdown menu.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;69f22ba084f30&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" class=\"wp-block-image size-large wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"616\" height=\"307\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on-async--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.travelpayouts.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8812\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image1.png 616w, https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image1-300x150.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 616px) 100vw, 616px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\taria-label=\"Enlarge\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>3. Add the Google Analytics ID to GTM as a custom variable. You can use it for all tags.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Add the \u201cVariables\u201d menu item and click \u201cNew\u201d in the \u201cUser-Defined Variables\u201d section.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;69f22ba085223&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" class=\"wp-block-image size-large wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"769\" height=\"249\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on-async--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.travelpayouts.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image3.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8813\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image3.png 769w, https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image3-300x97.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 769px) 100vw, 769px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\taria-label=\"Enlarge\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Set a name for the new variable, such as \u201csitename (your project name) analytics id\u201d. Click the pencil in the top right corner to edit. Choose the variable type: Google Analytics Settings.<\/li><li>Add the tracking code from Google Analytics.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;69f22ba0854cc&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" class=\"wp-block-image size-large wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"461\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on-async--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.travelpayouts.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image7-1024x461.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8814\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image7-1024x461.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image7-300x135.png 300w, https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image7-768x345.png 768w, https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image7.png 1094w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\taria-label=\"Enlarge\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>4. Set up page tracking through GTM:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>If the Google Analytics tracking code is set up on your blog or on the website, remove it.<\/li><li>Create a new tag in Google Analytics. Tag type: Google Analytics \u2013 Universal Analytics; Track Type: Pageview; variable: sitename analytics id.<\/li><li>Choose \u201cAll Pages\u201d in the section with triggers.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>5. Create a trigger to track outbound links:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>A trigger informs GTM that it\u2019s necessary to install a tag. In this case, a trigger is a click on the outbound link.<\/li><li>Choose \u201cTriggers\u201d in the menu and click \u201cNew\u201d. You can choose a trigger\u2019s name, such as \u201coutbound link click\u201d.<\/li><li>Choose \u201cJust Links\u201d as a trigger type and check the box \u201cSome Link Clicks\u201d in the \u201cThis trigger fires\u201d section.<\/li><li>In the settings, enter \u201cClick URL\u2192 Doesn\u2019t Contain \u2192 \/your website or blog URL\/\u201d. This is necessary to track only outbound links to third-party resources with this trigger.<\/li><li>Save your trigger settings.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;69f22ba08585c&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" class=\"wp-block-image size-large wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"933\" height=\"437\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on-async--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.travelpayouts.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image6.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8815\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image6.png 933w, https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image6-300x141.png 300w, https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image6-768x360.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 933px) 100vw, 933px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\taria-label=\"Enlarge\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>6. Create a tag for tracking outbound links:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>The tag will load when the blog user clicks on an outbound link.&nbsp;<\/li><li>Create a new tag of the type Google Analytics \u2013 Universal Analytics using the sitename analytics id variable that you created in Step 3 and the \u201cOutbound link click\u201d trigger.<\/li><li>Fill in the tag features as shown below. {{Click URL}} and {{Page URL}} are built-in variables that you need to choose from the dropdown menu.<ul><li>Track Type: Event<\/li><li>Category: Outbound link click<\/li><li>Action: {{Click URL}}<\/li><li>Label: {{Page URL}}<\/li><li>Non Interaction Hit: False<\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;69f22ba085b61&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" class=\"wp-block-image size-large wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"927\" height=\"493\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on-async--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.travelpayouts.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image8.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8816\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image8.png 927w, https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image8-300x160.png 300w, https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image8-768x408.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 927px) 100vw, 927px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\taria-label=\"Enlarge\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>7. Publish the container:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;69f22ba085e28&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" class=\"wp-block-image size-large wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"350\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on-async--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/blog.travelpayouts.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image9-1024x350.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8817\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image9-1024x350.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image9-300x103.png 300w, https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image9-768x263.png 768w, https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/image9.png 1172w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><button\n\t\t\tclass=\"lightbox-trigger\"\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\taria-haspopup=\"dialog\"\n\t\t\taria-label=\"Enlarge\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\"\n\t\t\tdata-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewBox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>8. Make sure that everything works properly:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Open Google Analytics, choose \u201cReal-time report\u201d.<\/li><li>Choose \u201cEvents\u201d in the dropdown menu.<\/li><li>Click on a few outbound links on your blog.<\/li><li>Go back to Google Analytics and see if the events have appeared.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Do you track clicks on outbound links? Which method do you use and find best?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It\u2019s always useful to understand where users go from your blog. If you need to direct them to one of your advertisers\u2019 websites to incentivize a purchase, such an understanding is absolutely crucial. After analyzing your outbound link clicks, you can calculate the conversion rate and evaluate how efficient your links are.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":11154,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_eb_attr":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[413,414,415],"class_list":["post-8803","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-advices","tag-google-analytics","tag-google-tag-manager","tag-outbound-links"],"acf":[],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8803","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8803"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8803\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11132,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8803\/revisions\/11132"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11154"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8803"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8803"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelpayouts.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8803"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}