Google Services Setup Guide for Legal Luminary

This guide will walk you through setting up Google Tag Manager, Google Ads, Google Search Console, and configuring DNS records in GoDaddy for www.legalluminary.com.

Email Address: sweeden@ttu.edu

Part 1: Google Tag Manager Setup

Step 1: Create Google Tag Manager Account

  1. Go to Google Tag Manager
  2. Sign in with sweeden@ttu.edu
  3. Click “Create Account”
  4. Fill in the account details:
    • Account Name: Legal Luminary
    • Country: United States
    • Click “Continue”
  5. Set up a container:
    • Container Name: www.legalluminary.com
    • Target Platform: Web
    • Click “Create”
  6. Accept the Terms of Service
  7. Copy your Container ID (format: GTM-XXXXXXX)

Step 2: Add GTM Container ID to Website

  1. Open _config.yml in the project root
  2. Find the line: gtm_container_id: "GTM-XXXXXXX"
  3. Replace GTM-XXXXXXX with your actual Container ID
  4. Save the file
  5. Commit and push to GitHub (the site will rebuild automatically)

Step 3: Verify GTM Installation

  1. After deploying, visit your website
  2. Install the Google Tag Assistant Chrome Extension
  3. Visit your site and check that GTM is loading correctly
  4. You can also use browser DevTools → Network tab to verify googletagmanager.com requests

Part 2: Google Ads Setup

Step 1: Create Google Ads Account

  1. Go to Google Ads
  2. Sign in with sweeden@ttu.edu
  3. Click “Start Now” or “New Google Ads Account”
  4. Choose your country/region: United States
  5. Select your time zone: Central Time (CT)
  6. Choose your currency: USD ($)
  7. Enter account details:
    • Account Type: Business
    • Business Name: Legal Luminary / Central Texas Legal Resource
    • Website: https://www.legalluminary.com
    • Business Category: Legal Services / Attorney
  8. Complete the account setup wizard
  1. In Google Tag Manager, go to your container
  2. Click “Tags” → “New”
  3. Tag Configuration:
    • Choose “Google Ads: Conversion Tracking” or “Google Ads: Remarketing”
    • Enter your Google Ads Conversion ID (found in Google Ads → Tools → Conversions)
  4. Configure triggers as needed
  5. Click “Save” and “Submit” to publish

Step 3: Set Up Conversion Tracking

  1. In Google Ads, go to Tools & Settings → Conversions
  2. Click ”+” to create a new conversion action
  3. Choose conversion type (e.g., “Website”, “Phone calls”, “App”)
  4. Configure:
    • Category: Lead / Sign-up / Other
    • Conversion name: e.g., “Contact Form Submission” or “Phone Call”
    • Value: Set if applicable
    • Count: One or Every
  5. Copy the Conversion ID and Label
  6. Add to GTM as a tag (see Step 2 above)

Part 3: Google Search Console Setup

Step 1: Add Property to Search Console

  1. Go to Google Search Console
  2. Sign in with sweeden@ttu.edu
  3. Click “Add Property”
  4. Select “URL prefix” method
  5. Enter: https://www.legalluminary.com
  6. Click “Continue”

Step 2: Verify Ownership

You have several verification options. Choose one:

  1. Download the HTML verification file
  2. Upload it to the root of your repository
  3. Commit and push to GitHub
  4. Click “Verify” in Search Console

Option B: HTML Tag

  1. Copy the meta tag provided
  2. Add it to _layouts/default.html in the <head> section
  3. Commit and push
  4. Click “Verify” in Search Console

Option C: DNS Verification (See Part 4 below)

  1. Use the TXT record method (will be covered in DNS setup)

Step 3: Submit Sitemap

  1. After verification, go to Sitemaps in Search Console
  2. Enter: sitemap.xml
  3. Click “Submit”
  4. Your sitemap should be at: https://www.legalluminary.com/sitemap.xml

Part 4: GoDaddy DNS Configuration

Step 1: Access GoDaddy DNS Settings

  1. Log in to GoDaddy
  2. Go to My Products → Domains
  3. Find legalluminary.com
  4. Click “DNS” or “Manage DNS”

Step 2: Configure DNS Records

A. Verify Current Records

Check if these records exist:

  • A Record or CNAME pointing to GitHub Pages
  • CNAME for www subdomain

B. Add Google Search Console Verification (if using DNS method)

  1. In Search Console, choose “Domain name provider” verification
  2. Copy the TXT record value (format: google-site-verification=XXXXXXXXXX)
  3. In GoDaddy DNS, add:
    • Type: TXT
    • Name: @ (or leave blank for root domain)
    • Value: google-site-verification=XXXXXXXXXX
    • TTL: 600 (or default)
  4. Click “Save”
  5. Wait 5-10 minutes, then verify in Search Console

C. Verify GitHub Pages DNS (if needed)

If not already configured, ensure:

  • CNAME Record:
    • Name: www
    • Value: your-username.github.io (or GitHub Pages domain)
    • TTL: 600
  • A Records (if using root domain):
    • Point to GitHub Pages IPs:
      • 185.199.108.153
      • 185.199.109.153
      • 185.199.110.153
      • 185.199.111.153

Step 3: Additional DNS Records (Optional)

Email Records (if using custom email)

  • MX Records: If you want to use Google Workspace or other email service
  • SPF Record: For email authentication
  • DKIM Record: For email security

Part 5: Testing & Verification

Test Google Tag Manager

  1. Visit your website
  2. Open browser DevTools (F12)
  3. Go to Console tab
  4. Type: dataLayer and press Enter
  5. You should see the dataLayer array
  6. Check Network tab for googletagmanager.com requests

Test Google Ads

  1. In Google Ads, go to Tools & Settings → Conversions
  2. Test a conversion by triggering the action on your site
  3. Check if the conversion appears in Google Ads (may take 24-48 hours)

Test Search Console

  1. In Search Console, go to URL Inspection
  2. Enter a page URL from your site
  3. Click “Test Live URL”
  4. Verify it’s indexed and accessible

Verify DNS Propagation

  1. Use DNS Checker to verify DNS records globally
  2. Check that www.legalluminary.com resolves correctly
  3. Verify TXT records are propagated

Part 6: Next Steps

  1. Google Analytics 4 (GA4)
    • Create GA4 property
    • Add GA4 Configuration tag in GTM
  2. Google Ads Conversion Tracking
    • Set up conversion actions in Google Ads
    • Add conversion tags in GTM
  3. Google Ads Remarketing
    • Add remarketing tag in GTM
    • Create audiences in Google Ads
  4. Facebook Pixel (if using Facebook Ads)
    • Add Facebook Pixel tag in GTM

Security & Privacy

  1. GDPR/CCPA Compliance
    • Set up cookie consent banner
    • Configure GTM to respect consent
    • Update privacy policy
  2. Data Retention
    • Configure data retention in GA4
    • Review Google Ads data retention settings

Troubleshooting

GTM Not Loading

  • Check that Container ID is correct in _config.yml
  • Verify the site has been rebuilt/deployed
  • Check browser console for errors
  • Ensure no ad blockers are interfering

DNS Not Propagating

  • DNS changes can take 24-48 hours
  • Clear DNS cache: sudo dscacheutil -flushcache (Mac) or ipconfig /flushdns (Windows)
  • Use DNS checker tools to verify globally

Search Console Verification Failing

  • Ensure verification file/tag is in the correct location
  • Wait a few minutes after deployment
  • Try alternative verification method
  • Check that the site is publicly accessible
  • Verify tags are published in GTM
  • Check that triggers are firing correctly
  • Use Google Tag Assistant to debug
  • Verify conversion IDs are correct

Important Notes

  • Email: All Google services should be set up using sweeden@ttu.edu
  • Domain: www.legalluminary.com
  • Website: https://www.legalluminary.com
  • TTL: DNS changes may take time to propagate (typically 5 minutes to 48 hours)
  • Testing: Always test in incognito/private browsing mode to avoid cached data

Support Resources

Last Updated: [Current Date] Setup By: sweeden@ttu.edu