One of the most exciting tools to present data and define the numbers of your reports: Google Data Studio can make the difference to present a report worthy of the name. What to know to learn more about this utility?
You can use several tools to optimize your web marketing activities, from search Engine Optimization (S.E.O): the set of strategies and practices to position websites or web pages in the organic results of the engines to analyze competitors and customers.
Google Data Studio is one of them, even if it’s not as popular as the search console, either Analytics or web analytics, is the measurement, collection, analysis, and reporting of web data for understanding and optimizing the use of the web. When On the other hand, it can do absolute wonders for your business.
But what exactly are we talking about? Why is Google Data Studio considered a very sophisticated, valuable, and coveted reality but at the same time, it is not so widespread? Simple, this platform integrates with Google Analytics and other Mountain View realities to create effective reports. But also interactive, capable of changing according to the needs of the public and defining new information scenarios even by moving the mouse.
Those involved in SEO optimization cannot ignore Google Data Studio. And the same goes for web performance professionals; for those who work in the CRO -conversion rate optimization CRO is the practice of increasing the conversion rate. Conversion rate means how many visitors to the site, as a percentage, – and in the e-commerce sector.
Or where the numbers are many. But for what reason? Let’s explore the topic together to understand when, how, and why to use the tool.
The Topic Of This Post
- 1 What is Google Data Studio: definition
- 2 Why is it worth using Google Data Studio?
- 3 How to learn how to use this tool
- 4 How Google Data Studio is used in practice
- 5 Fundamental Resources for Using Data Studio
- 6 Examples of reports customized with the tool
- 7. Are you also using Google Data Studio?
What is Google Data Studio: definition
It is a tool dedicated to mass management and graphical data visualization. Google Data Studio is often associated only with SEO optimization work, in the phase in which the data relating to the evolution of positioning are presented. It is a tool suitable for different figures. Not necessarily highly specialized in creating reports.
One of the advantages of this tool is simplicity: Google Data Studio is one of the best tools for creating reports from different sources. It is also free and entirely online.
Why is it worth using Google Data Studio?
First of all, because it allows you to create different reports but united by one important point: the quality of the result, the data is clear and easy to read, but above all, you can import it in an instant from different sources.
One of the advantages of this tool, for example, is the ability to integrate numbers from a variety of platforms automatically:
- Analytics.
- Google Ads.
- Search Console.
- File Upload.
- YouTube Analytics.
- Google BigQuery.
- Campaign Manager.
- MySQL.
That’s is to start; there are other additions. There is no need to program or perform calculations to get the graphs: connect the data sources and extrapolate what you need. Then, are there any other essential steps?
Yes, there is the possibility to easily share the reports with other people who have to make their contribution, a decisive function if, for example, you work as a team and other figures have to intervene on the document.
Which report do you want to use?
In a nutshell: with this tool, you can combine the complexity of the result with ease of use and reading for everyone—another aspect that pushes many professionals and agencies to use Google Data Studio: branded reports.
The tool allows you to customize the product. Then you can give the customer a document with your name, the logo. A logo is a symbol consisting of text and images that identify a company. A good logo shows what a company does and what it stands for, and the brand. A Brand is an identification symbol, trademark, logo, name, word, and phrase that companies use to distinguish their product from others. A combination Spectacular!
How to learn how to use this tool
In the first place, it is better to start practicing with small personal projects, starting to offer customers a report based on Google Data Studio as everything becomes easier to understand.
And for you, filling in the documents is immediate, superficial. But some courses help you understand the potential, secrets, and functions of Google Data Studio.
One of the essential occasions comes from Google with the dedicated online course. That’s is an introduction for marketers, business owners, and freelancers dedicated to visualizing data with Google Data Studio and getting very detailed information.
How to use Google Data Studio in practice
To access and create detailed reports, starting with large amounts of data, go to datastudio.google.com. You need a Gmail account to log in, as is the case with all other Mountain View services. However, once you click on the link, you are already on the home page.
Here you have the option to start with some ready-made reports that suggest predefined templates for some basic tasks.
- YouTube channel report.
- Search console analysis.
- Google Analytics data.
- Google Ads performance.
- Business marketing plan.
There are many solutions; there is an entire catalog of reports and templates that you can consult to choose the proper condition for your purpose. To make these reports useful, however, you need to define a fundamental point. Indeed, there are several. Let’s find out.
Create or upload a template
The first action to do when you enter and want to create your report: choose a ready-made template or create one from scratch. If you prefer to use the first option, remember that the templates you see are demonstrative only: you need to make a copy to customize and create your document.
Choose or confirm the connectors.
If you have acquired a pre-packaged model, you only have to change the data source to see yours in the interactive graphics. Otherwise – if you are working on a new template or want to change the default one – you have to go to the connectors section and choose a new data source.
Once you have chosen the source, you can have several alternatives. For example, you can define which metric to analyze or modify.
Design your report
We have said that it is a flexible and resourceful tool. It is not just a funnel into which numbers can flow together to create reports that are always the same: this is an essential function, but it is not enough.
You have the option of using a visual editor to physically design your document to deliver to customers eager for updates.
As the name suggests, in the column dedicated to data, you can define metrics and comparisons without forgetting the filters that allow you to lighten and refine the final result; the style section, on the other hand, is dedicated to the aesthetics of the graphic designer. Here you can manage fonts, colors, output types.
Sharing the result
This SEO tool (but not only) is the possibility of involving both colleagues and customers. You can help collaborators manage all data with collaborative and straightforward actions.
And you can share the result with customers in the way you see fit. You can also download the PDF or share it on social media.
Fundamental resources for using Data Studio
- Data Studio marketing template
- Data source (also a partner)
- Widget to view data
- List of mathematical functions
Examples of customized reports with the tool
To fully understand the capabilities and possibilities offered by this tool, we need to look at the most crucial resource for those who want to get an idea: the gallery of templates and usable examples. Do you want to take a look? I’ll leave you a selection. Look at this report, for example.
This document allowed you to obtain one of the simplest and most requested reports. Moreover, it adapted to the needs of large and small agencies: the summary relating to the data recorded by Google Analytics.
You can customize everything, the charts are interactive, and you can also directly import your data. Download everything in PDF or share the link.
However, as you can see, there is excellent space for customization and the possibility of making your report unique even with images and graphics.
Then there are also the solutions dedicated to specific products. For example, how would you make a summary document for a YouTube channel?
As you can see, it’s easy to let Google Data Studio do most of the work for you. But remember that you can change everything even if you import the template directly: you can define the data source and update the historical period according to your specific needs.
Are you also using Google Data Studio?
I think it’s a good idea to start, especially if you want to present your customers with a report designed to be understood. In most cases, we leave PDF files with dull graphics and lifeless numbers to our partners. That’s is when it goes well. Otherwise, it goes on with Excel file shots.
Of course, these are the basics. And those who do the dirty work must know how to use spreadsheets in the best way: every SEO expert knows the importance of this resource. But sometimes, you also need to be able to communicate results as well as achieve them. And Google Data studio helps you do this.