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How to Use Google Data Studio

Last updated: Mar 20, 2023

How to Use Google Data Studio
Cover image: Illustration of Google Data Studio as a data visualization tool for creating visually appealing reports. Learn more in this guide.

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You need to get complete data when managing the website. It is important that you have easy-to-understand data visualizations. Google Data Studio is a tool you can use.

In this guide, you will find out how to use Google Data Studio and its full functionality. Check out the discussion below.

What is Google Data Studio?

Figure 1: Illustration of a website performance report with data visualization. Google Data Studio helps website managers make data reports with attractive visuals.

Google Data Studio is a data visualization tool provided by Google for free. This tool helps users to create data reports with an attractive and easy-to-understand visual appearance.

One of the great things about Google Data Studio is that you can use data from multiple sources and process it in one place.

So, the data you process is not only sourced from Google but also from other platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, Shopify, SQL, and CSV files.

Not only that, another feature of Google Data Studio is dynamic reports that can be updated automatically. If there is a change in a data source, then any reports associated with that data source will change automatically.

The Functions of Google Data Studio

In analyzing your SEO performance, you should know how to use Google Data Studio and its functions. By mastering this tool, you can more easily analyze and report website performance.

Google Data Studio has several functions that can simplify website data processing. The following are the functions:

Transforming Data

Google Data Studio provides various features that can help you process data into easy-to-understand information. You can set the metrics you want to use, time ranges, filter data, select segments, and much more.

Visualizing Data

Google Data Studio provides various data visualization techniques. You can choose data visualization techniques based on your needs. Some examples that you can use are time series, columns, tables, pie charts, treemaps, scatter charts, and so on.

The data graph can change automatically when there is an update on the data source used. That way, you don't have to bother making adjustments when you want to present a report. This is the advantage of Google Data Studio.

Facilitate Data Sharing

Google Data Studio provides a sharing feature that can make it easier for you to share data reports with various parties.

The settings are quite easy; you just enter the Gmail address of another user. Each user can be assigned a role, whether as a viewer or editor.

When data reports are shared, you and other users can view and modify reports together so that changes can be seen at the same time.

Integrating Data

The advantage of Google Data Studio is its ability to integrate with various platforms. You can even connect this tool with platforms outside of Google. This allows you to retrieve and integrate data from multiple sources.

Let's say you want to compare ad performance on Google, Facebook, and Twitter. You can combine data from Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and Twitter Ads to be presented on one dashboard.

How to Use Google Data Studio

After knowing its definition and functions, now is the time for you to learn how to use Google Data Studio. Like other tools from Google, Google Data Studio can be difficult to master.

However, once you get used to these tools, you'll get the benefits that are worth the effort to learn.

To help you learn how to use Google Data Studio, you can follow the various tutorials available. Here's a tutorial on how to use Google Data Studio for you:

Accessing Google Data Studio

Figure 2: Screenshot of the login page displayed in Google Data Studio. To access Google Data Studio, you can sign in with your Google account.

Before starting the tutorial on how to use Google Data Studio, make sure you have access to these tools. To access Google Data Studio, you can log in using a Google account.

Overview Homepage Google Data Studio

Figure 3: Screenshot of the main page display in Google Data Studio. You will be familiar with the main page of Google Data Studio because it looks similar to Google Drive or Google Docs.

After logging in, you will enter the main page of Google Data Studio. The main page display of Google Data Studio is not much different from the appearance of Google Drive or Docs, so you will be more familiar.

On the main page, you will find the following sections:

  • Reports: In this section, you can see all the data reports that you have and have access to. This section is similar to the 'Workbook' in Excel. You can filter the list of reports by ownership and last opened.
  • Data Sources: This section shows a list of data sources associated with your Google Data Studio account. There are over 500 data sources you can connect to. Some of the most popular data sources are:
  • Explorer: Google Data Studio provides an 'Explorer' feature to experiment with your data reports. You can modify and experiment with this feature without changing the original report.

Determining the Purpose of Using Data Studio

If you want to know how to use Google Data Studio properly, it's better to define the intended use of the reports you want to create. This is important because the data you have will certainly vary, and not all of it will be displayed in the report.

By determining the purpose of the report, you can display important and needed data as information for stakeholders. You should know the objectives of your business so you can display the right measurements and statistics.

Adding Data Source

Figure 4: Screenshot of the data source page display. On this page, you can select and connect the data sources you want to use.

The next way to use Google Data Studio is to add a data source. Follow the guide below to do it:

  1. To connect Google Data Studio with a data source, click the 'Create' button and select 'Data Source'.
  2. Next, you'll see a wide selection of data sources. Choose one of the available data sources or use the search box.
  3. For example, use the Google Analytics data source and select one of the Google Analytics accounts you want. After that, click the 'Connect' button.
  4. Once connected, you can generate reports and use data from your chosen data source.

Choosing Reports Template

Figure 5: Screenshot of the template page in Google Data Studio. You can choose a template that can simplify the reporting process.

Google Data Studio provides a variety of templates that can simplify the reporting process. This template will make it very easy for beginners who don't understand how to use Google Data Studio well. You can also use it when you need to quickly generate reports.

There are various types of templates available. You can choose based on the purpose of the report or the data source used. For example, you can choose a template related to behavior overview from Google Analytics or a Youtube channel report template.

Processing Data Reports

Figure 6: Screenshot of the report generation page. Here you can process data, such as creating graphs and entering metrics for reporting.

After connecting to the data source, you can then create reports. If you have already created a previous report, you can simply open one of the reports on the main page and click the 'Edit' button.

If you don't have a report yet and want to create one from scratch without using a template, then you can learn how to use Google Data Studio to process the data reports below:

  1. Click the 'Create' button on the main page and select 'Report'.
  2. Choose one of the data sources that are already connected. If you want to use unconnected data, you can follow the previous tutorial on how to add a data source.
  3. If you want to add other data sources, you can do so through the 'Add Data' menu in the report.
  4. To visualize the data, you can use data graphs. The trick is to click the 'Add a chart' menu. Then, select the type of graph to use.
  5. You can also add a control function to the report by clicking the 'Add a control' menu.

Sharing Data Studio Information

Figure 7: Screenshot of the share feature in Google Data Studio. Share your reports with other parties in real time.

One way to use Google Data Studio that you need to know about is to share reports with others. Examples of other parties who need data reports are clients, managers, or other decision makers.

To share a Google Data Studio report, it's quite easy. The stages are as follows:

  1. Open the report you want to share in Google Data Studio.
  2. Click the 'Share' button in the upper right corner.
  3. In the 'Add people' section, you can add people who can access the report. You do this by entering their Gmail address.
  4. In the 'Manage access' section, you can set the role of each user in the report. The available role options are viewer and editor. The viewer role can only view reports, while the editor role can modify reports.
  5. If all the settings have been made, click the 'Save' button.

Here's a guide on how to use Google Data Studio. If you don't want to bother making reports and analyzing the performance of your website, use SEO Consulting Services. You will get a professional SEO team who will manage and make detailed website performance reports.

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