Google Data Studio: action-oriented insights in an instant

Anyone who has already taken a look at the Google Analytics 360 Suite has probably come across Google Data Studio. But Data Studio is also there for users of the free Google Analytics. Data Studio has various functions with which you can clearly map Google Analytics traffic combined with other data sources. You already have that in one place, instead of data on different platforms.

Link different data sources

The handy thing about Google Data Studio is that you can get data from different sources. You do this by clicking on 'Data sources' and then clicking on the plus sign. You then have the choice of, for example Google Analytics, Google Ads and Google Search Console.

Data Studio can also retrieve data from BigQuery and Google Docs. The latter in particular is very interesting: if you know how to get your data in a Google Sheet, you can combine and visualize it with Data Studio. A free service such as Zapier links all kinds of services to Google Docs, and you can link and visualize everything. The data is updated automatically every day.

Make your own dashboards

If you have paired a few data sources, you can really start using Google Data Studio. The first visualizations can be made. This can be based on a graph or a table. With this tool you can set which dimension you want to give it.

Google has thought about ease of use and therefore has a way of working that is reminiscent of Excel. Therefore everyone who has worked in Excel should be able to handle this.

You can create and share your own dashboards in Google Data Studio.

Share your dashboards

You can also share all data that you collect with other users. You do this by clicking on 'Share' in the top right of the dashboard that you want to share. Just like with Google Docs or Google Drive, you can then invite others based on their e-mail address. You can also set permissions. For example, some users can make changes, while others are only allowed to view the dashboards.

You can also embed your reports on a website. Visitors can 'play' with your data directly. For example, to show how many visitors and sessions you have as an influencer.

Gain insight by filtering

In Google Data Studio you can adjust tables and graphs by setting filters. You do this by selecting a table or a graph. You make a filter fairly simple: you click on the table or graph for which a filter must be made, and then click on 'Add filter' on the right-hand side of the screen. When you have created a filter, press 'SAVE'.

Once you have created a filter, you can also reuse it. You then indicate what a specific component or field must meet. You can also combine multiple fields. This is how you make a report that is as comprehensive as possible.

The limitations of Google Data Studio

Google Data Studio does have a number of limitations. For example, you cannot save reports locally. So you can only view them online and you can only share them. As a result, data older than three months 'disappears' if the data comes from the Search Console. So you really have to do something with it. And if you have imported a lot of data, it may take a while for Google Data Studio and the report to load. It becomes noticeably slow and it takes a long time before the data is loaded. This does improve.

The system of the future?

Previously it was not possible to use multiple data sources in one graph. This is now from July 2018 possible, by popular request. This shows Google to respond quickly to users' wishes. This tool from online giant Google could just be the dashboard system of the future. It is well-arranged and easy to set up. Statistics are displayed in a visually appealing way. There is also something to choose from in terms of colors: both a light and a dark version are available.

With Google Data Studio you come to many new insights about your website or webshop. For example, you can find out why the conversion volume from SEO is falling, or which marketing communication strategy really scores. Data visualization and dashboarding initially sounds boring. But if you can put your finger on the sore spot and increase your sales and conversion? Then more data please!