This Free Google Tool – Google Data Studio – is Elevating Reporting

 

 

The Google Marketing Platform is the name for the tools Google provides to users and search engine marketing specialists. Parts of it include Google Analytics, Ads, Optimize, and Google Data Studio. Through these tools, users can become expert search engine advertisers and make informed decisions on future SEM, SEO, and email campaigns.

 

Google Data Studio is new-ish as a free service but has been around for quite a while. Before a free version was released in 2016, it was a part of the enterprise Google Analytics 360 suite. In 2017, Google released unlimited Data Studio as a completely free service. Since then, Google continues to add new reporting features that make it a valuable free tool for users.

 

Now that you know what Google Data Studio does, why do you need it?

 

Collect Data from Several Sources

 

 

Data Studio is your all-in-one data hub, uniting data from various spreadsheets, Analytics, Google Ads, Search Console, and Google BigQuery. It allows you to transform data to meet your requirements without the need for code or queries.

 

In addition to Google internal sources, Data Studio also allows you to connect data from third-party services such as Facebook, Salesforce, Twitter, MailChimp, and more. This allows users to see a holistic picture of their marketing and advertising efforts.

 

One of the most beloved features, however, is its ability to integrate data from Google Sheets. For search engine marketers and advertisers, this is a massive benefit. The ability to pull data from multiple sources for one report is what makes this tool that much more special.

 

 

Collaborate Seamlessly

 

Another benefit is the ability to share inside, and outside, of your team. Viewers can collaborate seamlessly, make comments, and edit reports. This new collaborative feature mimics the concept of Google Docs. It can be used for meetings, to send reports to clients, and to work with team members on reports in real-time.

 

 

Custom Reports in Google Data Studio

 

 

Designing reports in Data Studio are now more customizable than ever before. Through this tool, users can customize colors, logos, images, and insert dynamic controls to provide a personal experience to viewers.

 

In addition to custom colors and fonts, there are pre-made templates designed by Google to help users present visually stunning reports for clients. Users can also design their own templates if they have something specific in mind.

 

Aside from aesthetics, this improved Google tool is a user-friendly drag-and-drop type of report builder. Users can present data in many forms, including bar graphs, line graphs, and pie charts in order to make reports as easily digestible as possible.

 

 

Real-Time Updates to Reports

 

Another neat feature of Google Data Studio is real-time reporting. When there’s a data update to the report source (i.e. Facebook, Google Analytics, etc) it is automatically reflected in all reports associated with that data source. This ensures that all of your reports accurately reflect the data as it is being updated. (Please note that platforms outside of the Google network, such as Facebook, need a connector to ensure real-time reporting. Google properties update automatically.)

 

 

Scheduled Reports in Google Data Studio

 

 

Google has most recently added a new feature to Google Data Studio that has its users very excited. The scheduled reports feature allows users to schedule reports to be sent to their clients or team on time, every time!

 

Since the reports automatically update themselves in real time, users can be sure that the data being sent is updated and ready for review.

 

Overall, this is an excellent tool for data interpretation and reporting, one that is unparalleled in the market. Up until now, companies had to pay thousands to get a reporting program similar to Data Studio. Today, it’s a free service that anyone can get their hands on. Take advantage of it and show off your hard work through beautifully designed custom reports!

 

If you have any questions, you can reach me through my contact information below. Happy reporting!

 

Chelsea Demastrie
SEM/SM Advertising Manager
Chelsea at heartbrain dot marketing