For those who’re simply getting began with Google Looker Studio, you’ve in all probability skilled blank-page syndrome.
You get your information supply related, open up a brand new file, and you don’t have any concept what to do subsequent.
There aren’t any directions. No information rails. Simply you and an empty web page to fill.
And whereas you can begin with a template (Google Looker Studio Report Gallery has a number of), it’s nonetheless powerful to know the right way to customise it to completely suit your wants.
Listed here are some tried-and-true components to incorporate in PPC dashboards and studies that may banish blank-page syndrome and provides your stakeholders the insights they crave.
1. Titles, subheads and context
Whenever you add a chart in Google Looker Studio, you choose the info supply, dimensions, metrics and date vary from the Information Panel to populate your visualization.
However your reader doesn’t see the Information Panel and gained’t know what your chart is about except you’re taking an additional step to incorporate it in your dashboard.
The 2 graphs under present equivalent information visualizations. Determine A consists of solely the chart, whereas Determine B consists of written titles and context.
Determine A leaves questions in your reader’s thoughts that Determine B solutions.
You can also make your graphs and tables simpler to know at a look with the following pointers:
- Give your information visualizations a title.
- Use subheadings and microcopy for extra context.
- Use legends.
- State the date vary if it’s not included within the chart. (Be aware: “auto” date vary defaults to final 28 days.)
- If a number of information sources are used all through your dashboard, make clear which is utilized in particular charts.
How you can do it:
- Add a textual content field and write out your titles and descriptions.
- This may open up a “Textual content Properties” panel to edit fonts, textual content dimension, and styling components.
It’s definitely worth the small guide effort it takes so as to add a textual content field and embody context!
2. KPI scorecards
You don’t want an article to inform you that your dashboard ought to embody your key efficiency indicators (KPIs).
However whilst you’re planning out your dashboard, pay particular consideration to the place to incorporate them.
Your KPIs matter most in your report and deserve high billing.
Which means showcasing your KPIs with scorecards like so:
Not as afterthoughts on the finish of a desk:
Not solely do tables make it exhausting to determine KPIs, for languages which can be learn left to proper, tucking KPIs on the far proper of the desk tells your reader these metrics are low precedence.
Preserve your reader centered in your key development metrics like lead quantity, income, or return on advert spend (ROAS), quite than self-importance and site visitors metrics like impressions and clicks.
How you can do it:
- Use Chart > Scorecard.
- Within the “metric” part of the Information Panel, add your KPI. Repeat as wanted.
- Management format and dimension within the Type Panel.
Having KPIs seem in tables and different charts isn’t an issue, however give them added consideration through the use of scorecards.
3. Purpose pacing
Some advertisers use mounted month-to-month or annual advertising budgets with no room for changes.
Others have gross sales or effectivity targets they should hit with versatile budgets.
It doesn’t matter what the method, your dashboard ought to reply the query:
Are we assembly our goals, and the way do we all know?
Account goals aren’t standardized, and neither is the method for together with objective pacing in your dashboard.
Thankfully, Looker Studio offers you a lot choices for including goals and pacing, from actually charting towards a objective to including a written description of the goal.
Listed here are some examples of the way you may anchor efficiency to a objective:
How you can do it:
- Choice: Add a header that states the target
- Choice: Use a pacing chart akin to bullet or gauge
- Choice: Add a calculated discipline with progress to objective (metric/goal)
Together with objective pacing offers your reader confidence in the right way to interpret efficiency information.
4. Developments and historic comparisons
Developments and historic comparisons let your reader know if issues are bettering – or want enchancment – over time.
Perhaps you fell wanting the objective, however you at all times miss it as a result of it’s unrealistic.
Perhaps you hit your objective, however you’re down in comparison with final 12 months, and you must take corrective motion.
Don’t make your reader wonder if present efficiency is common, down or “greatest month ever.”
Snapshot (single-metric) comparisons
Tables and scorecards offer you a simple method to present your reader how efficiency for this era compares to a different, utilizing color-coded arrows to point the course of the change (delta).
How you can do it:
- Below “Date vary,” choose your comparability date vary:
- Mounted
- Earlier interval
- Earlier 12 months
- Superior
- Within the Type Panel:
- Management the colour of constructive or detrimental change arrows
- For Scorecards solely, you may choose whether or not to point out absolute or proportion change and whether or not to incorporate an outline of the earlier time interval (comparability label).
- You may also format Scorecards to present each YoY and MoM comparisons.
Line charts
You will get an entire image of efficiency tendencies utilizing time collection charts.
Somewhat than simply evaluating this era to the final interval, you’ve obtained a whole historical past revealing tendencies in seasonality, market impression and extra.
You need to use a steady Time collection chart (proven above) or designate a comparability time interval.
Right here’s how that very same information seems as a Yr over Yr (YoY) Time collection chart. Be aware that the comparability 12 months will present as a lighter shade of this era’s line:
One other method to present historic efficiency is with a line chart that makes use of a time interval as a breakdown dimension.
This Line chart is from a report evaluating CPCs earlier than and throughout the Covid-19 pandemic:
How you can do it:
- To match two time intervals: Use a Time collection chart and choose a comparability date vary.
- To match three or extra time intervals (proven right here for years):
- Choose a Line chart
- Set the “Dimension” to Month
- Set the “Breakdown Dimension” to Yr
- Set the “Type” to Month
- Set the “Secondary type” to Yr
A number of necessary notes for tendencies and historic comparisons –
- Solely use these in your KPIs or metrics that immediately contribute to your KPIs. Don’t add a CTR development chart only for the sake of together with a development chart.
- There’s virtually by no means a motive to point out day by day granularity in these charts. Zoomed in that carefully, you’ll miss the sign for the day-to-day noise. Search for tendencies at a month-to-month degree.
5. Categorical tables
Okay, so tables aren’t that glamorous.
But when your Looker Studio dashboard doesn’t have a desk, one thing’s in all probability lacking.
Why? As a result of there are occasions when your viewers wants to check a number of classes throughout a number of metrics. And nothing does that extra effectively than a desk.
Tables are nice for evaluating default classes like:
- Campaigns
- Advert teams
- Key phrases
- Search phrases
- Last URLs
And relying on the complexity of your PPC dashboard, you may create tables for:
- Engines and platforms
- Channels and networks
- Funnels / intent / levels of consciousness
- Model vs. nonbrand
- Pivots of time segments, conversion varieties, and different classes
How you can do it:
- Chart > Desk (or Pivot desk)
- Dimension(s): the class or classes you wish to examine
- Metrics: your KPIs and supporting metrics
- From the Type Panel, you may format your desk to incorporate heatmaps, bars and targets
It’s straightforward to construct tables and add metrics, and it’s straightforward to get carried away. Train some restraint and restrict the variety of metrics in your desk, so it stays helpful to your reader.
Bonus: Shiny charts
Our listing constrained us to 5 classes, however right here’s one bonus for making it to the top:
Shiny charts.
What are shiny charts?
Shiny charts are visualizations that your viewers loves and will get enthusiastic about, even when they’re not tremendous actionable.
Your readers could not study something new, however they’ll really feel like they discovered one thing new.
Maps are an awesome instance.
Many dataviz consultants say to not use map charts; there are higher methods to speak location information.
However attempt to discover a consumer or stakeholder who doesn’t like to see efficiency information on a map. Go forward. I’ll wait.
Certain it’s a bit counterintuitive once you’re attempting to construct out an actionable dashboard. Perhaps even a bit controversial. And also you don’t need to do it. However a chart that makes your viewers really feel good only for seeing it has its personal advantage.
Placing all of it collectively
Whereas your Looker Studio dashboard can technically embody no matter you need, it ought to at a minimal embody:
- Title and context
- KPI scorecards
- Purpose pacing
- Historic comparisons
- Categorical tables
These don’t have to (and may’t) all be discrete sections. One scorecard can embody a title, KPI, pacing, and time comparability.
There are lots of different charts and visualizations that may take your PPC dashboard from good to nice. Getting began with this listing will set you up for fulfillment and offer you a dashboard definitely worth the time it took to construct.
Opinions expressed on this article are these of the visitor writer and never essentially Search Engine Land. Employees authors are listed right here.
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About The Creator
Amy Hebdon is a Google Adverts conversion knowledgeable and the founder and managing director of the Google Accomplice company Paid Search Magic. Since 2004, she’s managed Google Adverts for shoppers starting from Fortune 10 to SMBs at businesses, in-house, and freelancing. Her articles have been printed in Search Engine Journal, Unbounce, PPC Hero, Supermetrics, Copy Hackers and CXL. Collectively together with her husband James, she additionally runs the Fb group Google Adverts for Savvy Digital Entrepreneurs.
