If you happen to’re simply getting began with Google Looker Studio, you’ve most likely skilled blank-page syndrome.
You get your knowledge supply linked, open up a brand new file, and you don’t have any thought 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 how one can customise it to completely suit your wants.
Listed here are some tried-and-true components to incorporate in PPC dashboards and reviews that may banish blank-page syndrome and provides your stakeholders the insights they crave.
1. Titles, subheads and context
If you add a chart in Google Looker Studio, you choose the information 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 until you are taking an additional step to incorporate it in your dashboard.
The 2 graphs beneath present an identical knowledge 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 may make your graphs and tables simpler to know at a look with the following tips:
- Give your knowledge 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 knowledge sources are used all through your dashboard, make clear which is utilized in particular charts.
Tips on how to do it:
- Add a textual content field and write out your titles and descriptions.
- It will open up a “Textual content Properties” panel to edit fonts, textual content measurement, and styling components.
It’s well 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 when you’re planning out your dashboard, pay particular consideration to the place to incorporate them.
Your KPIs matter most in your report and deserve prime 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 onerous 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.
Maintain your reader targeted in your key development metrics like lead quantity, income, or return on advert spend (ROAS), relatively than vainness and visitors metrics like impressions and clicks.
Tips on how to do it:
- Use Chart > Scorecard.
- Within the “metric” part of the Information Panel, add your KPI. Repeat as wanted.
- Management format and measurement within the Model Panel.
Having KPIs seem in tables and different charts isn’t an issue, however give them added consideration by utilizing 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 objectives they should hit with versatile budgets.
It doesn’t matter what the method, your dashboard ought to reply the query:
Are we assembly our aims, and the way do we all know?
Account aims aren’t standardized, and neither is the method for together with purpose pacing in your dashboard.
Thankfully, Looker Studio offers you a lot choices for including aims and pacing, from actually charting towards a purpose to including a written description of the goal.
Listed here are some examples of the way you may anchor efficiency to a purpose:
Tips on how to do it:
- Possibility: Add a header that states the target
- Possibility: Use a pacing chart akin to bullet or gauge
- Possibility: Add a calculated discipline with progress to purpose (metric/goal)
Together with purpose pacing offers your reader confidence in how one can interpret efficiency knowledge.
4. Developments and historic comparisons
Developments and historic comparisons let your reader know if issues are enhancing – or want enchancment – over time.
Possibly you fell wanting the purpose, however you at all times miss it as a result of it’s unrealistic.
Possibly you hit your purpose, however you’re down in comparison with final 12 months, and you want to take corrective motion.
Don’t make your reader ponder whether present efficiency is common, down or “finest month ever.”
Snapshot (single-metric) comparisons
Tables and scorecards provide you with a simple solution 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).
Tips on how to do it:
- Beneath “Date vary,” choose your comparability date vary:
- Mounted
- Earlier interval
- Earlier 12 months
- Superior
- Within the Model Panel:
- Management the colour of constructive or adverse change arrows
- For Scorecards solely, you may choose whether or not to indicate absolute or proportion change and whether or not to incorporate an outline of the earlier time interval (comparability label).
- You can too format Scorecards to present each YoY and MoM comparisons.
Line charts
You will get a whole image of efficiency tendencies utilizing time sequence charts.
Fairly than simply evaluating this era to the final interval, you’ve obtained a complete historical past revealing tendencies in seasonality, market affect and extra.
You need to use a steady Time sequence chart (proven above) or designate a comparability time interval.
Right here’s how that very same knowledge seems to be as a Yr over Yr (YoY) Time sequence chart. Be aware that the comparability 12 months will present as a lighter shade of this era’s line:
One other solution 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 in the course of the Covid-19 pandemic:
Tips on how to do it:
- To check two time durations: Use a Time sequence chart and choose a comparability date vary.
- To check three or extra time durations (proven right here for years):
- Choose a Line chart
- Set the “Dimension” to Month
- Set the “Breakdown Dimension” to Yr
- Set the “Kind” to Month
- Set the “Secondary type” to Yr
A number of essential notes for tendencies and historic comparisons –
- Solely use these on your KPIs or metrics that straight contribute to your KPIs. Don’t add a CTR pattern chart only for the sake of together with a pattern chart.
- There’s virtually by no means a motive to indicate 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 stage.
5. Categorical tables
Okay, so tables aren’t that glamorous.
But when your Looker Studio dashboard doesn’t have a desk, one thing’s most likely 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 sorts, and different classes
Tips on how to do it:
- Chart > Desk (or Pivot desk)
- Dimension(s): the class or classes you need to evaluate
- Metrics: your KPIs and supporting metrics
- From the Model 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 tip:
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 might not be taught something new, however they’ll really feel like they realized one thing new.
Maps are a fantastic instance.
Many dataviz specialists say to not use map charts; there are higher methods to speak location knowledge.
However attempt to discover a consumer or stakeholder who doesn’t like to see efficiency knowledge on a map. Go forward. I’ll wait.
Certain it’s a bit counterintuitive while you’re attempting to construct out an actionable dashboard. Possibly even a bit controversial. And also you don’t must do it. However a chart that makes your viewers really feel good only for seeing it has its personal benefit.
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 must (and might’t) all be discrete sections. One scorecard can embody a title, KPI, pacing, and time comparability.
There are a lot 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 achievement and provide you with a dashboard well worth the time it took to construct.
Opinions expressed on this article are these of the visitor creator and never essentially Search Engine Land. Workers 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 Associate 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.
