Create a panel for the follow-up Search Console Data Studio
Google Data Studio (GDS) it is the tool of creation of panels of Google. In the article last we saw how to create a dashboard with Google Data Studio . So, if it is your first contact with Google Data Studio, you may want to spend before you there. Here we are going to make the assumption that you know what is GDS, how to add sources of data and a few basic things that are explained in the video above.
One of the advantages of GDS is that we allow integrate different data sources in a single report and create graphics synchronized with those sources. Although there are many tools for the creation of panels, many of them more complex and with more resources, Google Data Studio is becoming very popular for several reasons.
Advantages of using Google Data Studio to your dashboards web analytics
- Google Data Studio is free: Included within the set of marketing tools Google in conjunction with Google Analytics, Google Optimize or Google Search console.
- Google Data Studio is surprisingly easy to use. When you start using calls attention to the learning curve. In very little time you can create panels perfectly functional that can save you many hours and give new perspectives to create reports. Of course, with time, you can study and become an expert implies, not only a good understanding of the tool, also improving your technical analysis.
- Google Data Studio is a very versatile tool. Both by the amount of graphics as the amount of data sources that we can integrate, and the ability that we're going to have to manipulate these data. Of course, you're not going to have a variety of charts as wide as Tableau or other tools for the creation of panels of payment. We're not even going to have as many graphs as in an Excel. But Google Data Studio offers a considerable amount of resources and that, in addition, has been growing with the time.
To change and this is perhaps the biggest drawback of GDS is that the graphics are not very configurable, but in this aspect, the tool has also evolved a lot in the last year and is expected to continue doing so. - Google Data Studio is an evolving tool. Constantemente están apareciendo nuevas funcionalidades. Google informa sobre las novedades de Google Data Studio y las va almacenando en esta página en español https://support.google.com/datastudio/answer/6311467?hl=es. Verás que, solo en 2019, Google ha publicado 30 artículos con las novedades que han ido apareciendo en Google Data Studio. Aunque no en todos los artículos hay grandes cambios, sí hay más de una novedad en cada uno de ellos. El promedio no nos sale nada mal.
- Google Data Studio is speaking a “language” is known. That is to say, if you have worked with Google Analytics, Google Search Console or Google Tag Manager GDS's going to be very family-level controls, in many cases of icons, graphics... even at the level of jargon. At the end of the predominance of Google analytics web-site has created a series of “codes”. It's a bit like when you work with Photoshop, and you find it easier to go to work with Illustrator or when you work with Office and you find it more comfortable to use Excel than any other solution. It is the reason so many people are still hacking the office, despite the fact that there are so many free alternatives, and free in the market: we are creatures of habit
Create dashboards in Data Studio for the follow-up Search Console
Data Studio will allow us to create panels for the follow-up of the data from Search Console. Following what we said before, the big advantage is that we're going to be able to connect very easily Search Console with GDS. The drawback is that, if you are accustomed to using GDS with Google Analytics perhaps the integration with Search console is a bit poor. Here we are not going to be able to, for example, to make a panel of errors and we are not going to be able to include the new report of speed. Basically we will be able to track the clicks, impressions, average position, and little more.
The extra advantage is that, since GDS we will be able to download after our report, and at this point, playing a little with the variables, we will be able to qualify a little bit more of our reports in order to differentiate between the different types of traffic.
Differences between dimensions and metrics in Google Data Studio
Although it may seem very basic, the differences between dimensions and metrics are essential when working with analytics and Data Studio. In fact, it is a very important issue that the in-house team of Data Studio is passed a good time mulling over how each one of them. Precisely, very recently, specifically in October of 2019, the team of Data Studio announced on their blog that they had made changes in the definitions and aggregation of the fields, and published these definitions of “Dimension” and “Metric”.
Dimension: set of values that are not added by which you can group the data. As before, the dimensions of the data source are displayed as green fields.
Metric: specific aggregation that can be applied to a set of values. Given that the metric itself does not have a set of values defined, do not make the groups from it. As before, the metrics of your data source is shown in blue fields.
Figure 1 - dimensions are green
Figure 2 - The metrics are blue
Create a panel to the Search Console using Data Studio
Search Console is a very important tool if you work on the organic traffic of your website. In fact, it is a fundamental tool for SEO, because it is the closest thing we have to a “direct line” with the results of Google. Search Console is also a tool that has evolved much in the last few months and that, as Google Data Studio, it looks like that is going to evolve even more. Google, which had for years almost in fallow, it seems that finally it has been taken seriously.
Now, well, it's true that GDS is not going to deliver an amount of information as big as you can get, for example, in Analytics. There is scarcely a couple of dozens of reports, and the greater part of them, refer to errors of traffic, better... In terms of traffic, in fact, in Data Studio are going to be able to work, above all, with the data from the report of search Results, where we're going to find a few metrics: clicks, impressions, average CTR and average position of the search organic.
A little thing, yes, but very important. The challenge today will be to use these few metrics to build a dashboard in Data Studio that allows us to have a vision at the same time broad and practical, that is to say, a panel with which we can work comfortably and that we can draw conclusions that will help us to better understand our organic traffic and to make decisions based on it.
We create the header of our panel
The first thing we do is decide how we're going to configure our panel. I talk to configure the space at a basic level: where will we place our graph in the space, where we will post the title, where we will post the filters... of course, none of this is going to have any influence in how to operate the panel at the end, but it is going to have influence on how easy it will be to use it, especially if it is a panel that you are going to use different users. In my case, I like to place a kind of upper pane with the name of the project, the function that is going to have this panel in particular, and the filters. There is nothing special in the background is a model very much in the style of a web page, but it is the one that I use, that's precisely why, because it is a structure almost canonical in which any user is going to quickly orient and that to me, in particular, helps me to find me when I have multiple panels open.
- Insert rectangle
- Insert logo
- Insert text box
- Insert project name
- Insert panel function
- Insert filter dates
The filter of dates, for example, is something that I know that I will always use, so we add it to the beginning. Then, if we put additional filters, the I will lay in the same area. I usually like to make two columns, one with the filter of dates and other filters that I use more than once in a while, but for now, let's go pulling with this.
Linear graph of follow-up
Then I'm going to create the first graph, that will be a linear graph of basic to know how it is evolving the page to the organic level, that is to say, if I'm winning or losing organic traffic.
As in the search console only worked with four metrics I'm going to take advantage and put three of them in the same combo box: impressions, and average position. Leave out the CTR because, if we represent visually the impressions and clicks, and you now have a vision, at least the surface of our CTR.
In general, the impressions will be many more clicks. If it is not so is that your CTR is phenomenal (if you have more than 1000 clicks per month, and your CTR is so phenomenal, congratulations, you will already tell us how you did it). In this case we are talking about a page with few clicks, so what we will do is to place the clicks and the average position in the y-axis on the right.
This need not be so always. In fact, the most normal is to place the impressions and clicks on one axis and the middle position, with a lower number, then the next. It will also depend on the time period for which agrupemos figures. In this case what we're going to organize it so that the graphs are visible. In addition, as I will use this chart to see long periods of time, the evolution of the page through time, what I do is to group the data by week.
View and download queries
The following basic graphic that comes in handy to have in a panel of Search Console is the list of Queries. Get the list of Queries in Data Studio adds several advantages compared to the report from Google Search Console. To begin with, in the report of the Google Search Console just let us download 1000 queries, which is a limit that we will fall short at once. The way to download the rest of the queries is, to resort to the API or, simply, to create a dashboard in Data Studio.
This, by itself, is already a major advantage but, in addition, we are going to create an extra dimension to be able to organize the search and that our report will be a little more full.
In this case, as we have very few queries in the report, we are going to make a division that is very basic to differentiate between the traffic of mark and the traffic unbranded. For this, simply, we're going to create a new field, and there, we will use regular expressions to indicate that, when found in the query a determined expression, the sort of the way that we tell. In this case, we classify only as “mark” and “not mark” but we could put different categories.
Create graphics with our new dimension
Once categorized our queries we will use to create the listing that we've seen. When you download us download also the classification that we have done. This is a good way to have a glimpse about the kind of searches that make our users to find and, since what we have created, we are going to create a pie chart that allows us to see how many of these searches corresponding to each of the categories.
In this case we will use the custom field that we have created as a dimension and the clicks as the metrics. We're going to take the opportunity to check the option “Apply filter” that will allow us to then use the chart as a filter to categories of queries specified.
CASE
when regexp_match(Query,"enter here your regular expression") then "Brand" else "SEO"
END
Keep in mind that the categories that you think will be exclusive as well that, while you can create all of the existing categories, will be categorized by the order in which the find. So, if you create a category with the name of your product and you call him “Mark” and later you want to create a category that groups together all the searches with purchase intention, that is, queries that include words like “buy,” “where to buy” “best product for...” etc if at any time someone enters a search like “buy + your mark” will be classified in the first order that it finds.
My advice: think of a few categories that you really are relevant to you and jerarquízalas. Think that, in the end, you're always going to be able to create new dimensions if you are interested in a different table.
Create a chart for the visibility on mobile
We work in the same way to create a chart that allows us to see the visits that we are having from mobile and from the Desktop. We use again the function “case” and, in this case, we are going to add extra detail. Instead of using text to label our new dimensions let's use smileys to make our panel a little more visual. Then we'll increase a bit the size of the legend for the emoticons are visible and remain “Apply filter” to be able to use it.
For this we will resort to the same function as before, only that, instead of searching for “query” we will seek the dimension “Device category”. Remember that although you are working with your Search Console in Spanish here the dimensions and metrics appear to us in English. So don't be confused, you have a list of available fields on the left side.
Case
when regexp_match(Device Category,"MOBILE") then "📱"
else "💻"
end
Once you have your pie chart is created, within the “data” tab you can enable the “Apply filters”. Thus, our graphic will not only allow us to see the traffic that comes to mobile and desktop. We also will serve as a filter to these data.
And ready. With these three elements, we can already have a panel in which to visualize our data in Google Search Console. Then this panel will evolve according to your needs and, of course, in the end, a panel is no longer a tool that will be more or less functional in function of the use of, and your ability to analyze the data. But the first step has already been taken.
