We show you how to generate reports, work with tables and create diagrams using the free Google Looker visualizer .
Since September 2024, Google Looker does not work in Russia.
Looker Studio Features
How Google Looker is useful for marketers
Getting Started with Google Looker
Setting
Templates
Creating reports
Additional functions
Working with tables and charts
Hot keys
Google Looker Analogues
Looker Studio Features
Table of Contents
1. Ready-made templates
Looker Studio has five main functions: Looker Studio has 23 ready-made templates for reports, taking into account the specifics of data sources. For example, there are three templates for Google Sheets: a dashboard with maps, templates for text and analytical reports.
2. Variety of visualization options
Looker Studio has 42 types of graphs, charts, and tables, such as line graphs, bar graphs, pie charts, and maps.
3. Setup and customization
Users can customize the appearance of reports: change colors, fonts and styles, add their logos and images.
4. Collaboration
Several users can work simultaneously in Looker Studio documents. This is convenient when several employees are involved in a project.
5. Data updating
Thanks to the connection of Looker Studio with data sources, the information in the reports will be updated automatically.
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How Google Looker is useful for marketers
Here are three examples of how Looker Studio can help marketers:
1. Create a single report across multiple data sources
Looker Studio supports connections to nine data sources, including Google Analytics, Google Ads, BigQuery, SQL databases , and other third-party services.
2. Track metrics in real time
Looker allows you to set up interactive dashboards to track key performance indicators (KPIs) such as customer acquisition cost (CAC), return on investment (ROI) , conversion rate, and other important metrics.
3. Automate reporting
In Looker Studio, you can create your own report templates with formulas and parameters.
The course “Traffic Manager” teaches how to track, analyze, and automate data . Students learn how to launch advertising campaigns, use advertising and analytical services, test hypotheses, and create and visualize reports. After completing the course, students will receive portfolio cases, a professional training diploma, or a course completion certificate.
Advantages and disadvantages
Advantages
Free access
All Looker Studio features are free. Therefore, the service can be used by freelancers and small businesses.
Intuitive interface
The user interface is similar to other visualizers, so it is easy to learn.
Collaboration
Collaboration features allow multiple users to edit reports simultaneously and share them with others.
Flaws
Limited capabilities
More complex analytical tasks and data processing may require additional tools.
Speed of work
If several data sources are connected to the report, the update may take several minutes.
Works only online.
Not adapted for smartphones and tablets.
Getting Started with Google Looker
To get started, sign in to your Google account. It’s best to work from the account that’s associated with your work documents. Otherwise, you’ll have to move them out of your workspaces.
Once you have logged into your work account, go to the official Google Looker website and click “Use it for free”. The system will automatically open the workspace in Google Looker under your Google account.
In the left corner of the workspace is a menu. The menu has five sections:
1. Recent — documents you’ve used recently.
2. Available to me — documents from other users that you have access to.
3. Owned by me — your documents.
4. Recycle Bin — deleted documents that can be either permanently deleted or restored.
5. Templates — report templates. We’ll talk about them below.
Setting
Before you start working, you need to grant Google Looker access to data sources. In the “Available to me” section, data sources will appear automatically if someone specifies your email in the document access settings. In the “Owned by me” section, you need to set up access manually.
A window will open with a list of sources that can be connected. Click on the desired source → “Allow”.
Google Looker will ask you to specify which account the source is linked to. Select the account that has access to the data source.
Templates
Google Looker comes with 23 pre-built templates for nine data sources:
1. Google Analytics.
2. Search Console.
3. Google Ads.
4. YouTube Analytics.
5. Google Sheets.
6. BigQuery.
7. Apigee.
8. Search Ads 360.
9. Display & Video 360.
To select a template for the desired data source, click “Templates” in the left menu, then select the data source in the gallery.
Creating reports
To generate a report, you can use a ready-made template or create a new one. For example, we will create a new report. To do this, click “Reports” – “Blank report”.
Then a window will open for linking the report to the data source. In the right menu you can filter files:
● Entire list — all documents you have access to.
● Mine — only your documents.
● Shared with me — other people’s files that you have access to.
● Starred — files you’ve marked as important.
● URLs — links to files.
● Open from Google Drive — files stored on your drive.
If you click on a document, the names of its sheets will open. Click the desired file → Sheet → “Link”.
The report workspace will then open. The data from the table will be displayed as one field with two columns.
The table may differ from the original. In the following modules, we will tell you how to combine charts and tables to display what you need. Source
Additional functions
Additional Google Looker functions help to format the report. Let’s consider how it works using several functions as an example.
1. Report date plate
Click on “Add control” — “Date range” in the top panel and place the element anywhere in the workspace. Set the desired range and click “Apply”. For example, let’s take a range of 28 days.
The date range can be used by default in the Fixed Dates tab in the upper corner of the calendar. For example, you can select data for the last day, month, year, 7, 14,28, 30 days, etc. Source
2. Text
Click Insert – Text and place the element in the desired area. In the right menu in the Text (settings) section, you can apply italics, set the font size, boldness, change the text alignment, specify a background, insert a link and use other standard Google Sheets text settings .
3. Images
To include a company logo in the report, click Insert — Image and select the area where the logo will be placed. The image settings are located in the right corner; you can select a graphic file from a computer folder or insert a link to an image.
4. Colored plates
Click “Shape” and select a rectangle or circle, then place the shape in the workspace. For this example, we placed a rectangular plate and inserted text into it.
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Working with tables and charts
Charts
Click “Add Chart” in the top menu and select the desired chart.
A chart with random data from the table will appear on the screen. To display the required data, click on “Options” in the right menu and use the search to specify the required sheet.
If you select a chart that is not suitable for the table, an error may be displayed. You can either replace it or add the missing parameters. Source
Tables
Click “Add chart” in the top menu and select the desired table. The table will be displayed in the window. To add columns with data, click “Data” in the right menu – the name of the sheet with data.
Hot keys
Google Looker keyboard shortcuts differ on macOS and Windows. All commands are listed on the website. Here are a few of them:
Google Looker Analogues
In September 2024, Google announced the closure of Looker Studio in Russia. Here are some other services that can be used to create dashboards:
Yandex DataLens
A service for data analysis and visualization from Yandex Cloud. You can connect to various databases and services. Available analytics of any scale – from graphs and dashboards to analytical systems. Training courses will help you understand the service .
Plotly
A service for creating charts, statistics and analytics. Several people can work on one project at once.
Apache Superset
A BI service based on the Python language. You can connect to different databases and create interactive dashboards, graphs, reports.
Metabase
Allows you to create interactive reports and dashboards. You can connect to more than 20 data sources. A neat interface that is pleasant to work with.
1C:Analytics
BI system on the 1C:Enterprise platform. You can create reports and dashboards based on data from other 1C products used by the company.
Datawrapper
A data visualization tool that is more suitable for creative rather than technical professionals, such as editors. You don’t need to know code to use the service. You can create interactive charts, tables, and maps.
