Are Google Analytics Classes Worth It?

So you’ve decided you want to learn Google Analytics but aren’t sure how to proceed. There are many ways to master Google Analytics, from free resources to online courses to in-person classes. But, which option is best? Is a class really worth it? This article aims to answer these questions by providing you with a deeper understanding of the advantages and considerations of a Google Analytics class. Keep reading to learn more.

What is Google Analytics?

Used by skilled marketers the world over, Google Analytics is a web analytics service with basic analytical tools and statistics used for search engine optimization (SEO) and marketing. Free to anyone with a Google account, Google Analytics can help marketers and businesses gain a complete understanding of their customers across devices and platforms.

Google Analytics can sort and sift website analytics into dozens of different data dimensions and metrics, some of which are outlined below:

• Pages visited on your site
• How long each page is viewed 
• What browser viewers/visitors are using
• If viewers/visitors are on a desktop or mobile device
• What site they were on when they clicked over to yours
• Which forms the viewer/visitor submitted
• How many users are currently on your site

When Google Analytics is used at its full potential, it can help you track your website ROI (return on investment) for all of your online marketing efforts.You can also spot trends in user activity, how your pages and posts are performing, and make informed decisions based on how your site visitors engage with your website. Google Analytics allows you to make informed decisions based on the real, raw data.

What Can You Do With Google Analytics

Google Analytics can help you do many things. Whether you’re monitoring your company’s website or tracking the successes and failures of your own social media platforms, below is a brief list of how you can leverage Google Analytics to your advantage. 

• See how many users are on your site right now: Real-time reports can help you verify if you correctly inserted the tracking id on your site or app, see the traffic changes for a one day campaign, view the immediate effects of social share, and test changes on your site by monitoring goal completions.
• What cities and countries your users are visiting from
• Finding out what devices your audience uses: Knowing which devices your users typically use can help you prioritize your strategy with things like mobile-first design.
• Track your audience interests: this can help you create content that caters to their interests. 
• The channels that drive the most traffic: Whether they are the social sites that are driving the most traffic or your site is better ranking in organic search, you can keep track of top channels and improve your marketing strategies.
• Keep track of your marketing campaigns
• Track how users navigate your site and which pages they frequent
• View conversion rates and track your top-selling products

So, if you work in marketing, run your own ecommerce site, or have your own influencer brand, Google Analytics can help you track what matters most so you can improve your marketing strategy and cater your tactics to your target audience. 

Consider the Costs

Attending a live (either online or in-person) Google Analytics training will most likely cost several hundred to a few thousand dollars, so there’s no denying that it’s a financial commitment. On-demand virtual courses are more cost effective and allow you to learn at your own pace. There are also, of course, free online tutorials and YouTube videos to help you grasp the basics. Each of these options have their own benefits and drawbacks, so understanding the pros and cons of each offering is the first step in deciding if it’s worth the cost. 

Advantages of a Google Analytics Class

There are substantial advantages to a Google Analytics class (as opposed to free online resources) that might make the price tag worth it for you. Outlined below are some of the top advantages of attending a Google Analytics course with a live instructor-led curriculum. 

General Benefits

A live course, whether online or in-person, has substantial advantages like real-time interactions with an instructor and other students, allowing you to ask questions and receive feedback instantly. This can be especially helpful when you’re struggling with a specific topic in the course. Live classes also have built-in accountability. If you don’t show up for your scheduled class times, your absence will be noticed. For some students, this can keep them motivated and on task. Finally, these structured courses boast a top-notch curriculum, covering Google Analytics in-depth, often using real-world examples to help you apply skills and techniques. 

Access to Current and Relevant Information

It can be hard to decipher the most current best practices and strategies for a field like Google Analytics, especially when you’re just sifting through free tutorials online. The digital world is constantly changing and our websites, email campaigns, and social media platforms must continuously evolve to keep up. How we track and interpret the data from these sources will evolve as well, as users may shift which platforms and tactics they prefer over time. For instance, there is currently a shift to a mobile-first approach for email campaigns due to the majority of people viewing their email on their phones. A quality Google Analytics class will have the most up-to-date practices and theories to ensure what you’re learning is useful in the current world. 

Learning Theory and Practices

Google Analytics is used in a variety of industries, so having a firm foundation in the universal and industry-specific principles and practices will be very important. At its base, Google Analytics involves tracking and analyzing data associated with your website, email campaigns, or social media. While this can seem simple at first, the more intricate detailings of data analytics can be challenging to learn. An experienced instructor will walk you through all the fundamentals of Google Analytics and help you learn how best to apply them. 

Personalized Feedback

A lot of learning Google Analytics is trial and error. Most courses will provide real-world examples and projects so that you can learn to apply your skills and make valuable mistakes along the way. A live class allows an instructor to provide you with feedback on your work in the moment. Plus, a course led by an expert instructor also provides a chance for that expert to look over your projects outside of class and provide thoughtful, more in-depth advice later. Many courses even include 1:1 mentoring or virtual office hours, giving you ample opportunities to learn from your mistakes and build your skills. 

Collaboration and Communication

Google Analytics professionals are typically members of a larger team that can include email marketers, business analysts, social media marketers, and user experience (UX) designers . Collaboration and communication are important skills that can be practiced in a Google Analytics course. You could work on projects with other students, present your data for the class, or learn tips and tricks for successfully communicating and collaborating. Online tutorials may provide some insight into this, but won’t create opportunities for you to practice these things like a live class. 

Considerations When Looking at Google Analytics Classes

There are additional things to consider before enrolling in a course beyond your interest level or career dreams. While learning Google Analytics is accessible for most, it may not be for everyone.

General Considerations

As previously mentioned, live online classes offer a structured learning environment and accountability with scheduled class times. While these can be valuable benefits, if you work full time or have other commitments that occupy your day, scheduled class times could be difficult to accommodate. A live class also requires you to learn at the same pace as the other students. If you master new subjects quickly or are already competent in some topics covered in a Google Analytics course, you may wish to skip ahead to save yourself some time. This also applies in the opposite direction: if you require more time on a specific subject, a live online class may not accommodate.

Finding the Right Balance of Skills

It’s important that you know what skills and subjects you’d like to focus on before you enroll in a course. Or, if you’re entirely new to Google Analytics, it’s recommended that you look for a class that has the right balance of technical skills, theory, soft skills, and project-based work. A comprehensive training program or bootcamp will offer a robust curriculum that covers these aspects, but shorter classes may only focus on the basics or specific features. 

Is it Worth Enrolling in a Google Analytics Class?

Who will find it worthwhile?

Learning Google Analytics is the first step for anyone that wants a career in data analytics, email marketing, SEO, or social media marketing, to name a few. These trainings provide the fundamental transferable skills necessary for these roles (and many more). Many professional roles require knowledge of Google Analytics, so if you’re pursuing a career in marketing or advertising, attending a professional course in Google Analytics can prove very worthwhile. 

Whether you’re upskilling or reskilling, pursuing ongoing professional education will always serve you well in your career. But, for those that aren’t interested in career change or advancement, mastering Google Analytics can still be worthwhile. Learning technical skills can improve your problem-solving skills, memory, confidence, and concentration skills. Learning a new skill can make you a more well-rounded person, both professionally and personally. If you’re looking to expand your soft and hard skill sets, learning Google Analytics can be worth it for you.

Professionals in related or adjacent fields can also benefit, like those who work in creative services, or UX or UI design. Creative services are the folks who design the graphics and layouts for emails and social posts, while UX and UI professionals oversee the creation and maintenance of websites and apps, including their navigation and user-friendliness. Having a greater understanding of Google Analytics would allow these professionals to accurately interpret the data that will be presented or passed along from marketing departments. This, in turn, can help them innovate their designs to better serve the target audiences. So, even if it may seem outside of your current field, learning Google Analytics can help you holistically improve as a professional.

Who probably doesn’t need a Google Analytics class?

If you’re already an Email or Social Media Manager, attending a Google Analytics course would be redundant, as you probably already possess the skills. General Google Analytics skills involve tracking, logging, and interpreting data around your marketing tactics, so experts in these fields will most likely be looking for more advanced training.

Learn Google Analytics Skills with Noble Desktop

Live Google Analytics courses are an ideal learning method for those entirely new to the field. Noble Desktop’s live classes offer expert instructors, setup assistance for online classes, and the chance for 1:1 mentoring. Held both live online and in person in New York, you can learn everything you need to know to become a Google Analytics expert. 

Noble Desktop’s Google Analytics Bootcamp will teach you all about this handy tool’s applications for marketing, including tracking data, interpreting reports, and optimizing performance. You’ll learn how to set up an account and understand what you should be tracking and discover the exciting features of GA4, including its data model and advanced methods for tracking events that matter to you. With the help of an expert instructor and hands-on learning, you’ll leave this training with a solid understanding of the tool and how to optimize its wealth of data to your advantage.

If you want to take your skills a step further, their Digital Marketing Certificate could be the right fit. You’ll gain the essential digital marketing skills to promote a business in today’s competitive markets by developing an actionable, multi-tiered campaign optimized through search engine optimization (SEO), social media, paid search, content marketing, and email marketing. You’ll also learn to increase your return on investment by determining key performance indicators, monitoring web analytics, tracking conversions, and creating reports with Google Analytics.

There’s also Google Ads Bootcamp, a hands-on training that teaches you to develop and manage successful Google Ads campaigns, generate leads and sales, track conversions, and improve your search engine ranking. You’ll get an introduction to paid advertising and walk away with an understanding of the essential elements needed to create successful paid campaigns via Google.

If you’re mostly interested in social media platforms, Noble’s Social Media Marketing Certificate. You’ll learn to create effective strategies on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok, and Twitter to grow your online following and stand out in the marketplace. You’ll also create a professional portfolio that you can share with employers and clients and learn how to optimize your resume, LinkedIn profile, and social media accounts to highlight your experience and make yourself stand out as a job candidate. This court is part of the Digital Marketing Certificate and can count towards that training should you choose to continue your education. 

Noble’s SEO Bootcamp is another option. Designed for business owners, marketers, and front end developers who want to enhance their marketability, this course will help you get familiar with the fundamentals of SEO and gain an edge over your competition through hands-on lessons in search engine optimization and competitive keyword analysis. To help you get started, this course includes a 7-day free trial of Semrush, the top keyword research tool. This course is also a part of the Digital Marketing Certificate, should you choose to pursue that more in-depth option.