How to Learn Google Analytics Online

If you’re starting to learn a new skill, you can find dozens of tips and resources online; learning Google Analytics is no different. Google Analytics (GA) is part of the Google Marketing Platform. GA collects and tracks user data, compiles it into useful reports, and provides valuable insights to improve your website or app’s performance. If you’ve always wanted to learn Google Analytics, there are plenty of options at your fingertips. From free tutorials to live classes, your options are outlined here so you can decide how to learn in a way that works best for you.

What is Google Analytics?

Google Analytics (or GA) is a tool within the Google Marketing Platform that collects and tracks user data, compiles it into reports, and helps you develop strategies to improve your website or app’s performance. To use GA, you will install a tracking code onto each page of your website. Google collects information about the visitors to your website and what they do there. Google Analytics can help you understand what’s working and what isn’t when it comes to digital marketing strategy, and the best part is that it is free to use.

Google Analytics can be useful simply for yourself if you’re a business owner, or you can use it as part of a marketing team within a larger company. Google Analytics allows you to tailor the data you choose to track depending on your goals. Because digital marketing depends upon identifying a highly targeted audience, GA is the foundation of a successful digital marketing campaign.

Read more about what Google Analytics is and why you should learn it.

What Can You Do with Google Analytics?

Google Analytics is a highly customizable, in-depth tool that offers insights to help your business thrive, and you can use it for free. Although it can initially feel overwhelming and complicated, the information GA provides is worth the effort.

The data that GA collects, stores, and reports on can help marketers learn what strategies are working and what aren’t. It can measure marketing efforts, both on and offline. It can help you make better, more savvy business decisions. The information Google Analytics provides can also identify specific problems or shortcomings on your website. The data you’ll get is specific, targeted information.

You can use Google Analytics to measure the customer experience from when they enter your website or app to when they leave. You can track valuable information such as how they found your site, who purchased something, what pages your visitors looked at, how they moved through the site, and so much more. And while it’s important to know where your website and business are thriving, it’s also critical to understand where you’re falling short and losing customers. Using Google Analytics can help with that, too.

Live Online Google Analytics Training

You can also take live online classes to learn Google Analytics. These classes run at the same time as an in-person class, and you can attend from your location just by logging in. You can ask questions and get help from the instructor if you have a computer and a stable internet connection. With permission, the instructor can take over your screen to demonstrate examples. Live online classes are just like being in the classroom, except you can attend class from anywhere, and there is no commute.

Noble Desktop’s Google Analytics Bootcamp in New York City is available live online. The instructor and in-person students are in a classroom in New York, but you can follow along on your computer. You get the same content in-class students do, except it is much more convenient. Other schools offer live online Google Analytics training classes, too. Certstaffix also offers a three-day GA class, and Ziggourat Formation has a two-day class. You can find additional live online Google Analytics classes on Noble Desktop’s Classes Near Me page.

On-Demand Google Analytics Classes

You also have the option to sign up for asynchronous video training courses to learn Google Analytics. Many paid and free classes allow you to learn at your own pace and repeat lessons to review the information you didn’t understand the first time. However, you won’t be able to ask a question or help with an exercise during an on-demand class.

Many training companies offer a free trial of one week up to a month. You might be able to finish a course before your free trial is up. LinkedIn Learning offers many on-demand video classes with a one-month free trial. You can take classes on many aspects of Google Analytics, including beginner and advanced Google Analytics and GA4, marketing strategies, and setting and measuring goals.

Free Intro Courses & Tutorials

If you are not quite ready to commit the time and funds to a bootcamp or certificate course, there are free tutorials and online courses available to learn Google Analytics. These tend to be overviews and introductions, but there is enough information to help you decide if you want to go further.

Noble Desktop offers an Intro to Google Analytics to introduce you to the powerful tool. This class walks you through opening a Google account and placing tracking codes so you can collect website data. Learn to understand where website traffic is coming from, identify your top-performing channels and gain insight into the behavior of website visitors. Google offers free classes on GA for beginners and advanced students, plus a class on building reports and using Google Tag Manager. Simplilearn and Great Learning also offer free introductory classes.

Read about more free Google Analytics videos and online tutorials.

Comparing Online Methods with In-Person Learning

You can decide the best way for you to learn Google Analytics. It’s best to consider your personal learning style and the learning environment you prefer when approaching new material. If you are learning Google Analytics to change careers, choose a class setting you feel comfortable with so you can do your best work. Taking a course is an investment, so give some thought to your learning style and the type of classroom environment you prefer.

Different Learning Styles

We all have different learning styles, but they can be grouped into categories. The VARK Model is one way to describe the preferred ways that people learn. VARK stands for Visual, Auditory, Reading and Writing, and Kinesthetic. The most important thing is to find a class that allows you to learn the way you are most comfortable with.

• Visual Learners - Visual learners prefer graphics and charts when learning new material.

• Auditory Learners - Auditory learners are listeners. They prefer a lecture format and sometimes like to be able to go back and listen to the material again.

• Readers and Writers - These people learn best by reading text and taking notes that they can review later.

• Kinesthetic Learners - Kinesthetic learners prefer lessons that engage all of their senses. They prefer to try things for themselves to understand concepts.

In-Person Classes

When we think of training, the in-person class with a teacher at the front and students at desks around the room comes most readily to mind. You may prefer in-person learning because you feel more connected to your teacher and classmates and enjoy meeting new people. When you learn Google Analytics in person, the teacher is available to answer questions and help you with class assignments.

There are some disadvantages to In-person classes, too. Sometimes you can’t find an in-person class near you or one that is scheduled for a convenient time. It also takes time to travel there and back, and you will probably need to find a place to park. You don’t have to commute to online classes.

Online Classes

You can attend online classes from anywhere and choose a time that is convenient for you. There are two types of online classes, asynchronous and synchronous.

You can watch asynchronous classes at any time, whenever and wherever you want, and you can repeat lessons if necessary. One drawback is that you can’t ask the instructor a question or get extra help if you need it.

In synchronous classes, an instructor presents the information in real time, and you can ask questions and get help with exercises. You can’t watch the material whenever you want, but some training programs let you repeat classes for free and send copies of the slides from the instructor’s presentation.

Tips to Succeed when Learning Google Analytics Online

Some people find online classes more challenging. If you decide to learn Google Analytics by enrolling in an online course, here are a few tips to help you stay on track.

• Commitment to the schedule - Some people miss the structure of an in-person class, but if you commit to the class schedule and log in for every session, you will be much more successful.

• Check your equipment - You need a stable internet connection when taking an online class. If you don’t have a strong enough connection at home, buy a wifi booster or find another location to log in to class. Check to see if you could take the class from work or go to a cafe with good wifi.

• Study in a designated area - You will be able to concentrate better if you set up a designated study area with a comfortable chair and good lighting. Try to find a space with minimal distractions.

• Participate in discussions - Don’t be shy! Try to connect with the instructor and other students. This can help you understand the information better, and you may feel less reluctant to ask questions. It may also give you a chance to network in your field.

• Treat yourself when you do well- Google Analytics is a tough course, so schedule some treats to keep you motivated. Take a walk, stretch your legs, and get some fresh air during a break. Grab a book and head to a park. Reward yourself for your efforts!

Key Insights

• Google Analytics (GA) is a powerful free tool that collects data and offers insights into how to improve your online business. It can also help you see what your competition is doing right and wrong so that you can alter your strategy over time.
• Google Analytics can be somewhat complicated to learn, so classes are helpful. You can study GA in-person, live online, or in on-demand classes.
• Decide how you want to study GA based on your learning style.
• You can receive comprehensive Google Analytics training through an in-person or live online course with Noble Desktop.

Learn Google Analytics with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

If you want to change careers and become a Digital Marketing Data Analyst, you can sign up for Google Analytics Bootcamp. This two-part class will teach you how to set up an account, know which metrics to track, and understand the Google Analytics reports. The classes also cover upcoming changes to Google Analytics when GA4 replaces GA Universal in July 2024.

Another way to prepare for a career as a Data Analyst is a digital marketing certificate course. Noble’s Digital Marketing Certificate includes the digital marketing, SEO, and Google Analytics bootcamps, plus Google Ads and classes on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok, and Twitter marketing, as well as content marketing with blogs.