Brighton Summary - October 2024

Looker Studio Styling to make your reports more actionable

Key Takeaways

  1. Presenter's Background:

    • Working with data since 2020
    • Trained over 2000 individuals

  2. Effective Report Elements:

    • Search Console Low Hanging Fruit visualization
    • Percentage of Total charts
    • References and Trendlines for context
    • Highlights to emphasize key information

  3. Streamlining Reports:

    • Remove vanity metrics (e.g., bounce rate)
    • Tailor reports to client needs and terminology
    • Focus on quality over quantity, especially for large reports

  4. Advanced Reporting Techniques:

    • Algorithm Tracker for monitoring search engine changes
    • Video Overviews for easy digestion of information
    • "Tell Me" sections for quick insights

  5. Calculated Fields:

    • Powerful tool for customizing data presentation
    • Examples provided for page categorization and source cleaning

  6. Funnel Visualization:

    • Effective for showing user journey and conversion paths

Action Items

  1. Audit Existing Reports:

    • Review current reports for vanity metrics and unnecessary information
    • Identify areas where client-specific terminology can be incorporated

  2. Implement Search Console Low Hanging Fruit:

    • Create a visualization highlighting easily actionable SEO opportunities

  3. Enhance Data Context:

    • Add references and trendlines to charts for better data interpretation
    • Implement highlight sections to draw attention to key metrics or changes

  4. Develop an Algorithm Tracker:

    • Set up a system to monitor and visualize search engine algorithm changes

  5. Incorporate Video Overviews:

    • Create short video summaries of reports for quick stakeholder briefings

  6. Utilize Calculated Fields:

    • Implement custom calculated fields for more meaningful data categorization
    • Example: Use CASE statements for page categorization
    • Example: Use REGEXP_REPLACE for cleaning source data

  7. Create Funnel Visualizations:

    • Develop funnel charts to illustrate user journeys and conversion paths

  8. Customize Reports for Clients:

    • Schedule meetings with clients to understand their specific data needs
    • Adapt reports to use industry-specific terminology (e.g., ADR, LOS for hotels)

  9. Implement "Tell Me" Sections:

    • Add concise, insight-focused sections to reports for quick understanding

  10. Continuous Learning:

    • Stay updated on new Looker Studio features and best practices
    • Experiment with different visualization types to find the most effective for each dataset

Remember: The goal is to make reports more actionable and easily understandable. Focus on presenting data in a way that directly addresses client needs and facilitates decision-making.

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