Mastering Looker Studio empowers users to craft insightful reports and dashboards by connecting to various data sources. This article provides a comprehensive guide on connecting Google Ads, Google Search Console, and Google Analytics to a Looker Studio report, enabling a holistic view of online performance. Additionally, it highlights the crucial modules for blending this data effectively to present clients with a clear and satisfying picture of their online activities. It also includes information on common errors you may encounter and how to fix them.

Adding Data Sources to Looker Studio

To begin, create a new report in Looker Studio and add the necessary data sources:

1. Create a new report: Sign in to Looker Studio and click Create > Report.
2. Add Google Ads data source:
   • Click Add data.
   • Select the Google Ads connector.
   • Authorize Looker Studio to access your Google Ads account when prompted.
   • Choose the relevant Google Ads account.
   • Select Overall Account Fields to combine all your Google Ads fields into a single list. This allows for greater flexibility in combining dimensions and metrics from various Google Ads reports ¹.
   • Select key metrics such as “Clicks,” “Impressions,” “Cost,” and “Conversions.” ¹
   • Choose important dimensions like “Campaign,” “Ad Group,” and “Keyword.” ¹
   • Click Add.
   • Click Add to report.
3. Add Google Search Console data source:
   • Click Add data.
   • Select the Search Console connector.
   • Authorize Looker Studio to access your Search Console account when prompted.
   • Choose the relevant Search Console property.
   • Select either Site Impression or URL Impression depending on your reporting needs ².
   • Choose the default Search type ².
   • Click Add.
   • Click Add to report.
4. Add Google Analytics data source:
   • Click Add data.
   • Select the Google Analytics connector.
   • Authorize Looker Studio to access your Google Analytics account when prompted.
   • Choose the relevant Google Analytics account and property.
   • Click Add.
   • Click Add to report.

Crucial Modules for Blending Data in Looker Studio

While Looker Studio offers various modules for data blending, some are particularly crucial for presenting a clear view of online performance:

• Date Range Control: Allows clients to filter data by specific date ranges, enabling them to analyze trends and performance over time ³.
• Filter Control: Enables filtering by dimensions like campaign name, landing page, device, or country, allowing clients to focus on specific segments of their data ³.
• Calculated Fields: Create new metrics and dimensions by combining existing fields. For example, calculate conversion rates by dividing conversions by clicks ⁴.
• Data Blending: Combine data from different sources based on common fields, enabling a unified view of online performance. However, it’s important to be aware of the limitations. Looker Studio allows blending data from up to five sources, but performance can be affected by large datasets. Careful data preparation is crucial to avoid errors and ensure accurate reporting ⁵.
  • To overcome some of these limitations and expand data source options, consider using partner connectors like Coupler.io. These connectors offer greater flexibility in data blending and often provide pre-built templates for faster report creation ⁷.
• Visualizations: Utilize various chart types (e.g., time series, bar charts, pie charts, tables) to represent blended data in a visually appealing and easy-to-understand manner ⁸.

Blending Data in Looker Studio

Blending data from multiple sources allows for a unified view of your online marketing efforts. Here’s how to blend data in Looker Studio:

1. Identify common fields: Determine the common fields across the three data sources. These fields will be used to join the data. Common fields may include:
   • Date
   • Campaign name
   • Landing page
   • Device
   • Country
2. Create a data blend:
   • Go to Resource > Manage blends.
   • Click Add a blend.
   • Select your Google Ads, Google Search Console, and Google Analytics data sources.
   • For each data source, select the dimensions and metrics you want to include in the blend. Ensure that you select the common fields identified earlier.
   • Choose the appropriate join key(s) from the common fields.
   • Select the join operator that suits your needs. Looker Studio supports various join types, including:
     • Inner join
     • Left outer join
     • Right outer join
     • Full outer join
   • Click Save.

Visualizing Blended Data in Looker Studio

Once the data is blended, create visualizations to present the information in a clear and concise way. Some effective visualizations include:

• Time series: Show trends in website traffic, search visibility, and ad campaign performance over time ⁹.
• Bar charts: Compare performance across different campaigns, landing pages, or devices ⁸.
• Pie charts: Illustrate the distribution of traffic sources or conversions by channel ⁸.
• Tables: Provide detailed information on specific metrics and dimensions ⁸.

Customizing Report Layout and Design in Looker Studio

A visually appealing and well-organized report enhances the user experience and makes it easier for clients to understand the data. Looker Studio offers various customization options to achieve this:

• Themes: Apply pre-designed themes or create custom themes to maintain a consistent look and feel throughout the report. Themes can control elements like the report background, text styles, and component colors ¹⁰.
• Color palettes: Use a consistent color scheme to differentiate between data sources or categories. Choose colors that provide good contrast and ensure readability ¹⁰.
• Fonts: Select fonts that are readable and consistent with your brand. Limit font styles to two or three for a clean and professional look ¹¹.
• Layout: Arrange components by dragging and resizing them. Use gridlines and alignment tools to ensure a clean and organized layout ¹².
• Images and icons: Add images or logos to enhance the report’s branding. Icons can aid quick comprehension and improve visual appeal ¹².
• Interactive elements: Incorporate interactive elements like filters, data controls, and drill-down functionality to allow clients to explore the data in more detail ¹².

Troubleshooting Common Errors in Looker Studio

While working with Looker Studio, you may encounter some common errors. Here’s a guide to help you troubleshoot them:

• Data discrepancies: Discrepancies between data in Looker Studio and the original data source can occur due to various factors, including data sampling, time lags, different calculation methods, and time zone differences. To address these:
  • Verify data accuracy before building dashboards.
  • Ensure consistent date ranges and time zones across all data sources.
  • Be mindful of data sampling and its potential impact on metrics.
  • Understand how Looker Studio processes and aggregates data, especially when blending data from multiple sources.
  • Consider using alternative connectors or data extraction methods if discrepancies persist.
• Connectivity errors: Looker Studio may fail to connect to data sources due to various reasons, such as incorrect authorization, server issues, browser-related problems, or exceeding data refresh limits. To troubleshoot these:
  • Check Looker Studio’s status and your internet connection.
  • Clear your browser’s cache and cookies, and try a different browser or incognito mode.
  • Verify data source authorization and ensure correct configurations.
  • Refresh data sources and be mindful of caching behavior.
  • Check for any exceeded data refresh limits or quotas.
• Blending errors: Issues with data blending can arise from misconfigured joins, missing or incorrect data source connections, or problems with the blended data itself. To resolve these:
  • Carefully review join configurations, ensuring correct join keys and operators.
  • Verify data source connections and data accuracy.
  • Address any inconsistencies or errors in the blended data.
  • Consider pre-processing data to align formatting and remove errors before blending.
• “No data” issue: If your blended table shows “No data,” it might indicate incompatible metrics or dimensions used for blending or invalid join configurations. To fix this:
  • Identify incompatible metrics and dimensions by creating separate tables for each data source.
  • Review and adjust join configurations, ensuring valid data in the join key fields.
• Other errors: Looker Studio may display various other error messages, such as quota exceeded errors, system errors, or chart configuration errors. Refer to the Looker Studio troubleshooting guide or the Looker error catalog for detailed information and troubleshooting steps.

Conclusion

By connecting Google Ads, Google Search Console, and Google Analytics to Looker Studio and utilizing the crucial modules for data blending, you can create comprehensive reports that provide clients with a clear and satisfying view of their online performance. This unified view allows for deeper insights into campaign effectiveness, a better understanding of user behavior, and the ability to optimize marketing strategies for improved results. Remember to choose visualizations that best represent the data and tailor the report layout and design to meet the client’s specific needs, ensuring a visually appealing and user-friendly experience. By understanding and addressing potential errors, you can ensure accurate and reliable reporting, enhancing your credibility and client satisfaction.