How to Create a Complete SEO Dashboard in Google Looker Studio (Data Studio)

Step 1. Getting Started with Google Looker Studio

Google Looker Studio is a robust and versatile data visualization tool that allows users to create detailed and dynamic reports and dashboards. It integrates seamlessly with various data sources, such as Google Analytics, Google Search Console, Google Ads, and many more, providing a centralized platform for visualizing and analyzing data. Key features of Google Looker Studio include

Steps to Sign Up and Log In to Google Looker Studio

1. Visit the Google Looker Studio Website: Go to Google Looker Studio.
2. Sign In with Your Google Account: Click on the “Sign In” button at the top right corner and enter your Google account credentials. If you don’t have a Google account, you’ll need to create one.
3. Accept the Terms of Service: Read and accept Google’s Terms of Service to proceed.
4. Access the Dashboard: Once signed in, you will be directed to the Looker Studio homepage where you can start creating your first report.

Step 2: Connecting Your Data Sources

A key advantage of using Google Looker Studio is its ability to integrate with a variety of data sources. By connecting these sources, you can pull in comprehensive data to populate your SEO dashboard. Here’s a list of common data sources for an SEO dashboard and a step-by-step guide on how to connect each one to Google Looker Studio.

Common Data Sources for an SEO Dashboard

1. Google Analytics 4: Provides insights into website traffic, user behavior, and conversions.
2. Google Search Console: Offers data on search performance, including impressions, clicks, and keyword rankings.
3. Google Ads: Tracks paid search campaigns, including clicks, impressions, and conversions.
4. Google Sheets: Allows for custom data uploads and additional data manipulation.
5. Third-Party SEO Tools: Includes tools like SEMrush, Ahrefs, and Moz for more specialized SEO metrics.

In this article, we are going to create a report based only on two properties: GA4 and Google Search Console.

1. Open Google Looker Studio:
   • Go to Google Looker Studio.
   • Sign in with your Google account if you haven’t already.
2. Create a New Report:
   • Click on the “Create” button in the upper left corner.
   • Select “Report” from the dropdown menu.
3. Add Data Source:
   • In the report editor, click on the “Add Data” button.
   • Select “Google Analytics” from the list of available connectors.
4. Authorize Access:
   • Authorize Google Looker Studio to access your Google Analytics account.
   • Select the appropriate Google Analytics account, property, and view.
5. Connect Data:
   • Click the “Connect” button to link your Google Analytics data to Looker Studio.
   • You will see a schema of your data fields. Click “Add to Report” to start using the data in your report.

Exploring the “Insert” Menu

Once your Google Analytics data is connected, I strongly encourage you to investigate the “Insert” menu in Google Looker Studio. This menu offers a wealth of options to help you interpret and present your data in meaningful ways. Here are some key features you can explore:

• Charts: Choose from a variety of charts such as bar charts, line charts, pie charts, and area charts to visually represent your data trends and comparisons.
• Tables: Insert detailed tables that allow you to display data in a structured and easily readable format.
• Scorecards: Use scorecards to highlight key metrics and KPIs at a glance.
• Filters: Add filters to your dashboard to enable dynamic data exploration based on specific criteria.
• Geo Maps: Visualize geographic data with interactive maps, showing regional performance and trends.
• Text and Images: Enhance your dashboard with explanatory text and images to provide context and clarity.

Section 3: Designing Your SEO Dashboard

Importance of a Well-Designed Dashboard

A well-designed SEO dashboard is crucial for effectively monitoring and analyzing your website’s performance. It helps you track key metrics, identify trends, and make data-driven decisions to enhance your SEO strategy. With Google Analytics 4 (GA4), you have access to more advanced features and metrics, enabling you to create a comprehensive and insightful dashboard.

Key Elements to Include in Your SEO Dashboard

When designing your SEO dashboard with GA4, it’s essential to include the following key elements:

1. Overview Metrics
   • Sessions: The total number of sessions on your website.
   • Users: The number of unique visitors to your site.
   • Pageviews: The total number of pages viewed on your site.
   • Engaged Sessions: Sessions that lasted longer than 10 seconds, had one or more conversion events, or had two or more pageviews.
   • Average Engagement Time: The average time users spend actively engaging with your site.

If you want to check Organic Search in GA4 using Looker Studio can be so beneficial for you.
It is easy to build a chart based on sessions and just aplly a filter:
Create a filter – Session Default channel group – Equal – Organic Search

By incorporating key elements and customizing your dashboard to your specific needs, you can create a powerful SEO dashboard using GA4 that provides comprehensive insights into your website’s performance. This will enable you to make informed decisions and optimize your SEO strategies effectively.

On that chart, you can use the drop-down list to view the results in Organic Search for a specific page, making it much easier than in Google Analytics 4.

Step-by-Step Guide on How to Connect Google Search Console to Google Looker Studio

Connecting Google Search Console to Google Looker Studio allows you to integrate your search performance data into dynamic, customizable dashboards. This integration provides valuable insights into your website’s visibility on search engines and helps you track key SEO metrics. Here’s how to connect Google Search Console to Google Looker Studio:

Step 1: Open Google Looker Studio

1. Navigate to Google Looker Studio:
   • Go to Google Looker Studio.
   • Sign in with your Google account if you haven’t already.

Step 2: Create a New Report

1. Start a New Report:
   • Click on the “Create” button in the upper left corner.
   • Select “Report” from the dropdown menu.

Step 3: Add Google Search Console as a Data Source

1. Add Data Source:
   • In the report editor, click on the “Add Data” button.
   • In the connectors list, scroll down or use the search bar to find and select “Google Search Console”.

Step 4: Authorize Access

1. Authorize Google Search Console:
   • You will be prompted to authorize Google Looker Studio to access your Google Search Console data.
   • Click “Authorize” and follow the instructions to grant the necessary permissions.

Step 5: Select the Appropriate Site and Property

1. Choose Site and Property:
   • After authorization, you will see a list of sites and properties associated with your Google Search Console account.
   • Select the site you want to connect to Looker Studio.
   • Choose the property (such as URL or domain) that you want to report on.

Step 6: Configure Data Fields

1. Select Data Fields:
   • You will be presented with a list of data fields from Google Search Console.
   • Choose the metrics and dimensions you want to include in your report. Common choices include clicks, impressions, CTR (click-through rate), and average position.
   • Click “Add” to add these fields to your report.

Step 7: Add to Report

1. Integrate Data Source:
   • Click the “Add to Report” button to integrate Google Search Console data into your Looker Studio report.
   • Your selected metrics and dimensions will now be available for use in your dashboard.

A report that contains data from both Google Search Console and GA4 in one document allows you to review all data in one place. You can sort through all pages, queries, etc. Everything will be in one place. If you need to see the traffic specific to branded and non-branded queries, you can check the elaborated report and see how you can use Looker Studio and Regex formulas to divide branded and non-branded keywords.

Conclusion

Creating an SEO Dashboard in Google Looker Studio that combines data from Google Analytics and Google Search Console provides a powerful, unified view of your website’s performance. This comprehensive approach enables you to monitor key metrics, analyze user behavior, and track search performance all in one place. By leveraging Looker Studio’s advanced visualization tools and integrating data from these essential sources, you can gain deeper insights into your SEO efforts and make more informed, data-driven decisions. Whether you’re identifying opportunities for optimization, tracking the success of your strategies, or reporting to stakeholders, a well-designed SEO dashboard in Looker Studio is an invaluable asset for any digital marketer or SEO specialist. Start building your custom dashboard today and take your SEO analysis to the next level.

Read also the article:

• The Best Google Sheets Formulas for SEO