By Lydia Barley
What is the Google Analytics Individual Qualification?
The Google Analytics Individual Qualification is a qualification that demonstrates that you have basic proficiency in Google Analytics. This qualification is available to anyone who has passed the Google Analytics Assessment. The assessment is based on two courses from the Google Analytics Academy: Google Analytics for Beginners and Advanced Google Analytics. Each individual course is split into 4 different sections which each contain multiple training videos, walkthroughs and an assessment.
What do the courses cover?
The Google Analytics for Beginners course covers the basic features of Google Analytics including how to; create an account, implement tracking code, analyse basic reports, and set up goals and campaign tracking. The course itself is divided into 4 different sections, each of which are discussed below.
1. Introducing Google Analytics
This section covers why you should utilise digital analytics, how Google Analytics works, how to set up Google Analytics and how to set up views with filters.
2. The Google Analytics layout
This section covers; the navigation of Google Analytics, how to understand both overview reports and full reports, how to share reports and how to set up dashboards and shortcuts.
3. Basic reporting
This section covers; audience reports, acquisition reports and behaviour reports.
4. Basic campaign and conversion tracking
This section covers how to; measure custom campaigns, track campaigns with the URL builder, use goals to measure business objectives and measure AdWords campaigns.
The Advanced Google Analytics course covers the more advanced features of Google Analytics including data collection, processing and configuration, and more complex analysis and marketing tools.
1. Data collection and processing
This section covers Google Analytics data collection and explains how to; categorise into users and sessions, apply configuration settings, store data, generate reports and create a measurement plan.
2. Setting up data collection and configuration
This section covers how to; organise a Google Analytics account, set up advanced filters on views, create own custom dimensions, create own custom metrics, understand user behaviour with event tracking and utilise more useful configurations.
3. Advanced analysis tools and techniques
This section covers how to; segment data for insight, analyse data by channel, analyse data by audience and analyse data with custom reports.
4. Advanced marketing tools
This section covers; an introduction to remarketing and how to better target with dynamic remarketing.
What is the exam format?
The exam consists of 70 questions, that need to be completed within 90 minutes, giving you just under 1 and a half minutes per question. The questions consist of both true/false questions and multiple-choice questions, exactly the same as you will experience within the course assessments. The passing mark for the exam is 80% meaning you need to answer 56 out of the 70 questions correctly to pass the exam.
How to pass the exam
Unfortunately there is no magic trick, or a book full of answers that will ensure you pass the exam. However, those things would completely defeat the purpose of the qualification, which is to ensure that you are proficient with Google Analytics. The best thing you can do is study. The exam itself is not hard to pass as it is very much based on the course content and the assessments within the courses so as long as you study you will pass the exam. Take the time to run through each course, each section and each assessment, ensuring that you fully understand each section and have memorized the key terms and topics.
In addition to just the Google Analytics Academy there are a range of different online tools that can help you including: the Google Analytics YouTube channel, Google Analytics practice exams and some extra information on Google Tag Manager (which does pop up in the exam).
Why you should get your Google Analytics Individual Qualification
You may be thinking, okay, I now know what the qualification is and what the exam entails but why should I take the time to get my Google Analytics Individual Qualification. Well, there are multiple different reasons, some of which are discussed below.
1. It ensures you have a solid foundation of knowledge on Google Analytics- This is perhaps the biggest and most important benefit of the Google Analytics Individual Qualification. The course provides you with a foundation of analytics knowledge, covering a range of different key concepts and ensuring that you are truly proficient in Google Analytics.
2. It’s a resume builder- When applying for jobs it’s important to stand out from the competition. Anyone can claim that they are competent in analytics. The qualification however allows you to stand out from other applicants with an objective measure of your competency.
3. It allows you to get the most out of Google Analytics- Many Google Analytics users don’t use Google Analytics to its greatest potential, unaware of some of the features that it offers. As discussed previously, the course takes you through many features of Google Analytics from the most basic features to the more advanced features, ensuring that you get the most out of Google Analytics and can use it to its greatest potential.
4. It looks good to clients- Having your Google Analytics Individual Qualification can be a selling feature when pitching to clients, reassuring them that you are competent in Google Analytics. The qualification can provide you with an extra edge that your competitor doesn’t have which can make you more appealing to clients.
5. Google Analytics is everywhere- No matter what your specialty is, if you’re in the Marketing industry you will come across Google Analytics, especially so in the field of digital marketing. Google Analytics tracks and reports website traffic, making it a crucial tool for a range of different marketing channels including SEO and PPC. With Google Analytics SEO specialists can track SEO efforts, prove SEO value and pinpoint any issues on the website, such as site speed or high bounce rates.
As the resources available for receiving the Google Analytics Individual Qualification are free there is no reason why you shouldn’t take the time to receive your individual qualification, especially if you are in or are looking at entering the field of digital marketing. The course is less about looking good to a hiring manager or your boss (those are just added bonuses!), it’s about the knowledge that you will receive, which is essential for a career in digital marketing.
