The most advanced Looker Studio training course online.
The new edition of Looker Studio Masterclass is bigger, better, updated, extended, and is happening live!
With 36+ weekly live lessons scheduled from March to November 2024, this is the only course you need to become a top Looker Studio expert who’s able to plan, design, and deliver world-class data pipelines and dashboards using Looker Studio & BigQuery.
✓ Weekly live lessons.
✓ Lifetime access to recordings
✓ Private course community
✓ Digital certification
No prior experience is needed.
Your Instructor
My name is Siavash Kanani, and I’m your instructor at Looker Studio Masterclass.
Apart from teaching Looker Studio, I run Siavak Analytics from the beautiful city of Budapest, Hungary.
We’re a small team helping a few key clients — who make from $200M to $4B in annual revenue — optimize their marketing, operations, employee performance, revenue, and profits by creating and maintaining their data pipelines in BigQuery and dashboards in Looker Studio.
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What’s included in Looker Studio Masterclass?
Weekly Live Lessons
Each week I teach a new lesson in a live workshop. It takes about 90 minutes. You can join and watch the lesson live, or catch up with the recording.
Real-life Examples
Practical and real-life examples are included in lessons to prepare you for the actual use cases and challenges you will face in your work.
Zero to Superhero
Everything you need to transform your skills: from an absolute beginner to a Looker Studio Ninja!
Updated Lessons
The whole curriculum is updated and expanded to reflect the new Looker Studio and Looker Studio Pro features.
New Concepts & Subjects
New concepts and lessons will be added to cover GA4, AI, SQL, RegEx, Data Blending, and BigQuery.
Course Community
You can join the course community to ask questions and get help from other students, alumni, and experts.
Testimonials
Over the past few years, I had the privilege of working with an amazing group of professionals in Looker Studio Masterclass. Below you can read and listen to some of their feedback:
JJ Reynolds Measurement Ninja & Lead Looker Studio Instructor at VisionLabs
“Siavash was able to respond to my hyper-specific questions, and explain the theory behind them in a kind and loving way. There was no tutorial or Google search that could provide a response like that.”
Scott Reid D2C Ecommerce Growth Specialist | CRO & Data Visualization Expert at eCommerceOptimizers.com
“The course was perfectly paced, structured, and professionally delivered. It was better than 99.9% of other offerings out there and was loaded with practical information. My abilities have grown significantly, and the result has been increased income and satisfied customers.”
Josh Lannan Digital Marketing Agency Owner
CEO at Influence Live Media
“We only used Looker Studio as a deliverable for our services, until we took your program and realized it could be leveraged as a profit center and also to create self-liquidating offers.”
Brad Imming Paid Search Specialist
“Before joining this course, my work was limited to the hours I put in, so I couldn't scale my business. The masterclass not only allowed me to earn more revenue without spending time on it, but also improved the quality of my services.”
Fred Pike GA & GTM Freak. CXL Instructor. Managing Director & Web Analytics Lead at Northwoods
“It was amazing to meet such intelligent agency owners - people from all walks of life - who wanted to hone their skills and improve their business. One of my cohort members just launched her own course on CXL. That's incredible!”
Natasha Vorompiova Systems & Operations Consultant
Capacity Architect at Systemsrock
“It has been incredible to go through this course. I didn't need to figure out everything and go in blindly. Instead, I can focus on what specifically works for me and my business.”
Irene Portelli Marketing Agency Owner
“It's been incredibly valuable and has had a huge impact on my business. I'm often being hired first. I've been in rooms with a lot of quotes on the table and I've won the bid. My basic charge is now 3x more than before!”
Jennifer Grayeb Agency Owner, Measurement Expert
Looker Studio Instructor at TheNimble Co.
“I'm only 26 mins into the replay and so glad I joined this. Gold already!! I’m seriously geeking out over this stuff. I had no idea any of this was possible, this course is INSANE value so far!!”
Ryan Levander Measurement, SEO, and CRO Expert
Rednavel Consulting
“I watched the Regex workshop and I must say that was the best coverage of this topic that I’ve come across. Loved the use cases and just using this for search queries alone is really worth it.”
Join 780+ Marketers and Data Analysts
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened so far?
Looker Studio Masterclass 2024 is happening live: since March of this year, each week hundreds of students join me live as I teach and record a new lesson from the 36+ lessons of the masterclass.
By joining live, they will have the chance to connect with me and the other students, participate in live polls and quizzes, and ask their questions in the live Q&A section of each lesson.
If you’re reading this and considering joining us, it means that you’re a bit late to the party, but that’s OK, there’s still time to catch up with previous lessons.
If you enroll in Looker Studio Masterclass today, not only you can join us in the future weekly live sessions, but also you can watch all the previous lessons in the recording archive. You will have lifetime access to the recording of the lessons.
Below you can find a list of sessions we’ve had so far, and discover the concepts and topics covered in each.
Lesson 1
Why Looker Studio?
In this strategic session, we explored the reasons for choosing Looker Studio as a data visualization and transformation tool.
The session covers the journey of data from its raw form to becoming valuable insights and ultimately driving economic value for businesses. I discuss the core functionalities of Looker Studio and present various strategies for leveraging the tool to generate leads, increase efficiency, and create custom solutions for clients.
In this session, I encourage participants to think creatively about how they can leverage Looker Studio's capabilities to drive value for their businesses, clients, and teams, regardless of their role or industry.
Learning Objectives
- Understand the journey of data from collection to generating economic value
- Identify the core functionalities and advantages of Looker Studio
- Explore strategies for using Looker Studio to drive business growth and efficiency
Lesson 2
Creating a GA4 eCommerce Dashboard from Scratch
In this exciting lesson of Looker Studio Masterclass, we'll dive into creating an end-to-end e-commerce report from scratch. You'll get hands-on experience using Looker Studio's interface to connect to data, transform it, visualize it, make it interactive, and share it with others. By the end of this session, you'll have a solid understanding of the key functionalities and capabilities of Looker Studio.
Learning Objectives
- Get familiar with Looker Studio's user interface and key components
- Connect to a Google Analytics 4 data source
- Create charts, tables, scorecards and maps to visualize data
- Apply report and page level settings to customize the look and feel
- Add interactivity by using date range controls and parameters
- Perform data blending to combine data from multiple sources
- Share your report with others for viewing or editing
Lesson 3
Data Connection & Transformation
In this lesson, we dive into the essential concepts of connecting data sources and transforming data within Looker Studio. Understanding these foundational elements is crucial for creating meaningful and insightful reports that drive business decisions.
As you progress through this lesson, you'll gain the knowledge and skills necessary to harness the full potential of Looker Studio's data connection and transformation capabilities.
By applying these concepts to your own projects, you'll be able to create compelling reports that provide valuable insights and drive data-driven decision-making within your organization.
Learning Objectives
- Understand the different types of data connectors and data sources in Looker Studio
- Learn how to create and manage data sources
- Explore the distinction between embedded and reusable data sources
- Discover how to perform basic data transformations using calculated fields, groups, and filters
Lesson 4
Data Visualization & Sharing Reports
In this session of the Looker Studio Masterclass, we dive into the world of data visualization and sharing reports.
As data analysts and enthusiasts, it's crucial to understand how to effectively communicate insights through visuals and share our findings with others.
Join me as we explore the power of charts, tables, and sharing options in Looker Studio.
Learning Objectives
- Understand the anatomy of a chart in Looker Studio
- Review dimensions and metrics in the context of data visualization
- Grasp the concept that every chart is essentially a table
- Visualize the same dataset using different chart types
- Explore the various sharing options for Looker Studio reports
Lesson 5
Parameters and User Interaction
In this session, we dive into the world of parameters and user interaction in Looker Studio. Engaging your audience is crucial when creating reports and dashboards, and Looker Studio provides a variety of tools to make your data come alive. We'll explore how to use parameters to collect viewer input and how to leverage different types of user interactions to create dynamic, interactive experiences.
Learning Objectives
- Understand the different types of user interactions available in Looker Studio
- Learn how to define, collect, and use parameter values
- Discover how to incorporate parameters and user interaction elements into your reports and dashboards
Lesson 6
Dashboard Planning
In this Looker Studio Masterclass lesson, I'm excited to share an updated framework for effectively planning your dashboards. Proper planning is crucial for creating dashboards that meet the needs of your audience and deliver insights that drive action. Join me as we explore the key factors to consider when planning a dashboard and walk through a practical template you can use to streamline your own dashboard planning process.
Learning Objectives
- Understand the importance of planning dashboards in Looker Studio
- Learn about the four main types of dashboards and their characteristics
- Discover the STQA framework for planning Looker Studio dashboards
- Access a reusable template for planning your own dashboards
Lesson 7
Aggregation and Numeric Calculations
In this session, we dive deep into data transformation in Looker Studio, focusing on aggregation and numeric calculations. These concepts are crucial for understanding how Looker Studio handles and manipulates data, and mastering them will save you hours of troubleshooting time.
Learning Objectives
- Understand the different types of data transformation in Looker Studio
- Learn about aggregation and its various methods
- Discover how to perform numeric calculations using mathematical operators and functions
- Explore the differences between chart-level and data source-level calculated fields
Lesson 8
Essential Charts Part 1: Scorecard, Table & Time Series
In this session of the Looker Studio Masterclass, we dive deep into three essential chart types in Looker Studio:
- Scorecards,
- Tables,
- and Time Series.
These charts are the backbone of most dashboards, and mastering them is crucial for creating effective data visualizations. Join me as we explore the nuances and best practices for using these charts to tell compelling data stories.
Learning Objectives
- Understand the anatomy and features of Scorecards, Tables, and Time Series charts
- Learn how to apply conditional formatting, comparisons, and other advanced settings to enhance your charts
- Discover best practices for displaying and formatting data in these chart types
- Explore the interactivity options available for each chart type
Lesson 9
String Manipulation, Matching, and RegEx
In this session, we dove into the world of data transformation in Looker Studio, focusing on working with strings of text. We explored various functions and techniques for manipulating, matching, and analyzing text data to unlock insights and streamline our data analysis process.
Learning Objectives
- Understand how to manipulate text using functions like CONCAT, LOWER, UPPER, REPLACE, TRIM, LEFT, and RIGHT
- Learn how to match strings using STARTS_WITH, ENDS_WITH, and CONTAINS_TEXT
- Discover how to count and calculate numeric properties of strings
- Get an introduction to Regular Expressions (RegEx) in Looker Studio and how to use them for advanced string manipulation and matching
Lesson 10
Grouping and Categorizing Data in Looker Studio
In this lesson, we discussed several techniques for grouping and categorizing data using Boolean logic, comparison operators, and conditional functions. These techniques will help you transform your data and create more meaningful visualizations in Looker Studio.
Learning Objectives
- Understand the concept of Boolean fields and how to create them
- Learn about comparison and logical operators in Looker Studio
- Explore the IF and CASE functions for conditional data transformation
Lesson 11
Data Visualization: Essential Charts Part II
In this session of the Looker Studio Masterclass, we dive deeper into data visualization and explore even more essential charts. Building upon the concepts we learned in Part I, we'll expand our chart-making toolkit to create insightful and impactful visualizations.
Learning Objectives
- Understand when and how to use area charts, line charts, bar charts, and combo charts effectively
- Identify the limitations of pie charts and learn better alternatives
- Discover the power of scatter plots and bubble charts for visualizing relationships and outliers
- Explore advanced chart types like bullet charts, gauge charts, and treemaps
Lesson 12
Working with Dates and Special Data Types
In this intermediate Looker Studio Masterclass session, we learn how to work with dates and special data types to enhance our reports. Dates can be tricky to handle, but with the right functions and techniques, you can unlock valuable insights from your data. We'll also explore how to incorporate dynamic images and hyperlinks to make your reports more engaging and interactive.
Learning Objectives
- Master date functions to calculate differences, add or subtract dates, and extract components
- Learn how to count and format dates for insightful analysis
- Discover techniques to display dynamic images based on your data
- Understand how to create dynamic hyperlinks for enhanced interactivity
Lesson 13
Working with Maps & Geographic Data
In this session, we dive into the world of maps and geographic data visualization in Looker Studio. As a data analyst or marketer, understanding how to effectively present location-based data is crucial for making data-driven decisions. Join me as we explore the various ways to bring your geographic data to life using Looker Studio's powerful mapping features.
Learning Objectives
- Understand the different geographic data types supported by Looker Studio
- Learn how to create geo charts and customize them to suit your needs
- Discover the advanced features of Google Maps in Looker Studio, including heat maps, connection maps, and 3D maps
Lesson 14
Data Blending: Part I - Foundations
In this session, we enter the powerful world of data blending in Looker Studio. Data blending allows us to combine data from multiple sources, opening up a whole new realm of possibilities for analysis and visualization. Get ready to level up your skills and unlock insights like never before!
Learning Objectives
- Understand the concept of data blending and its importance in Looker Studio
- Learn how to perform simple joins and left joins to combine data from different sources
- Discover how to use calculated fields within blended data sources
- Gain practical knowledge of handling null values and ensuring accurate results
Lesson 15
Data Blending Examples & Case Studies
In this session, we continue learning about data blending in Looker Studio, building on the concepts we learned in the foundation session. I walked through several real-world examples and case studies to demonstrate how data blending can be used to enrich and transform your data, allowing you to gain more meaningful insights.
Learning Objectives
- Understand the step-by-step process Looker Studio uses to perform data blending
- Learn how to manually blend data to better understand the underlying mechanics
- Explore various data enrichment examples and case studies
- See how to roll up accounts and platforms using data blending
- Discover how to use data blending for metric re-aggregation
- Find out how to perform currency conversion with data blending
Course Curriculum: What You Will Learn in Looker Studio Masterclass
The number of lessons, and order of topics are indicative and subject to change.
Looker Studio Essentials
In this first section, you will learn the basic concepts and foundations of Looker Studio through an engaging exercise of creating a complete dashboard from start to finish.
Four introductory lessons
Covering topics like creating a full dashboard from start to finish, connecting to and transforming data, visualizing data, sharing reports, collecting viewer input & adding interactivity
Dashboard Planning & Data Transfer
Even before starting to build the dashboard you should have a clear plan of our data pipeline, page and dashboard structure, and the types of data transformations needed. It’s a crucial step that separates a great dashboard that’s easy to use and maintain from a mediocre one that’s hard to use and expand.
Three lessons
Covering topics like Structuring & Dashboard Planning, From Data to Dollars: The Journey of Data, Data Connectors & Data Sources
Data Modeling & Transformation
Data we receive from different tools and platforms in its raw form isn’t ready for visualization and usually isn’t in the exact format that we need it to be. That’s why we need to model (transform) data first to the shape required for visualization. In this section you’ll learn the basics of data transformation in Looker Studio, before moving towards the more advanced concepts.
Eleven lessons
Covering topics like Aggregation, Working with Numbers, Working with Text, RegEx, Working with Special Data Types Like Dates and Geo fields, Filters and Scopes
Plus, some more advanced concepts and techniques in data modeling.
Covering topics including Grouping & Categorizing Data, RegEx Essentials (Plus using AI), Data Blending: Foundations, Data Blending: Join types (w/ Examples), and Working with GA4 Data
Data Visualization
Once our data in in Looker Studio and you’ve prepared it into the format you need, you’ll be ready to visualize it and make it accessible for your end users in a way that is easy to read, understand, and interpret for them.
Three lessons
Covering Data Visualization Essentials, Best Practice, and Tips for Styling Dashboards Like a Pro
Interactions & UX
Looker Studio reports are dynamic and connected to the underlying dataset. The viewer can interact with the report and slice and dice data to look at specific segments or date ranges and explore the data to find the insight they need for their decision making. In this section you’ll learn how to make your Looker Studio reports interactive and tailor the visualizations based on viewer’s preferences and input.
Three lessons
Covering Data Controls, Parameters and viewer Inpput, and Advanced Filters & Controls
Management & Administration
You may start with a single report, but as your business evolves, you’ll end up with dozens or hundreds of reports that require maintenance, usage tracking, security, and access management. In this section, you’ll learn whatever you need to keep your Looker Studio reports and data sources organized and secure.
Two lessons
Covering topics related to Sharing, Security, Tracking, and Access Audit, Asset Management and Organization
Advanced Concepts
Having learned all the main concepts around connecting to data, transforming it, visualizing it, and sharing it in Looker Studio, in this final section you will learn some advanced concepts and Looker Studio Pro features which are accessible to the paid users, and several tips and tricks that come in handy when dealing with real-life projects.
Six lessons
Covering topics such as Leveraging AI in Looker Studio, Looker Studio Pro Features, Custom Visualizations, templr.pro, Custom Connectors, Google Sheets (+ Using AI in Sheets), Caching, Report Performance and Speed Optimization
BigQuery for Looker Studio
This section is all about BigQuery and teaches you how to leverage Google’s fully managed and petabyte scale data warehouse to build data pipelines for your Looker Studio reports. Through several lessons, you will learn the basics of BigQuery and SQL, and the essential skills we need to build scalable and efficient data pipelines for our Looker Studio reports.
Six lessons
Covering topics and concepts like BigQuery SQL Essentials (+ AI Solutions), Creating SQL Workflows, Working with Views, Tables, and Scheduled Queries, Creating an End-to-end Data Pipeline in BigQuery, Working with GA4 Data in BigQuery (+ AI Solutions), Cost & Query Performance Optimization, BigQuery ML, and Real-Life Case Studies