Google Analytics Certification: Benefits and How to Get It

Google Analytics is a free web analytics service that tracks and reports web traffic. If you want to showcase your skills with an understanding of  Google Analytics, you might consider obtaining Google Analytics Certification through Google. 

A certificate in Google Analytics could improve your job prospects and reinforce your skills with the service. In this article, you’ll learn more about the Google Analytics certification, its benefits, and how to obtain it. You’ll also find suggestions for other certifications that could help your business or digital marketing career. 

What is the Google Analytics certificate?

Google Analytics certification—not to be confused with the Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate—is a certification earned by those who pass the Google Analytics Individual Qualification (GAIQ) Exam. The certificate is offered free by Google Skillshop, and indicates the holder’s knowledge of both basic and advanced functions of Google Analytics.

What is Google Analytics?

Google Analytics is a free digital and web analytic service businesses and marketers use to track and report website traffic and engagement. An important tool in modern digital marketing and e-commerce, Google Analytics is used for basic data analysis, such as tracking a website’s traffic, session duration, and bounce rate.

In turn, this data can be used to improve the user experience on a business’s website or direct digital marketing efforts using Google ads and search engine optimisation (SEO). 

A paid version of the service, Google Analytics 360, provides advanced Google Analytics features like more detailed data and the ability to use advanced analytics.

Read more: 6 Popular Data Analytics Certifications: Your 2023 Guide

Google Analytics certification benefits

There are many benefits to becoming a Google Analytics certified professional. In addition to showcasing your understanding of Google Analytics to potential employers, studying for the certificate will enhance your skills. 

As a result, some possible benefits of obtaining Google Analytics certification include the following: 

• Obtaining a shareable certificate that could improve hiring chances

• Reinforcing and enhancing your knowledge of Google Analytics 

• Showcasing a desire to improve your skill set

How to get the Google Analytics certification

Anyone with an internet connection, a thorough understanding of Google Analytics, and the time to study for the exam can obtain a Google Analytics certificate. In this section, you’ll learn the steps you should take to obtain yours:

1. Learn about Google Analytics

The first step to gaining a Google Analytics certification is to understand Google Analytics itself better. Thankfully, Google provides a wide variety of resources to help users understand the tools available to them in Analytics. 

Google Analytics Academy provides free online courses for beginners and more advanced practitioners. Topics covered include setting up an account, analysing basic reports, tracking campaigns, collecting and processing data, and more. Google Analytics Academy also includes courses on using Google Analytics 360, covering roll-up reporting, creating custom filters, and reporting with BigQuery. 

Google’s Digital Marketing & E-commerce Professional Certificate prepares course takers for a career in digital marketing by teaching in-demand job skills that can have them job-ready for entry-level roles in less than six months. In addition to learning about Google Analytics, you’ll also learn the fundamentals of digital marketing and e-commerce, how to attract and engage customers through digital marketing channels, and what it takes to build e-commerce stores. Those who complete the course are granted a professional certificate through Coursera and Google.

2. Prepare for the Google Analytics certification exam

The Google Analytics individual qualification exam covers both basic and advanced concepts. According to Google, the topics covered in the exam include: 

• Planning and principles 

• Implementation and data collection 

• Configuration and administration 

• Conversion and attribution 

• Reports, metrics, and dimensions

If you’re confident in your knowledge of all the above, feel free to jump into the exam. However, if you’re less familiar with these concepts, consider reviewing them through Google Analytics Academy.

3. Take the exam

Once you feel confident in your Google Analytics knowledge, you can take the Google Analytics individual qualification exam. Completely free, the exam covers 70 questions on the topics mentioned above and takes approximately 60 minutes to complete. You will need a score of at least 80 per cent to pass the exam.

If you’re concerned about not passing the exam, don’t worry. Google allows you to take the exam 24 hours after your previous attempt. Use this time to brush up on your knowledge and prepare to retake it. Once you pass the exam, your certification remains valid for 12 months.

4. Market your certification

Once you’ve passed the exam, you will receive a certificate with your name noting your qualifications. Consider citing the qualification on your resume to highlight your digital marketing and Google Analytics skills. Some employers may look favorably on applicants who have taken the time to earn a relevant qualification. 

Tip: Consider pursuing your data science degree online from an accredited university so you can continue working (and earning a paycheck) as you learn.

The University of Michigan School of Information’s online Master of Applied Data Science (MADS) degree is designed for aspiring data scientists to learn and apply skills through hands-on projects. You’ll learn how to use data to improve outcomes and achieve ambitious goals.

Learn more about analytics

Google Data Analytics is the cornerstone of many modern digital marketing campaigns and e-commerce businesses. If you’re ready to start exploring a career as a data analyst, build job-ready skills in less than six months with the Google Data Analytics Professional Certificate on Coursera. Learn how to clean, organise, analyse, visualise, and present data from data professionals at Google.