As a new digital marketer specializing in SEO, I’ve had to look at data. A lot of data. From Google Analytics to Google Search Console to insert your favorite digital marketing software, they all give you tables and tables of data. And if you haven’t worked with a spreadsheet program before you might become overwhelmed. We’ll go over the most important tips and tricks I’ve added to my spreadsheet game.
Header and Alternating Colors: More Colors Are Better
If you’re like me, you sometimes lose your place looking at the endless columns of white space. Luckily there’s a function to make the first row (header) different and the rest alternating colors.
Go to [Format] => [Alternating colors…]
Conditional formatting: Make Important Data Stand Out
Just like making rows standing out from each other, it’s also important to highlight important pieces of data in your data sets. See a KW that is trending upward? Why not highlight it green. URL that has 0 clicks? Highlight it red.
First highlight the range of data you want to format conditionally then:
Go to [Format] => [Conditional formatting…]
Then choose your condition under [Format cells if…] and format under [Formatting style]. I generally like to use green/red backgrounds to indicate differences in clicks, impressions, and revenue between periods.
Text Wrapping: When Text Doesn’t Want to Stay in the Cell
Lots of times you’ll have lines of URL’s and a lot of them are so long that they spill into the next cells. This is the default text wrapping setting of overflow. With text wrapping, you get two options: wrap or clip. Wrap keeps the same cell width but adjusts the height in order to fit all the content. Clip ignores the content altogether and cuts off anything past the cell width.
Go to [Format] => [Text wrapping] =>
[Wrap] – The Wrap function expands the cell vertically to show all the information
Or
[Clip] – The Clip function keeps the cell’s dimensions but cuts off all information that extends past it
Everyone Loves Checkboxes
A very simple one but is invaluable for keeping track of tasks not only for yourself but for any tasks you deliver web developers or designers.
Go to [Insert] => [Checkboxes]
Sharing Google Sheets: Because You Don’t Work Alone
Collaborating on projects with others is a part of almost every digital marketer’s job. Information such as insights, tools, and especially data sets are shared. It only makes sense not to duplicate work, right?
Sharing comes in two ways: link sharing and email sharing. Link sharing allows you to provide another person access to your spreadsheet with just a link. Quick and simple. E-mail sharing is also available if you want to also add a message with your invitation. You can also set permission for people who view your spreadsheets in one of three basic ways:
- View Only
- View and Comment
- Editing Permission
More granular editing permissions are also available in Google Sheets. All cells are able to be edited by default with people you share editing permissions with. You can choose which sheets, rows, columns, or even specific cells are restricted from editing.
What Other Tips Are There?
Five quick tips that will make your digital marketing work much more manageable with Google Sheets. What did you think of the list? Did it help you out? Were there any important tips that I should have added? Let me know in the comments below and good luck on your digital marketing career.