Google Analytics and Facebook Ads Manager: Marketing Measurement Tools

You've collected the dataset — now how are you going to read it? This is the most practical part of marketing analytics. In this article, we explain the key tools a marketing analyst needs to know: schedule programs, Google Analytics, Facebook (Meta) Ads Manager, and Google Ads. We'll show you what each tool measures and the key metrics you need to know.

This post what is marketing analytics a continuation of its guide.

Schedule programs: the foundation of everything

Excel and Google Sheets are the day-to-day tools of marketing analytics-the most flexible means to retrieve, sort, categorize, report, and even analyze data. Excel has more features, and Google Sheets is free; if you can work with one, you can do so with another, because the basic format is the same.

Basic concepts you need to know

• The intersection of a column (in letters) and a line (in numbers) is called a field (cell).
• Labelling: the first line of each column describes the content; it should be descriptive and clear. If there is an abbreviation for large tables, create an explanatory «code book» (legend).
• Sorting: select the dataset and sort by specific column (e.g. by daily income).
• Filtering: show some datasets with funnel-shaped button, hide others — hidden data doesn't disappear, it's just not visible.
• Calculated fields: e.g. =C2*19.99 (sold × price) or =SUM(L2:L8) (total).
• Visualization: select the dataset and graph and edit with «insert chart».

Let's illustrate this with an example: a chart from the flower shop «Calla & Ivy» in Amsterdam that lists weekly product sales. With such sorting, such a simple table instantly shows which day yields the most and which yields the least.

Cədvəllərin gücünü qiymətləndirmək üçün bir məsləhət: mürəkkəb analitik platformalara keçməzdən əvvəl datanı cədvəldə düşünməyi öyrən. Əksər analitik iş əslində sadə əməliyyatlardan ibarətdir — datanı təmizləmək, düzgün etiketləmək, qruplaşdırmaq, cəmi və faizləri hesablamaq, sonra da nəticəni bir qrafiklə göstərmək. Bu bacarıqları mənimsəsən, hər hansı böyük alət sənə asan gələcək. Excel və Google Sheets-in yüzlərlə hazır funksiyası var; onlarla «oynamaq» və yeni şeylər kəşf etmək öyrənmənin ən yaxşı yoludur.

Visualization: the ability to deliver results

Data visualization is critical for every marketing analyst. Even if you find a great formula or set up an ideal promotion, it doesn't mean anything to the people who decide the outcome. Because the person you're reporting to often doesn't have the preparation to understand the raw dataset. One clear visualization explains more than just a long speech.

In addition to simple graphics (bar, pie, line), marketing analysts use special tools: Tableau, Power BI, and Qlik. Tableau's public gallery («Viz of the Day») features fully interactive dashboards-the theme can be anything.

Google Analytics: site performance mirror

Google Analytics is basically a free tool and provides a huge amount of data related to the site. You add a code («Google Analytics global site tag») to their site; when someone visits, Google assigns them a unique identifier (usually a cookie) and tracks their movement on the site.

Basic web metrics

• User (User) — every unique visitor.
• Session () — each visit to that user's site.
• Traffic source — where the visitor came from on the site.
• Most viewed pages and where users left the site.
• Conversion — target action (purchase, registration, form filling).

Ən son versiya GA4 (bəzən «G4») adlanır və köhnə versiyadan bir neçə mühüm cəhətlə fərqlənir: sayt və tətbiqlərdən gələn datanı birləşdirir, kuki olmadan da data toplaya bilir və səhifə baxışından (page view) çox hadisəyə (event) yönəlib. Səbəb: istifadəçilər mobil cihazlarda daha çox scroll edir, ona görə köhnə «səhifə baxışı» anlayışı daha az aktualdır. Alternativlər: Adobe Analytics (enterprise səviyyəli, ödənişli), Squarespace kimi hostinq platformalarının öz analitikası. Böyük saytlar üçün isə Google Analytics 360 daha geniş data toplayır.

Practical advice for learning: if you don't have your own site yet, you can use Google Analytics' demo account. This is an anonymous dataset of a real store, allowing you to learn how the panel works, how reports are read, in a secure environment. Coaching with real data is more effective than theoretical reading.

👉 Related: conversion

Facebook (Meta) Ads Manager: the center of ad results

Facebook reklamı işlədirsənsə, Ads Manager kampaniyanı təhlil etmək, nəyin işlədiyini və nəyin dəyişməli olduğunu müəyyən etmək üçün lazım olan bütün datanı verir. Kampaniya nəticələrini qiymətləndirəndə əsas bir suala cavab axtarırsan: «Bu kampaniya xərclədiyim pula dəyirmi?» Buna ROAS (Return on Ad Spend — reklam xərcinə düşən gəlir) deyilir. Ads Manager defolt olaraq bir sıra metrikaları göstərir, amma «Columns» bölməsindən onları dəyişə (məsələn, yalnız engagement) və datanı zaman, çatdırılma və ya hərəkət üzrə seqmentləşdirə bilərsən.

Key metrics to look out for

• Impressions — how many times the ad has been previewed.
• CPM — The price of 1000 shows varies by industry, audience, and location.
• CTR (click-through rate) — how many percent of people who see an ad click on a link.
• Results / conversions — the number of actions (registration, account creation, purchase) you want.
• Cost per result — the cost per conversion; indicates the spend of the campaign.

A practical example: if the cost is 80 cents per result, and the average customer purchase is $5, that's good for you. But if you pay $4 per conversion, and the average purchase is $5 again — you're likely spending too much. One: if too many people come to the site and don't take any action, it's a signal to check the site text (web copy) or call to action — something keeps people from the last step.

Google Ads: search advertising and keywords

Google Ads gives a similar dashboard: how many people clicked on the ad, general instructions, average CPC (price per click), total cost. If you go to Detailed view, you see more metrics — from impressions to cost per conversion. You can also see the demographic of those who click on their ad (age, gender, income) and figure out if it's hitting the right audience.

Google Ads-in unikal cəhəti — açar söz (keyword) nəticələridir; bunlar Google Search reklamlarına xasdır. Reklam qurarkən açar sözlər seçirsən; kimsə onları Google-da axtaranda reklamın çıxır. Google hər açar sözün neçə klik və göstəriş gətirdiyini, interaksiya nisbətini və hər klik/interaksiya üçün orta xərci göstərir. Bu, hansı açar sözlərin ən yaxşı ROAS verdiyini anlamağa və zəif açar sözlərdən imtina etməyə imkan verir. Əsas prinsip həmişə eynidir: datadan istifadə edərək reklamı davamlı təkmilləşdirmək.

Why site analytics? Wide application

Sayt analitikasını yalnız reklam kampaniyalarını izləmək üçün düşünmək səhvdir. Onun tətbiqi çox genişdir: kim olduğunu (auditoriya), saytı necə tapdığını (trafik mənbəyi) və saytda nəyə baxdığını göstərir. Bu, təkcə marketinqi deyil, brend qavrayışını və bütün onlayn mövcudluğunu yaxşılaşdırmağa kömək edir. İstər bloger, istər kiçik biznes, istər xəbər saytı, istərsə də nəhəng e-ticarət mağazası olsun — web analitikası neçə ziyarətçin olduğunu, onların kim olduğunu, hansı səhifələri sevdiyini, orada nə qədər qaldığını, nə aldığını və geri qayıdıb-qayıtmadığını göstərir. Bu data reklam, sayt dizaynı, mətn, hədəf auditoriya və sosial media kontenti üçün daha yaxşı strategiya qurmağa imkan verir.

One important nuance: different tools present the dataset at different levels of analysis. Some give you raw data and make sense of yourself, while others automatically create graphs and ideas. Some go to the panel and request to pull the dataset yourself, while others send a ready report once a week. You can't be limited to one tool-it's helpful to use two or three tools together for a complete view.

How to interpret metrics? Cost logic

It's one thing to collect numbers, another thing to interpret them correctly. The basic logic in advertising metrics is always a comparison of cost and output. Here are a few practical rules:

• High CTR, but little conversion: people click on an ad, come to the site, but don't buy it — the problem is in the site or the offer, not the ad.
• Low CTR: the ad itself doesn't get noticed — change the creative or the audience.
• High CPM: you pay too much for instructions — narrow your audience or optimize time.
• If the cost per result is higher than the average purchase: the promotion is running at a loss, pause or reinstall.

Valuing the dataset in Ads Manager helps you determine what doesn't work-whether it's an ad creative, site text, or a call. The marketer adjusts with this information and then re-evaluates the campaign a few weeks later to see if the numbers have changed. This is a continuous cycle.

When to operate which tool?

Google Analytics, Ads Manager for social media advertising, Google Ads for search advertising, and schedule software for in-depth analysis and reporting to understand site behavior. A professional marketing analyst combines the data from these tools in one place to see the full picture — because no tool alone shows the whole truth.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

What is the difference between a user and a session?

User — unique visitor; session — one visit from that user. One user can create multiple sessions.

What is roas?

Return on Ad Spend — income per 1 unit of money spent on advertising. A key metric that shows whether a promotion is profitable.

Is Google Analytics free?

Yes, the default version (GA4) is free and sufficient for most businesses. There is a paid GA360 for large sites.

What is the difference between CPM and CPC?

CPM — the price of 1000 instructions; CPC — the price of one click. CPM is pay by instruction and CPC is pay by click.

Which one to choose between Google Ads and Facebook Ads Manager?

It's all about purpose. When people are actively searching for something, Google Ads is better suited to targeting them for interest and demographics, and Facebook Ads Manager is more suitable for targeting them for interest and demographics. Often, the two are used together.

What is bounce rate?

The percentage of people who leave the site without looking at just one page and moving any further. A high bounce rate often indicates that the page doesn't meet the expectation.

The end: not a tool, but a mindset

The most important conclusion is that tools change, but the mindset remains. The interface of Google Analytics will be updated, Ads Manager will add new metrics, new platforms will be released. But the question you ask each time will be the same: “What does this number tell me and what should I decide based on it?» If you learn to ask this question, you will quickly master which tool comes along. Not mimicking metrics, but being able to interpret them is a real skill.

Choose a tool to get started (e.g. Google Analytics), view reports for 15 minutes each day for a week, and ask one question each time: which page is the most viewed today? Where did people come from? Where did they leave the site? This habit will make you a numbers-driven analyst in the short term.

Next step: how to protect user privacy when collecting this dataset

👉 Next Post data and privacy