How to Earn a Google Analytics Certification

Whitney Sandoval
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Updated on October 28, 2024
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Businesses use Google Analytics to understand their customers and market effectively. Earning a Google Analytics Certification can help further your career.

Understanding how consumers interact with your website can help your business make informed decisions. Becoming comfortable with Google Analytics will enable you to collect and use data to tell a story.

Recently, Google Analytics made the switch from Universal to GA4. You can quickly become familiar with GA4 through free Google courses and earn a Google Analytics certification.

Studying analytics can lead to careers within digital analytics, but it can also add an important skill to many careers. A Google Analytics certification can further your career in marketing, product management, and communications.

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How to Get Google Analytics Certified

Want to get Google Analytics certified? It’s as simple as following these free, easy steps.

Step 1: Enroll in Analytics Academy Skillshop Courses

Google offers four free training courses on the Skillshop:

Step 2: Study for the Exam

After completing the Analytic Academy Skillshops courses, you will need to prepare for the exam. Like all tests, it’s important to have good study habits. This includes:

  • Setting up designated study times leading up to the exam
  • Creating an organized study system that works best for you (flashcards, rewriting notes, voice memos, etc.)
  • Understanding the format and expectations of the test

Along with studying your notes from the Google Analytics courses, you can find study guides online. These resources break down the exam format and common test topics, so you know what to expect on test day.

You can also test your knowledge using Quizlet test questions. Since users create these quizzes, make sure you double-check that the answers are correct.

Step 3: Take the Google Analytics Certification Exam

The Google Analytics Certification Exam (GAIQ exam for GA4) contains 70 multiple-choice questions and takes approximately one hour to complete, though you’ll have 90 minutes to complete it. Note that you’ll need to take the test in one sitting.

The exam covers topics from the courses including:

  • Creating your Google Analytics parameters
  • Setting up and compiling data
  • Converting and interpreting data and reports

The GAIQ exam for GA4 is free, and you can retake it multiple times starting 24 hours after your attempt.

Step 4: Stay Up to Date With Your Certification

After you’ve passed your exam, don’t throw away your notes. The GAIQ is only valid for 12 months. In order to stay certified, you will need to retest every year. Keep an eye out for changes to Google Analytics or any additional certification courses or training to stay up-to-date.

What Skills Will I Learn With a Google Analytics Certification?

Google Analytics certification builds in-demand and immediately practical skills you can apply to any profession or company with a website.

A few skills you’ll learn through the preparatory courses for the GAIQ include how to:

  • checkFollow the customer journey: Understand what brings people to a website, how long they stay, and where they leave the website.
  • checkTrack marketing performance: Discover which ads or landing pages bring the most customers.
  • checkSplit test websites for performance: Discover which colors, layouts, fonts, or designs encourage people to spend more time on a website.
  • checkOptimize Posting: Time product launches, blog posts, and other information for when the site receives maximum traffic.

Google Analytics certification provides essential insight into how a website performs and where it can improve. The digital marketing skills you’ll learn during these courses are useful across multiple industries.

What Jobs Can I Get With a Google Analytics Certification?

Here are some in-demand jobs a Google Analytics certification can help you get:

  • minus

    Data Analyst

    Collect, clean, and analyze data to help guide a company’s direction. Many companies may require a bachelor’s degree.

  • minus

    SEO Specialist

    Use Google Analytics to assess and optimize website performance and ranking on search engines. Companies may require a bachelor’s degree.

  • minus

    Market Research Analyst

    Analyze data to identify opportunities and trends, such as new markets for products or services or new product offerings. Google Analytics certification would likely be useful for this career. Most companies require a bachelor’s degree.

  • minus

    Marketing Manager

    Create campaigns and promotional materials to generate interest in products or services. They use Google Analytics to monitor campaign performance, split test ads, and improve marketing campaigns. This career may require a bachelor’s degree.

Frequently Asked Questions About Google Analytics Certifications

Google Analytics certification is free. You will need to invest 4-6 hours of study time preparing for the exam if you choose to take the optional preparatory courses. The courses and training videos are available to anyone free of charge. The Google Analytics Individual Qualification exam is also free.

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