GA4 / Google Analytics certification study guide & free learning materials for 2024

Are you new to GA4 or Google Analytics in general? Do you need to get Google Analytics Certification? Fortunately, with the help of free Google Analytics study material and certification study guides, you can become the next GA4 superstar!

GA4 study material published by Google

Every marketer should have a basic understanding of Google Analytics 4. If you are a complete beginner with a background in traditional marketing, the reports, tabs, and settings provided by Google Analytics can be overwhelming. It is easy to get lost in data and spend hours looking for something actionable.

There is no reason for despair. You can learn to use GA one report at a time, to find the data you need.

First, you need to understand the basic concepts, vocabulary, and limits of Google Analytics 4. Then, you should move on to the more advanced topics.

The best place to start is Skillshop, where Google has published several excellent tutorials for new GA4 users. Spending a few hours with the study material is well spent. It will save you from many mistakes and misunderstandings!

The four free courses are ordered here from introductory to advanced:

1. Get started using Google Analytics 4
2. Use Google Analytics 4 for Your Business
3. Measure your Marketing with Google Analytics 3 
4. Go Further with Advanced Features in Google Analytics 4

After learning the material and some practical experience, you can earn a certification at Skillshop!

• Enroll in the courses here

GA4 videos on YouTube

YouTube is an excellent source of free learning material for both new and advanced GA users.

Also Google publishes a lot of great videos on YouTube. Some of them are also part of materials published in Skillshop.

Start from here:

• Analytics Academy on Skillshop playlist
• Google Analytics 4 Tutorials
• Reporting in Google Analytics 4

In addition to Google, there are several other YouTube channels for learning about Google Analytics.

My favorites are:

• MeasureSchool
• Analytics Mania

Analytics Mania’s and MeasureSchool’s content will help you to proceed from beginner to advanced GA4 (and GTM, that is Google TagManager) user.

Google Analytics 4 certification

The Google Analytics Certification exam is a good way to demonstrate your knowledge when applying for a job.  Of course, having hands-on experience with Google Analytics is even more important than passing a multiple-choice test.

For example, if you are trying to get your first job in digital marketing, the certificate shows you have some basic knowledge of Google Analytics.

If you are an experienced digital marketer, you are more or less expected to have the Google Analytics Certification or more advanced skills. The exam and certificate are free, so you need to invest an hour or two of your time to pass the test.

It is important to understand that more than the certification as such is needed for recruiters. After all, the certification is easy to game as one can easily google the answers (but please don’t do it!).

Passing the certification test is rather easy

It should be easy to pass if you have been using GA4 for a while. You can read the study material to fill in the gaps in your knowledge.

If you are starting out in analytics, you might need help understanding the questions and terminology used in the test. 

Passing the certification test is actually easier than you might think: the certification test is an open-book exam, so you can use all your notes when doing the exam. Unfortunately, too many marketers try to pass it just with a little help from Google and CTRL+F. You might get your certificate that way – but you would not learn anything.

After all,  the certification is just a piece of paper or a pdf file. You need to learn something, too!

Google Analytics 4 Demo Account

 Because the demo account displays real data from an ecommerce website, it is valuable for exploring Google Analytics reports and features. Here are some things you can do with the two Google Analytics 4 properties:

• Ad-Hoc Explorations: Perform ad-hoc explorations by dragging and dropping multiple variables, including segments, dimensions, and metrics, onto a canvas to instantly visualize your data.
• View Standard Reporting: Access standard Google Analytics 4 reports in the Merchandise Store property.
• Explore Games Reporting: Examine game-specific reports in the Flood-It property.
• Basic Analysis:
  • Determine which channel is acquiring the most new users across different platforms.
  • Identify the total number of unique users for each business.
  • Track the number of conversions on the Flood-It! app and the Merchandise Store website over the past week.
• Funnel Exploration: Analyze where users enter the conversion funnel and where they drop off.

I have often used this account in my Google Analytics training sessions. If the students come from different organisations, having a shared Analytics account is helpful for learning purposes.

This account is your most important learning resource for GA4 if you are looking for an entry-level job in digital marketing and don’t have access to real-life GA4 properties. Use this account to learn as much as possible about real-life e-commerce web analytics.

Other study material

Google has published a lot ofdocumentation about GA4. Most of the documentation is pretty technical and written for developers.  If you are interested in technical details you can have a look at these, too. They are not, however, very helpful for those just using Google Analytics.

In addition, it is a good idea to read some of the best Google Analytics blogs available. For example, practically every article written by Avinash Kaushik is worth reading. Be Real-World Smart: A Beginner’s Advanced Google Analytics Guide would be a great starting point!

This post was originally published in 2016. I updated it in June 2024 with fresh information about GA4.