Reading platform reports without guesswork
A walkthrough of standard export columns in Google Ads, Meta, and GA4, and what each one actually measures.
Stage 01
Foundations
Getting comfortable with the vocabulary and structure of a campaign report before analyzing anything inside it.
The vocabulary of campaign data
Plain-language definitions for the terms that show up across almost every platform's reporting interface.
Stage 02
Reading and structuring data
Turning scattered exports into something organized enough to actually compare and trust.
Building a simple campaign dashboard
A repeatable spreadsheet structure for pulling multiple campaigns into one view without specialized software.
Cleaning and structuring exports
Handling mismatched date ranges, inconsistent naming, and currency or timezone differences between platforms.
Attribution models, explained plainly
Why last-click, first-click, linear, and data-driven models can assign credit differently for the same conversion.
Cross-platform data matching
Reconciling numbers when Google Ads, Meta, and GA4 report different totals for what looks like the same campaign.
Stage 03
Applied analysis
Using structured data to notice patterns, catch problems, and understand performance at a more granular level.
Spotting anomalies before they become problems
Simple checks that catch a tracking error, a budget spike, or a sudden drop before it distorts a full month.
Comparing metrics instead of reading them alone
Why cost per click, conversion rate, and return on ad spend need to be read together, not in isolation.
Budget signals and pacing
Reading spend pace against a monthly budget and recognizing when a campaign is likely to under- or overspend.
Segment and audience-level analysis
Breaking a campaign down by audience, placement, or device to find where performance is actually coming from.
Stage 04
Communicating findings
Turning an analysis into something that leads to a decision and can be explained to someone else clearly.
Turning numbers into a decision
Moving from "here is what the data shows" to a clear recommendation for what to change next.
Reporting findings to your team or client
Structuring a short, clear summary of a campaign's performance without relying on someone else to write it.
Have a question about a specific platform?
If your campaigns run somewhere not mentioned here, reach out and ask how the modules apply.