Step-by-Step Guide: Building Free Looker Studio Reports for Google Ads & GA4

Oct 3

Reporting shouldn’t feel like a full-time job. Yet for many startups, growth brands, and even agencies, it often does. Between Google Ads, GA4, and Search Console, teams can easily spend hours pulling numbers, formatting spreadsheets, and explaining results.

At MK2 Media, we believe in simplifying chaos. That’s why we use Looker Studio (formerly Google Data Studio) — a free, powerful tool that transforms raw data into interactive dashboards. Even better: there are free templates available so you don’t have to start from scratch.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to building free Looker Studio reports for Google Ads, GA4, and Google Search Console.

Step 1: Access Looker Studio

Go to Looker Studio and log in with your Google account. It’s completely free.

Step 2: Connect Your Data Sources

Google Ads → Campaign performance, cost, conversions, ROAS.
GA4 (Google Analytics 4) → User behavior, events, conversions, e-commerce metrics.
Google Search Console (GSC) → Organic search visibility, impressions, clicks, and keyword rankings.

Pro Tip: Connect all three to see how paid and organic work together.

Step 3: Start with Free Templates

Don’t start from zero. Use these free templates to jump ahead:

Google Ads Overview Template – Shows spend, clicks, conversions, and efficiency.
GA4 Website Performance Template – Tracks sessions, engagement, and conversion events.
Search Console Performance Template – Reveals your top queries, CTR, and ranking trends.
Blended Media + SEO Template – Combine Ads, GA4, and GSC in one view for holistic performance.

Step 4: Customize for Your Business

The real power of Looker Studio comes when you tailor dashboards to your goals:

Blend ad spend + organic traffic for a complete cost-per-acquisition view.
Compare paid keywords from Google Ads with organic queries from GSC to find efficiency opportunities.
Layer in GA4 conversion tracking to understand which channels actually drive results.

Step 5: Automate & Share

Looker Studio dashboards update in real time. You can:

Schedule automated emails to your team or leadership.
Share interactive dashboards with stakeholders (no more static decks).
Embed dashboards into your intranet, Slack, or Notion.

Why This Matters

By combining Google Ads, GA4, and Search Console in Looker Studio, you create a single source of truth for marketing performance. No more siloed reports or time wasted in spreadsheets.

At MK2 Media, we’ve helped brands cut reporting time by 50% while making insights more actionable. Whether you’re a startup building your first dashboards or a growth brand needing cross-channel visibility, Looker Studio is your best free tool to get started.

Ready to Elevate Your Reporting?

MK2 Media has built scalable, standardized templates that combine paid media + analytics + SEO into one powerful reporting framework.

Mahmood Khan https://www.mk2.media