5 Magical Data Visualization Examples Using Excel Spreadsheet

A picture is worth 1,000 words.

Words on pictures are worth millions more.

The aforementioned fact is highly applicable to (us) humans. Multiple scientific researches show that the human brain interprets visual content 60,000 times more than texts and numbers.

Essentially, visual communication is an incredible storytelling tool.

Remember, people remember stories and images more than words and statistics.

PPC managers need to visualize PPC campaign data to communicate meaningful stories to their stakeholders (pay-per-click customers and teams).

Visualization simplifies the communication in the world that involves tons of data. Besides, it communicates the relationships and associations in your PPC ad campaign data with images.

Given the amount of data generated by your clients’ Google Ad campaigns, you need to be able to interpret increasingly larger batches of data.

“Visualization provides you with insights whenever you find yourself in data wasteland.”

Excel is one of the most-used analytics and data visualization tools by small and medium-sized pay-per-click (PPC) ad agencies.

However, it lacks a library of custom charts relevant to paid search marketing management, among other weaknesses, as you shall discover later.

Excel is an incredible tool for data visualization in pay-per-click (PPC) management, only when combined with a third-party add-in.

This blog will walk you through time-saving and straightforward steps to visualize your PPC data on Excel, including data visualization examples.

PPC Data Visualization Using Excel:

What’s Data Visualization?

Data visualization is the representation of data or information in a graph, chart, or other visual formats.

In other words, it’s the act of taking information (data) and placing it into a visual context, such as a map or chart.

Visualizing your ads campaign data makes massive data sets more effortless for the human brain to understand.

A data visualization strategy executed well prioritizes meanings into the massive and complicated paid search marketing campaign datasets.

Why does Visualizing Data Matter in PPC Management?

There’s an interesting relationship between the human brain and visual storytelling.

Essentially, the human brain understands and retains visual story content more easily than mere texts or statistics.

You need data visualization because a visual summary of information makes it easier to identify patterns and trends than looking through thousands of rows on a spreadsheet.

Top 5 Terrific Benefits of Data Visualization in PPC Management

  1. Data Visualization Provides Clearer Understanding of the Message

Not only does data visualization help communicate your story to your PPC clients and teams, but it also helps you understand your own story better.

Better, in fact, than any other data analysis tool.

By allowing you to process a large amount of information at once, data visualization opens windows of understanding into the inner workings of your clients’ PPC ad campaigns either by measuring impact or providing actionable visual insight.

Why is this critical to search engine marketing (SEM) management?

As a key decision-maker in your PPC ad agency, you’re not an expert in every activity, but with the proper data visualization comparisons, you can make quicker, more informed decisions.

Just as before, beware of improper comparative visualizations.

If your PPC ad agency’s data analysis objective is unclear, confusing, or complicated, your visualizations might be doing more harm than good.

  2. Data Visualization Transform Data into In-depth, Actionable Insights

Spreadsheets are great tools when it comes to collecting and organizing raw data. Visualizations are not a replacement for spreadsheets.

Instead, they are a tool that complements and embellish the data for you to draw meaningful conclusions at just a glance.

Take a close look at the campaign data set below.

Can you make sense of the data?

Exactly, it’s impossible to make meaningful decisions using the data set above.

Let’s visualize the data set.

Note the difference. 

Every component is represented and organized in a far better manner. It’s easy to know what’s going on with your clients’ ad campaigns with just a glance.

For instance, Desktop attributes 51.2% of the total ad impressions, which is a critical insight. 

Your brain puts the pieces together much faster, thereby giving you more time to put the insights into action!

  3. Data Visualization Promotes Insight-Driven Decision Making

Your decision analysis in pay-per-click (PPC) management should be fueled by the data generated by your clients’ PPC ad campaigns.

When you feed accurate, unbiased data visualizations into your decision-making process, you can make better decisions for your PPC business.

If you have a compelling, data-driven story, you’re better equipped to influence the decisions of among your stakeholders (PPC clients and teams)

  4. Visualization Reveal Stories Hidden In The Data

Data visualization is an art form often misunderstood by a majority of PPC managers.

It’s not just about creating eye-catching visualizations. It’s about displaying the information in such a way that you convey the insights effectively.

Context is the relevancy that surrounds the data and is necessary to understand the insights.

As a PPC manager, it’s easy to forget about this context because you work with the data often. Clients, however, do not. With the proper visualization, your clients receive all of the information they need to see the whole picture.

Your data has a narrative that you need the visualization to tell.

When you pair the right pay-per-click (PPC) data with the exemplary chart, data storytelling happens.

You’ll be able to convey all of the essential details and underlying trends that would otherwise be lost in the numbers. These patterns, outliers, and other information are vital to getting the insights across to audiences.

  5. Data Visualization Reduces Your Costs Instantly

Like I said earlier, PPC ad campaigns generate a massive amount of data, which is less potent without relevant data visualization tools.

PPC managers running multiple accounts would need to hire data scientists to analyze data and compile insights for you.

The salary range of a data analyst in 2020 was between $50,000 and $120,000 per year.

With an intelligent and affordable data visualization solution, you eliminate the need for a data analyst. Coronavirus pandemic is already taking a toll on your agency.

Why would you need extra costs in the current recession?

In light of the above, it makes perfect sense to diagnose your clients’ PPC ad campaigns using intuitive visualization charts.

How To Visualize PPC Ads Campaign Data in Excel

Excel is one of the most-used tools for analytics by small and medium-sized PPC agencies.

The spreadsheet tool organizes data in columns and rows. Each cell can accommodate different forms of data, such as texts and numbers.

Excel can analyze marketing data and generate basic visual insights using its inbuilt charts.

For example, you could create an Excel spreadsheet that calculates a monthly budget, tracks expenses, or interactively sorts data.

What are the Weaknesses of Excel?

Excel has potentially money-draining weaknesses that could consume your time unproductively and still produce undesirable results.

Firstly, creating specialized charts purposely for PPC management is nearly impossible because Excel lacks intuitive chart templates.

Besides, it’s prone to human error, especially if vast amounts of data are involved.

Secondly, it’s not agile, especially in handling massive amounts of data. Excel is prone to crash, especially if it’s loaded with tons of data.

It’s needless to reinforce that data is gold in today’s digital marketing landscape.

Without data, you cannot access actionable insights to optimize your clients’ pay-per-click (PPC) ad campaigns for desirable results.

Thirdly, visualizing your data using Excel is synonymous with manual PPC management.

Why?

Essentially, it takes a considerable amount of time to visualize your PPC data using Excel without the help of highly efficient and specialized third-party add-ins.

Remember, as a PPC strategist, the last thing you need is a data visualization tool that limits your ability to make maximum use of your massive data.

Creating a custom PPCs chart using Excel is tedious.

Custom PPC charts are data visualization diagrams designed using metrics and dimensions to reinforce accuracy and relevancy.

Lastly, Excel spreadsheet is not collaborative like other tools, such as Excel and a third-party data visualization tool, which I will cover in detail below.

You don’t want to miss the last section.

In light of the Excel revelations above, what’s the solution?

What’s the Solution?

Well, there’s an intelligent and highly affordable Excel add-in that provides in-depth insights in a timely fashion.

This sensational tool accomplishes the mission by diving deeper into your massive search engine marketing (SEM) campaigns data to help you fill in the gaps in your story swiftly.

This Excel add-in is called ChartExpo.

ChartExpo is a fabulous data visualization tool that comes as an add-in for Excel.

Essentially, it turns your Excel into a fantastic data visualization companion capable of simplifying communication and reporting with your stakeholders (clients, colleagues, team etc.).

Mind-blowing Benefits of Using ChartExpo

• ChartExpo has an in-built library with over 50 custom charts designed purposely for pay-per-click (PPC) management.

Guess what?

ChartExpo has all the custom, intuitive charts to:

1. Save you money,
2. Save you time
3. Provide you with a 360-degree view of your clients’ ad campaigns.

• ChartExpo add-in for Excel comes with a free 7-day trial.

Essentially, if you’re not satisfied with the tool within a week, you can opt-out as quickly as signing up for a trial.

• ChartExpo add-in is ONLY $10 a month after the end of the trial period.

It’s cheaper than Starbucks.

• ChartExpo is cloud-hosted, which makes it extremely light. You have a 100% guarantee that your computer or Excel won’t be slowed down.
• When you sign-up for a trial to use ChartExpo, you get a free audit on your clients’ PPC ad campaigns.

The audit results are sent straight away to your email for your reference and action.

• You can export your beautiful, easy-to-read, and intuitive charts in JPEG and PNG, the world’s most-used formats for sharing images.

How to Install ChartExpo add-in on your Excel

To Get Started with ChartExpo for Excel add-In, follow the Simple and Easy Steps Below.

• Open your Excel desktop application (Excel 2013 with sp1) or later).
• Open the worksheet and click on the INSERT menu
• You’ll see the My Apps option.
• Click on My Apps and then click on See All.

• You will see the screen as shown in the screenshot below.
• You’ll see your add-in ChartExpo for Excel.
• If you don’t, please click on the Refresh button.
• Select this add-in and click on the Insert button.

• The add-in will be added to the Excel application, as shown on the screenshot below.
• Log in with your Microsoft account or create a new account by clicking the Create New link
• Login with the newly created account and start using the add-in.
• Enter your newly created account and start using the ChartExpo add-in. You’re only required to log in for the first time. Next time, ChartExpo won’t ask for your details again.
• Now you can start using ChartExpo™ for Excel to access incredible visualizations of your data.

• Now click on the Create Chart to get started.

• You’ll see an extensive library of visual charts categorized into six different groups.
• More so, you can expand any group by clicking on it to see a list of available visualizations.

5 Data Visualization Examples Using Excel Spreadsheet

There are over 50 revolutionary and easy-to-read data visualization charts, which are categorized into 6 major sub-groups.

Check them out below. The list is quite long.

Each of the charts has been carefully selected to ensure its 100% relevant to PPC management.

Coincidentally, ChartExpo is loaded with almost all of them.

I’ll select a single chart example from each sub-group (shown below) and demonstrate how to create highly intuitive and easy-to-read visual storytelling diagrams on Excel using ChartExpo add-in.

Let’s analyze the 6-major chart types on ChartExpo and how you can deploy them quickly.

Let’s dive in without wasting time.

1-Comparative Analysis Charts

Comparative Analysis Charts visualizes similarities, differences, and relationships between two or more items based on different parameters.

For example, a simple relationship between ‘keyword A’ and ‘keyword B’ is based on their respective CPC. However, other parameters to consider, such as the clicks per keyword, and impression share, among others.

How would you compare Keyword A and Keyword B based on metrics, such as CPC?

Comparative Analysis Charts are well-positioned to provide you with comparison insights of various dimensions based on particular metrics.

Conduct a ‘health check-up’ on your pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns FREE of charge.

In ChartExpo™, there are various Comparative Analysis Charts that you can use to depict your data story in the best way.

Comparative Analysis Charts on ChartExpo™ include:

• Bar Stacked Comparative Analysis Chart
• Line Comparative Analysis Chart
• Comparison Sentiment Chart
• Comparison Non-Sentiment Chart
• SM Comparison Chart

How do you Generate Comparative Analysis Charts using ChartExpo for Excel?

Remember, the primary aim of drawing charts is to lessen the time and energy that you spend analyzing and drawing inferences from data.

Generation of the charts should also be quick, easy, and less stressful.

Let’s Work with Adjacent Bar Charts for Demonstration Purposes

It is important to check from which device type you are getting the most clicks this will help you to refine your targeting. Adjacent bar chart will help you to analyze this within ChartExpo add-in.

What are the Insights?

With these two metrics set right next to one another, it’s a bit like looking at the two sides of the same coin. It’s a very easy viewpoint to see how each keyword is performing for these two crucial metrics.

Using the sample data, here are some quick insights you can draw:

• Keyword8 is arguably your most valuable target because you have the highest CTR and at a fairly reasonable CPC.
• While Keyword1 looks problematic because of its high CPC, the low CTR means that not many search users are clicking your ads. Thus, you aren’t paying that high CPC too often. This could be a good keyword for generating impressions and brand awareness.
• The real budget eater is Keyword2 because it has a high CTR and a high CPC.

2-Sentiment Analysis Charts

Sentiment Analysis Charts compare products or services to uncover differences. The differences can include categories, such as:

• Quality
• Cost
• Customer satisfaction

The data comparison is represented in the form of columns. Whole columns show all the features of the product or service at a particular time.

The whole columns are then divided into subcategories to show their percentages in the whole. The subcategories can be linked to show their progress over time.

These subcategories are marked with various colors for visual upgrade and easy understanding. Sentiment Analysis Charts can be subdivided into the following:

• Sentiment Trend Chart
• TreeMap Sentiment Chart
• Sentiment Matrix Chart
• Chord Chart
• SM Comparison Chart
• Sentiment Sparkline Chart

Let’s work with some data to simplify your understanding.

How do you Generate Sentiment Analysis Charts using ChartExpo?

Let’s use the Sentiment Matrix Chart for Visualization.

Take a look at the data set as depicted by the screenshot above.

What are the Insights?

From this visualization you can easily check the feedback about a hospital on different metrics that can help you polish your polices on which you get the negative feedback from your customers.  This type of analysis is very helpful to generate the good results from your business

3-Specialized Survey Charts

From time to time, seasoned PPC managers conduct surveys to gather the voice of customer (VOC) data for ad targeting purposes.

VOC data is instrumental if you want to personalize ad messages aligned with users’ intent for higher engagement and clicks.

Do you gather VOC data to improve your clients’ PPC campaigns?

If you’re yet to start gathering VOC data, you’re really missing very big.

Don’t worry!

ChartExpo has special survey charts tailor-made for PPC managers to conduct surveys efficiently and in an affordable manner.

Register for ChartExpo Trial NOW to enjoy a 7-days Free Trial 

The visualization templates that fall under the broad category of Specialized Survey Charts include:

1. Likert Chart
2. Score Detail Chart
3. Score Bar
4. Score Summary Chart
5. Rating Bar
6. Rating Chart

Let’s visualize our survey data using the Likert Chart to gain insights.

Each bar in the Likert chart represents a survey question. On each survey question, there’s a rating scale (1-5).

The Likert Bar segments have customizable default colors.

How do you Generate Likert Charts using ChartExpo?

Take a look at the sample survey data for a hospital, as depicted by the screenshot above.

Each of the survey questions has a rating scale (1-5).

Each rating has a count, which is the number of people who gave a particular rating. For instance, 324 people provided a 1-star rating on the cleanliness of the hospital.

What are the Insights Generated?

The data set makes sense in the format shown above. The green color denotes a positive response, while red denotes a lower rating.

Overall, the hospital had higher ratings in the key areas respondents were queried during the survey.

The questions: “how do you rate the quality of the hospital staff, and how do you rate your overall experience?” received higher ratings than other questions in the survey.

The most upper bar – the overall bar – represents the summary for all the survey questions.

Each bar has a weighted mean. The chart axis represents the overall percentage.

4-General Analysis Charts

As the name suggests, General Analysis Charts are used for visualizing data in an ordinary manner, such as comparing two metrics over a specific time.

The beauty of these charts is that they are very easy to interpret, irrespective of your analytical skills.

For instance, you can use a world map chart to visualize the contribution of every location targeted by your clients’ ad campaigns.

There are over 30 chart templates in ChartExpo purposely for general analysis.

How cool is this?

The chart templates under General Analysis include:

• Area Chart
• Stacked Area Chart
• Bar Chart Horizontal
• Vertical chart vertical
• Stacked bar chart
• Parallel Bar Chart 

Generate Hierarchical Bar Chart with ChartExpo?

This chart presents data in two hierarchy levels. At the top of the chart, there is the share of percentages across all categories. The remaining bars are subcategories.

As a hierarchy, the most relevant data is listed at the top of the chart. By arranging the information in such a way, it is easy to see what’s most significant and takes priority over the other categories

 Let’s look at an example.

The data as depicted on the screenshot will be visualized using, Hierarchical Bar Chart which is somewhat familiar to most PPC managers.

What are the Insights?

Using this chart, here are a few insights you can extract:

• Across the board, Google Chrome is the most common browser that people are using.
• Facebook is the #1 social media site for driving traffic.

Understanding how different social media sites and browsers access your content and website can help you better optimize your strategies. You can look at your social media sites with low traffic and determine new ways to boost those channels’ effectiveness.

5-Sankey Charts?

Sankey Diagram provides an overview of the flows in a system, such as a customer journey in search engine marketing (SEM).

This data visualization chart makes it easy to draw actionable insights for optimizing your clients’ Google Ad campaigns.

Sankey charts visually display how clients’ prospects are moving through sales funnels and how their choices and steps coordinate with the ideal way you want the funnels to function.

This chart helps you understand from on which landing page you are getting the more users and from which social network. These insights can be used to make the landing pages more attractive and responsive so you can get the more users from the social networks.

Wrap Up

Effective data visualization is the crucial final step of PPC ad campaign data analytics.

Without it, essential insights and messages will be lost.

With the rise of big data in today’s digital marketing, you really need to be able to interpret increasingly larger batches of data.

There’re multiple revolutionary and amazing custom PPC charts to choose from (as highlighted in the mid-section of the blog post).  The main relevant chart categories that come highly recommended for the pay-per-click (PPC) management includes:

1. General Analysis Charts
2. Sentiment Analysis Charts
3. Comparative Analysis Charts
4. Specialized Survey Charts
5. PPC Charts
6. Sankey

Some of the incredible reasons why you should visualize your clients’ ad campaign data are highlighted below:

• Visualizations reveal stories hidden in the data
• Data visualization provides a clearer understanding of your clients’ PPC ad campaigns.
• It promotes data-driven decision-making.
• Data visualization transform data into in-depth, actionable insights
• Data visualization reduces your costs instantly

The central goal of PPC managers is to help their clients achieve their desired goals and objectives.

This means that paid search managers need a data visualization tool to troubleshoot problems preventing their clients from tapping into the full potential of their search engine marketing (SEM) ads.

Excel is one of the most popular data visualization tools among growing PPC ad agencies due to its responsiveness, ease of use, and, most importantly, its freemium status.

However, it’s time-consuming and mentally exhausting to visualize your campaign data on Excel. Besides, it lacks an in-depth visualization library tailor-made purposely for pay-per-click (PPC) management.

You need a third-party add-in to turn Excel into an intuitive data visualization tool.

In light of the weaknesses of Excel and the vital importance of visualization, you need an affordable tool to get hold of the insights to optimize your clients’ ad campaigns for maximum desired goals at minimal costs.

ChartExpo is easy to install and run on your campaign data irrespective of the magnitude. The intelligent app should be your data visualization partner because of the following money-saving reasons.

• ChartExpo add-in for Excel has an in-built library with over 50 custom charts designed purposely for pay-per-click management.
• ChartExpo add-in for Excel comes with a free 7-day trial. Essentially, if you’re not satisfied with the tool within a week, you can opt out as easily as signing up for a trial.
• ChartExpo is a mere $10 a month after the end of the trial period.
• The money-saving data visualization app is cloud-hosted, which makes it extremely light.
• When you sign-up for a trial to use ChartExpo, you get a free audit on your clients’ PPC ad campaigns.

Sign-up for ChartExpo today to visualize your clients’ campaign data using over 50 custom, revolutionary, affordable, and easy-to-read charts for easy communication with your significant stakeholders-customers and teams.

You have everything to gain and nothing to lose by trying ChartExpo today.