Looker Studio Blog Dashboard: One Report for Traffic, Sources, and Ad Revenue - Tips for Blogspot & Adsense

Blog Portfolio Dashboard Ideas with Looker Studio

💡Run all your blog analytics—traffic, sources, and monetization—through one clean Looker Studio dashboard. Build once, reuse forever.

Create a unified dashboard to see visitors, acquisition channels, and revenue across multiple blogs at a glance.

If you run more than one blog, your data lives everywhere. Sessions sit in Analytics. Search queries hide in Search Console. Revenue is split across AdSense and affiliate networks. You bounce between tabs, export CSVs, and try to connect the dots while the day disappears.

Looker Studio (formerly Data Studio) solves the “many tabs, little time” problem. It pulls your numbers into one canvas, lets you slice by date, channel, and property, and turns raw metrics into readable scorecards, tables, and charts. The real win isn’t a pretty graph—it’s faster decisions: what to write, where to promote, and how to grow. 

“I want to see everything at a glance.” That’s the brief. Below, we’ll rebuild your view from the ground up—step by step—with practical choices and a layout you can reuse.

Who this helps: solo bloggers juggling several sites, small teams overseeing a content portfolio, and anyone who needs a weekly read on performance without digging through multiple tools.

What you’ll get: a single report that answers four everyday questions—What moved? Where did readers come from? Which content sticks? What earned money?

Why a unified dashboard beats separate reports

• Context in one place: Traffic spikes make sense when you can see the matching source and the post that drove it.
• Less busywork: No more exporting and merging spreadsheets just to compare blogs or time frames.
• Consistent definitions: One set of KPIs, one set of filters, and shared understanding across your team or clients.
• Faster iteration: Spot a pattern on Monday, test by Wednesday, measure by Friday.

Key metrics worth tracking from day one

• Views (daily/weekly/monthly) to capture momentum.
• Active Users for a cleaner sense of audience size than sessions alone.
• Average Engagement Time to gauge content depth and reading behavior.
• Traffic by Source/Medium to understand acquisition mix (organic, social, direct, referral, email).
• Ad Revenue (via AdSense linked to GA4) for a directional read on monetization trends.
• Top Content tables with Page Title, Views, Engagement, and Revenue side-by-side.

Recommended layout (one-screen overview)

• Header controls: Date Range selector + Property/Blog dropdown + Device category filter.
• KPI strip: Views, Active Users, Avg. engagement time, Ad Revenue — each with comparison to previous period.
• Trend line: Views by Date (last 28 or 90 days) for quick trajectory.
• Channel mix: Stacked bar or pie for Source/Medium share.
• Content table: Page Title × Source/Medium with Views, Active Users, Avg. engagement time, Revenue.
• Notes box: Weekly annotations (“What we shipped” and “What changed”).

Fast setup checklist

1. Create a blank report in Looker Studio and name it “Blog Portfolio Dashboard.”
2. Connect GA4 for each blog. Use clear names like “BlogName — GA4.”
3. Link AdSense to GA4 (Admin → Product Links) so revenue fields surface in Analytics and flow into Looker Studio.
4. (Optional) Connect Search Console for queries, impressions, and clicks.
5. Add a Data Control for switching between blogs without duplicating charts.
6. Build the KPI strip, add the date comparison, and enable sparklines where helpful.
7. Insert the content table and add conditional formatting to flag opportunities.
8. Save a copy as a template to reuse across new sites.

Common pitfalls and how to avoid them

• Mismatch between GA4 and AdSense totals: Treat GA4’s revenue as directional; reconcile payouts in AdSense.
• Slow dashboards: Keep default date ranges tight (28–90 days). Put heavy blends on secondary pages.
• Messy field names: Rename fields to human language (e.g., “Avg. engagement time (sec)”).
• Overloaded first page: Prioritize scanning; move deep dives to another tab.

Turning insights into action

• SEO opportunities: Pair Search Console queries with GA4 engagement. High impressions + low clicks → improve titles and intros. High clicks + low engagement → tighten intros and subheads.
• Content expansion: When engagement beats site average, publish a follow-up, add internal links, or turn it into a series.
• Monetization tweaks: Traffic-rich but low-revenue posts: test ad placement, introduce relevant affiliate links, or add a soft CTA to your newsletter.
• Channel bets: If social sends spikes with weak engagement, refine audience targeting and preview copy.

Small upgrades that make a big difference

• Calculated fields: Views per User (loyalty), RPM (directional), Reader Depth Tier by engagement thresholds.
• Parameter toggles: Switch comparisons (Prev Period vs YoY) without duplicating charts.
• Saved filters: One-click views for Mobile-only, New Users, or specific categories.
• Weekly schedule: Email the report PDF to yourself or your team every Monday.

Build once, then iterate. Your dashboard should reflect how you work. Keep it simple, make decisions weekly, and let compounding improvements do the rest.

In short: Looker Studio is a free visualization layer for your marketing stack. Connect it to Google Analytics, Search Console, AdSense, and more. Then design a report that answers the questions you actually ask every day.

Looker Studio

💡Go to lookerstudio.google.com, create a blank report, and connect your data. You’ll shape the canvas to match how you think.

Looker Studio lives here: https://lookerstudio.google.com/. When you open it, you’ll see a clean home screen with templates, recent files, and the “Blank Report” button. The idea is simple: pick a starting point, attach data, and start laying out the pieces that matter.

Here’s the view you’ll land on first—minimal and friendly.

We’ll keep the build linear and doable. Each step adds a layer: objectives → sources → visuals → decisions. You can follow this on a new report or retrofit into an existing one.

Step 1: Planning Your Dashboard & Setting Goals

💡Decide what you want to know before you build. Questions shape charts. Charts drive action.

Before building your dashboard, clearly define what you want to see and why. Your goals guide your metrics.

Most people open Looker Studio and start dragging charts. That’s backwards. The best dashboards don’t begin with graphs — they begin with curiosity. Ask: “What do I want to learn, and what will I do once I know it?”

Your dashboard should tell a story, not just show numbers. Whether you manage one blog or ten, your job is to turn analytics into understanding.

1-1. Defining Core Questions

💡Think in everyday questions: “What changed yesterday?” “Which post drives the most income?” Keep it human, not technical.

Start with questions that naturally pop up when you check your stats:

• Traffic by blog and timeframe
  You want to know how each blog performs — daily, weekly, and monthly. Instead of exporting endless spreadsheets, see the trend at a glance: are you growing, plateauing, or dipping?


• Acquisition by channel
  How are people finding you? Through Google search, social media, direct visits, or referrals? Which channel deserves your next focus? This helps you invest effort where it matters most.


• Revenue snapshot
  AdSense remains your most accurate revenue source, but having the data visualized next to your traffic helps you identify correlations and seasonal shifts. Remember: GA’s revenue data is indicative, not exact, unless AdSense is linked properly.


• Top-performing content
  Traffic doesn’t always equal profit. Some posts bring loyal readers, while others quietly generate higher revenue. Your dashboard should highlight both types to guide your content roadmap.

Smart dashboards answer two layers of questions:

• Daily pulse — What happened today? Did a post suddenly take off? Did SEO performance fluctuate?
• Weekly review — Which articles performed best? Which channels brought the most engaged visitors? What should you repeat or cut?

The key is not to collect data for the sake of it but to create a simple feedback loop. A well-designed dashboard replaces guesswork with patterns you can act on.

1-2. Preparing Your Data Sources

💡Connect your core tools first: GA4 for behavior, AdSense for monetization, Search Console for SEO. Keep logins and roles organized before you start.

Prepare Google Analytics, AdSense, and Search Console connections in advance for a smoother setup process.

Before touching Looker Studio, make sure your data sources are clean and accessible. You’ll thank yourself later. Each connection fuels a different part of the story:

Data Type	Source	Key Metrics
Blog Visitors	Google Analytics (GA4)	Users, Pageviews, Avg. Engagement Time
Ad Revenue	Google AdSense	Earnings, Clicks, Impressions
Search Traffic	Google Search Console	Keywords, Clicks, Impressions

Optional but powerful additions include:

• Affiliate platform exports (in CSV format) for commission tracking
• Newsletter data from tools like ConvertKit or Substack
• Social analytics (Pinterest, X, Instagram, Threads) to track referral efficiency
• A simple content inventory spreadsheet (URL, Title, Publish Date, Category) for blending story-level metrics

These extra inputs help you connect the dots between your efforts — from content creation to audience retention and revenue impact.

Step 2: Accessing Looker Studio & Creating a New Report

💡Start simple: create a blank report, give it a clear name, and set a default time window that fits your workflow.

Log into Looker Studio and create a fresh report. This will serve as your workspace to connect, visualize, and customize data.

Follow these quick steps:

1. Open Looker Studio.
2. Click + Blank Report.
3. Name it something intuitive like “Unified Blog Dashboard” or “Content Performance Hub.”
4. Pick a default date range (the last 28 days works well for trend visibility). You can later add a date range control to compare periods.

Here’s a pro tip: add two simple controls that turn one static report into a reusable portfolio dashboard:

• Date Range Control — so you can easily switch between time frames.
• Dropdown Control for “Blog / Property” — allowing quick comparison between multiple sites.

With those two additions, you only have to build the dashboard once — every blog you manage can plug into the same structure. It saves hours each month and keeps your reporting consistent.

Next, we’ll move on to connecting your data sources — Google Analytics, AdSense, and Search Console — and shaping them into a single, flexible system you can maintain effortlessly.

Step 3: Connecting Your Data Sources

💡Connect GA4, AdSense (via the GA link), and optionally Search Console. Keep names clean so fields are obvious at a glance.

Connect Google Analytics, AdSense, and any affiliate/partner data to your report for a unified view.

Create a new report and attach your sources

3-1. Connect Google Analytics (GA4)

💡Use a GA4 property per blog. Map the correct property to the report, and add a Data Control if you juggle multiple sites.

Before connecting, confirm each blog is sending events to its own GA4 property (and the proper data stream). In Looker Studio, add the Google Analytics connector and select your GA4 property + web data stream. Adopt a consistent label like “BlogName — GA4” so fields and filters stay clear as your portfolio grows.

Pick the Google Analytics connector

1. From a blank report, choose the Google Analytics tile.
   Or open Resource → Manage added data sources → Add data source → Google Analytics, then pick your GA4 property and data stream.
   
   

   

   Choose the blog’s GA4 property → Add

Tip: In GA4, link AdSense under Admin → Product Links. Once linked, ad metrics surface in GA4 and flow into Looker Studio through the same GA connector. Fewer connectors = fewer headaches.

3-2. Connect AdSense

💡Skip the direct AdSense connector for this build. Link AdSense → GA4 and keep everything flowing through one source.

When AdSense data routes through GA4, you get a single, consistent schema, cleaner metric names, and better report performance. It also simplifies maintenance when you add new blogs later—just link the new property in GA4 and it appears in your existing Looker Studio controls.

3-3. Connect Search Console

💡Search Console adds query-level context. Turn it on when you’re ready to act on keywords, not just admire them.

Search Console brings queries, impressions, and clicks into the same canvas as engagement and monetization. Blend on Page (URL) and Date to line up keyword demand with behavior and revenue. If you’re building a minimal first version, skip it now and add later—your structure won’t break.

Once connected, the right panel will list fields you’ll use most: dimensions like Page title and Session source / medium; metrics like Views, Active users, Avg. engagement time; and, if AdSense is linked, Ad metrics for monetization.

Fields appear in the right panel after connecting

Step 4: Visualizing Your Data

💡Begin with a compact KPI strip, add a trends line, then layer tables for depth. Keep the first screen scannable.

4-1. KPIs: Views, Active Users, Avg. Engagement Time, Ad Revenue

💡Show Today vs Yesterday, Last 7 vs Prior 7, plus a rolling 28-day trend. Pulse + comparison + context.

Create scorecards, charts, and a content table so key metrics are clear at a glance.

Picture two new blogs — “락이와” and “무명주방_Old.” You need a quick status check: what moved, what improved, and what needs attention. Your top row should include:

• Views (Today vs Yesterday)
• Active Users (Last 7 vs Prior 7)
• Average engagement time (28-day trend)
• Ad Revenue (Last 7, with a sparkline)

In Looker Studio, drag four scorecards. Enable comparison dates and display both absolute and percentage deltas. Beneath the KPIs, add a small line chart for “Views by date” to visualize movement without scrolling.

One-screen KPI strip + trends

Add “Views” first:

Repeat for Active Users, Avg. engagement time, and Total Ad Revenue, switching the metric in the properties panel each time.

Configure each KPI similarly

Nice to have: Add a parameter toggle (“Compare to Previous Period” vs “Compare to Previous Year”), a Device category filter, and a Country / Language selector. One strip, many quick reads.

4-2. Post-Level Sources & Performance

💡Use a table: Page Title + Session Source/Medium + core metrics. Answer who came, from where, and what happened.

Some insights don’t chart cleanly. For a content × source view, a table wins. Build it with:

• Dimensions: Page title, Session source / medium
• Metrics: Views, Active users, Avg. engagement time, Ad revenue (if linked)

Now you’ll see for each article: acquisition path, readership volume, reading depth, and whether it earns.

Target layout:

Table layout for post × source × metrics

Build steps:

1. Search for Page title and drag it in to start the table.
2. Add Session source / medium as a second dimension to show discovery paths.
3. Add metrics: Views, Active users, Avg. engagement time, Ad revenue.

Use conditional formatting to surface opportunities:

• High engagement + low views → promote more (social, newsletter, internal links).
• High views + low revenue → test ad placement, add relevant affiliates, refine CTAs.

Field configuration reference:

Step 5: Using Starter Templates

💡Copy a GA4 template to ship fast, then layer your KPIs and filters. Templates are a starting point, not the finished room.

Looker Studio includes ready-made GA4 templates covering traffic, acquisition, engagement, and geography. Make a copy, then add your portfolio selector, KPI strip, content/source table, and channel breakdown. Finish with a small notes panel for weekly observations.

Start from a GA4 template, then customize

With the GA4 template as a base, your first version comes together quickly:

• Add a Property/Blog selector
• Pin the KPI strip at the top
• Insert the content × source table
• Add a channel mix chart (stacked bar or pie)
• Include a notes/annotations card for weekly context

A practical first version, ready in minutes

Step 6: Putting the Dashboard to Work

💡Use it to decide what to write next, where to promote, and how to optimize. Numbers → actions every week.

Apply the dashboard to strategy and content improvements—not just reporting.

Run a weekly ritual:

• SEO focus: In Search Console, find high-impression, low-CTR queries. Improve titles, meta descriptions, and first paragraphs.
• Content bets: If engagement beats your median, publish a follow-up or build an internal-link cluster.
• Retention lifts: Add subheads, in-post summaries, jump links, and related-posts blocks to raise engagement time.
• Monetization moves: On high-traffic, low-RPM posts, test ad placement, relevant affiliate offers, or a soft newsletter CTA.
• Channel mix: If social spikes but engagement lags, refine targeting and preview copy to set expectations.

The report is responsive, so it’s easy to check on mobile. Keeping it close makes small improvements frequent—and those gains compound.

Practical Add-Ons (Make It Yours)

💡Controls, calculated fields, data blends, and annotations turn a static report into a command center.

Time-savers

• Date Range presets: Today, Yesterday, Last 7, Last 28, Last 90
• Dropdowns: Blog/Property, Device, Country, Source/Medium
• Search box for Page Title to jump straight to a post

Clarifying fields

• Views per User = Views / Active Users
• RPM (directional) = Revenue / (Views / 1000)
• Reader Depth Tier = CASE WHEN Avg engagement time > 60s THEN "60+ sec" ELSE "Under 60s" END

Richer blends

• GA4 + Search Console: join on Page + Date
• GA4 + Affiliate CSV: join on Page URL

Governance & performance

• Rename cryptic GA4 fields to plain English
• Keep default ranges modest to avoid sampling
• Move heavy blends to secondary tabs

Workflow boosters

• Weekly annotations (“What we did” / “What happened”)
• Quick links to open GA4, Search Console, and AdSense
• UTM naming reference to keep campaigns clean

FAQ

💡Quick answers to common Looker Studio questions for blog teams.

1) Why do AdSense and GA4 revenue differ?

AdSense is the payout source of truth. GA4 receives linked signals but may differ in timing/filters. Use GA4 revenue directionally; reconcile payouts in AdSense.

2) Can I manage multiple blogs in one report?

Yes. Add a Data Control or property selector. Build once, reuse everywhere. Favor report-level filters for shared widgets.

3) How do I view keywords?

Connect Search Console. Use the Site Impression table. Blend with GA4 by Page + Date to pair queries with behavior.

4) The report feels slow—what helps?

Shorten date ranges, reduce fields per chart, and move blends to a second page. Duplicate heavy visuals for deep dives only.

5) How should we handle privacy?

Use aggregated metrics, avoid PII, and share with least-privilege roles. Keep exports within policy.

6) Can I schedule weekly emails?

Yes. Use Schedule email delivery to send a PDF snapshot (e.g., Mondays) to your team.

Wrap-Up

💡A portfolio dashboard pays for itself—faster reads, clearer bets, and steady compounding wins.

Follow the steps and you’ll have a unified blog dashboard in a day or two—even as a beginner.

Looker Studio brings scattered data into one steady routine. On a single canvas, you can watch traffic, compare channels, connect revenue, and decide what to publish next. The build is light, upkeep is minimal, and the payoff is clarity.

Let your dashboard mirror how you think. Start lean, iterate weekly, and let the numbers guide the next move.