Over the years I met countless analysts around the globe, be it in conferences, training programs, client meetings or online. Some were true analytics geeks and others were just starting their careers, but one thing that I have always felt was missing, especially for the beginners, is a place centralizing the top resources and programs available.

In this article I try to compile a list of the best available resources, both for general Analytics and Google Analytics specifically. In addition, I also provide a few resources for related fields that can be very handy for the Web Analyst, things like web development, statistics and visualization.

Please note that this article will be constantly updated to reflect the newest resources. So feel free to bookmark it! [Last Update: September 2013]

Learning Google Analytics

Google Analytics is an amazing tool, relatively simple for beginners but full of surprises for the literate Analyst. I am not saying that every one can implement the tool and start extracting insights right away, but for someone willing to learn it, it does not require a PhD; and for the super advanced analyst Google provides a wealth of customizations to make the tool work for him/her own purposes.

Below I provide the resources I recommend to get started with Google Analytics, but since the list is long I prepared a free PDF for those that prefer to download and/or print. Click the button below to download the PDF.

Download the PDF

Web Analytics Basics

• The Web Analytics Process – onbe.co/WAprocess by Daniel Waisberg
• The Ultimate Definition of Analytics – onbe.co/xOTxPQ by Stephane Hamel
• A Web Analytics Primer: What does it all mean? onbe.co/WAprimer by Jordan Louis
• Book: Web Analytics 2.0 – onbe.co/14N1y1E by Avinash Kaushik

Google Analytics Basics

• Getting Started with Google Analytics – onbe.co/LRMQO4 by Alex Langshur and Charles Davis
• Google Analytics Tips: 10 Data Analysis Strategies That Pay Off Big! – onbe.co/UWXkEi by Avinash Kaushik
• Official Google Analytics Training videos: onbe.co/KEyjIO by Google
• URL Builder: A Tool to Create Campaign Tags – onbe.co/LRKhf7 by Google
• eBook: Google Analytics Integrations – onbe.co/RR5yXq by Daniel Waisberg
• Book: Advanced Web Metrics with Google Analytics – onbe.co/KExzTT by Brian Clifton
• Book: Google Analytics – onbe.co/WZ9qe5 by Justin Cutroni

Google Analytics Features Analyses

• Introduction to Advanced Segments – onbe.co/Khase2 by Nick Iyengar
• Step-by-Step Guide to Multi Channel Funnels – onbe.co/w9sJJ6 by Yehoshua Koren
• Introduction to Attribution Modeling & Multi-Channel Funnels – onbe.co/TFvuMb by Scott Shannon and Melaine Fuentes
• Content Experiments: A Guide to Creating A/B Tests – onbe.co/JHdQg0 by Daniel Waisberg
• A Guide to Google+ Analytics – onbe.co/IQArVQ by Daniel Waisberg
• Understanding Custom Variables – onbe.co/JKK7TK by Daniel Waisberg
• Tracking E-Commerce on Google Analytics – onbe.co/12FDSO9 by Joe Christopher
• Getting Started with Google Analytics Remarketing – onbe.co/12a7fbv by Justin Cutroni
• Google Analytics Dashboards: A Step-By-Step Guide – onbe.co/145NkaD by Daniel Waisberg

Advanced (Technical) Users

• How to Manage an Analytics Implementation – onbe.co/LRKQW9 by Daniel Waisberg
• Advanced Content Tracking with Google Analytics – onbe.co/12kypI8 by Justin Cutroni
• Google Analytics Sampling Demystified – onbe.co/10ZEEoX by Jordan Louis
• Google Tag Manager: A Step-By-Step Guide – onbe.co/VpCIV7 by Daniel Waisberg
• Universal Analytics – onbe.co/VEgzyw by Feras Alhlou
• eBook: Understanding Regular Expressions – onbe.co/JL6Ga7 by Lunametrics
• Google Analytics Code Website – onbe.co/KEyiVp by Google
• Google Analytics Help Center – onbe.co/U4ywIS by Google

Analytics Related Fields

• Course: Web Fundamental – onbe.co/1aS4Re0 by Codecademy
• Course: JavaScript – onbe.co/17aoVUV by Codecademy
• Book: The Cartoon Guide to Statistics – onbe.co/17RhvZy by Larry Gonick
• Book: Show Me the Numbers: Designing Tables and Graphs to Enlighten – onbe.co/17BhKWA by Stephen Few

If you want to download or print the list to check later, here is a free PDF.

Download the PDF

Digital Analytics Conferences

However, there is only so much a person can learn at his/her own by sitting at home, reading articles and using a tool. That’s why conferences and academic courses have an important place in the learning process. Below is a list of conferences that deal mainly with Analytics & Optimization:

• eMetrics Summit – http://onbe.co/X4ra4H
• Conversion Conference – http://onbe.co/X4rd0v
• X Change Conference – http://onbe.co/X4rh04
• Strata Conference – http://onbe.co/X4ryQJ
• Adobe Summit – http://onbe.co/X4rrVx
• Webtrends Engage – http://onbe.co/X4ruAB
• MeasureCamp London – http://onbe.co/18aq8IV
• Google Analytics – while there is no official conference, check the Google Analytics Certified Partners, most of them organize local events with in-depth training.

Digital Analytics Academic Resources

And when it comes to formal education, the Analytics field is far from where it should be, with only a few universities providing courses and diplomas on it. Please find below the list of academic resources created by Stephane Hamel and feel free to add to it or rate the courses if you have taken them.