What if getting answers about your key business metrics was as easy as asking a question in plain English? What if you could simply say, “What share of my traffic was from mobile yesterday?” or “How many new users did we have from organic search on mobile last week?” ― and get an answer right away? Now, Google Analytics is taking a step toward that future. It rolled out a new voice-based search feature that helps Google Analytics users to ask questions and receive answers in “plain English,” via artificial intelligence (AI).
Now, you won’t have to figure out how to navigate to the respective dashboard in Analytics and tweak the chart to get the data you want. Just ask Google Analytics (type in your query or speak it out loud) and get your answer quickly.
The aim of this feature is to make it much easier for people throughout an organization to be able to get the information they need without having to rely on data analysts or needing a deep familiarity with the Google Analytics interface. Data analysts can spend their valuable time on deeper research and discovery, while the rest of the organization can themselves get the information they need faster.
“Analytics Intelligence enables those users who aren’t too familiar with Google Analytics to access and make use of the data within their business’ account. Democratizing data in this way can only be a good thing for everyone involved in Google Analytics!” Joe Whitehead, Analytics Consultant noted.
This feature, which will become available in English to all Google Analytics users over the next few weeks, uses the same natural language processing technology available across Google products like Android and Search.
According to Babak Pahlavan, Google’s senior director of measurement and analytics, the feature will allow users to speak to the system in a way that’s similar to Google’s flagship search product. Natural language processing will guide the voice-based navigation, and the technology uses artificial intelligence.
Alusi also said that while the initial product is strongest at answering your “what” questions, it will soon be able to answer the “why” questions as well — going from “How much did our traffic from Mobile grow last week?” to “Why did it grow?”
