Don’t be a Digital Sisyphus when learning Google Adwords & Analytics.

When learning Google techniques in Adwords, Analytics and other Google platforms, you’ll notice that much of the content contains links to other Google pages.  These landing pages also have links to additional pages, ad infinitum (or nearly).  If you diligently follow these links, you will quickly get off-topic and be s

ucked into an unending and unachievable loop of unfocused learning.  Google maintains thousands of pages of learning material relating mainly to its search, youtube and display networks, both on web pages and in pdf format.  As far as I’m aware, I’ve never seen a guideline from them as to where to draw the line regarding studying for a particular section.

Poor Sisyphus, of Greek legend, was doomed to a similar task by Zeus, eternally pushing a rock up a hill, only to see it roll down, once he was near the top.  Of course, common sense or physical exhaustion will prevail before you arrive at the modern digital equivalent.  But what is the optimal approach?  This is not a trivial question.  For instance, Google Partners such as LeadingEdgeDigital are required to pass a plethora of exams in order to retain our Google badged partner status.  Time is a finite, precious commodity.

In the olden days, we would pick up a book or other written document, read it from cover to cover, be proud of our enhanced knowledge and confident in passing the related exam.  For many of us, that ship has long since sailed.

To cope with the challenge of unending links when reading material on the web, I use a simple algorithm:

1. Learn the material on the first (top) landing page (level 1).
2. Visit all links on level 1 (go to level 2) unless you know the information cold, or it is not relevant. Learn the material at level 2. In general, stop at level 2.
3. Return to level 1 unless the subsequent link appears to contain critical, relevant information that you do not already know. If so, proceed to the next level.
4. At each subsequent level, double the requirements in step 3. This will quickly limit the otherwise endless reading.
5. After reaching the end of the link trail, hit the back button until you arrive at the original landing page, level 1, and re-commence your journey down the top page.

Also, be sure to have Adwords or Analytics open and practice, on-the-fly, what you’re learning.  In other words, turn the knobs as Google suggests in their material, while you learn.  Otherwise, the learning is all hypothetical and it will not sink in to the same extent.  You may reverse what you changed, if you’ve not already saved it.

The idea of my algorithm is to keep on-topic while learning a realistic amount of material in a limited amount of time.  Drifting away from the core topic can be an inefficient use of time.

Of course, this technique works for all material with multi-layered links, not just Google.  But Google seems to do it better than anyone. Hopefully, following these simple rules should enable a highly focused, time-efficient learning experience.  In other words, don’t be a Digital Sisyphus.