Google is the logical child of our obsession with information.
But that is just one part of the story. Think about it this way -- Google is also one of the most powerful productivity tools ever invented. The modern equivalent of the Gutenberg printing press. Hyperbole? Not likely.
With one click, you can learn anything. With a few more, you can work from anywhere in the world. It is even said and cited in research papers that the easy access to information is changing our brains. Look up the Google Effect. But the better fortunate effect has been on our everyday productivity.
It is difficult to sell short the value of tools like Gmail, Google Drive, and the barebones search bar. So, why not learn all there is to learn about a few Google tools and how to get the most out of them. The benefits will ricochet back to us.
Here are five Udemy courses that can teach you a bit more about three Google tools and help you bulletproof your professional skills.
1. Complete Gmail Course
Discover: 25+ Gmail techniques to master inbox management.
It's not that you won't find the same tips in a multitude of articles on the web. The concise course brackets it all in one place and helps you discover Gmail features you might not otherwise use. You might be tech savvy, but have you tapped all the features -- some of them hidden in plain sight -- and turned your inbox into a productive turbine? Revisit your inbox with this brief course.
The 1.5 hours you spend on this course could save you countless minutes each day in your inbox. The instructions will help you set up your own Inbox Zero system. But it is not necessary that you strive for inbox zero every time. Instead, just optimize the time you spend on email with labels, filters, canned messages, email signatures, advanced search, and third-party tools like IFTTT and Boomerang among others.
Also, get to know Google Inbox which is a different type of inbox for the mobile screens. Don't let the accent dissuade you.
2. The Ultimate Gmail Productivity System for Business
Discover: Different strategies to maximize your output with email.
You would want to get better at something you give almost one-third of your week to. Just to reduce that percentage. Then, like a Rolodex, your email address is the one-stop shop that can help you manage your professional relationships like a pro. Gmail (or any other email) brings with it different tools like contact management that are the bedrock of email rapport. Get into the lessons if you still haven't whipped your business email skills into shape.
This course tries to cure the same digital epidemic as the last one. But it also tries to attack the source of emails and the tactics you can use to narrow the hose. Get introduced to methods like "pruning" and how an "Optional" label can be a time saver.
Another chapter of the three-hour course gives you the tools to have better email conversations and manage your contacts. The extra takeaways include a Gmail productivity worksheet and other supplemental resources.
3. Google Advanced Search: Find Stuff Like a Boss
Discover: How to use Google advanced search operators to find anything on the web.
Can you add "Google Search" as a critical skill on your resume? I don't think you can. But that doesn't take away the fact that advanced search skills are a modern pass to the Sherlockian society. Advanced Google search brings you to the right information unlike basic Google Search which can be loaded with irrelevant results.
Advanced search operators increase your productivity by cutting through the clutter. In short, learn how to use the right Google operators and it will pay you back in time saved.
Use the 34 lectures to polish your search skills. You will learn the main building blocks of a search query and how you can use specific operators to oil the information pipeline. Learn to use the operators to filter out the unwanted results. Google Search is also a lot about practice and this course could help trigger the habit.
4. Master Google Sheets (And See Why It's Better Than Excel)
Discover: The fundamentals and the most advanced features of an Excel alternative.
Google Docs and Google Sheets were the upstarts to Microsoft Office and its complete domination. But little by little, Google has chipped away at it. You can seriously have an Excel vs. Google Sheets debate today. Go for Google Sheets when you have modest needs.
When you just want to share simple numbers with 10 different people in a group, the real-time collaboration feature of Google Sheets is its claim to fame. You can master the best of both tools while Google continues to add more and more features to Sheets.
Learn how to work on charts, tables, graphs, and format data. Grasp key formulas and functions. Google Sheets also adds flexibility with the many add-ons found on the store. Some bonus material teaches you how to harvest data from the web and the power of online forms to collect data from target group.
Throw the free Google Spreadsheet-Reporting and Dashboards With Real examples into the mix. It will teach you to create custom dashboards with the key metrics.
5. Google Analytics: Take a Data Driven Approach to Growth
Discover: Actionable insights on online trends and website visitors.
Google Analytics isn't only for webmasters and SEO specialists alone. If your company (or your competitors) has a website or a product, then empirical data can be a decision-making tool. The data can help you decide on a marketing campaign and allocate budgets. A Google Analytics report can give credibility to your perception about market trends and identify the right audience for your business goals.
All that data Google gathers can be overwhelming for a beginner. This course is designed for anyone who wants to make data-driven decisions to grow their business. It holds your hand through the key concepts and the data you should track for your marketing efforts. As the course description says, this is not recommended for advanced users but for entrepreneurs, small business owners, or anyone who wants to make data-driven decisions.
You can also try out the Google Analytics: Double Your Sales With No Extra Cost course to understand the impact of web traffic on your business.
Name Some Google Skills Critical to Your Job
Productivity in the office isn't all about Google. But you can't wear ear plugs when you have to work with the company that leads the orchestra on the web. As one of the courses above tells you, it is easy to overestimate our skills with Google's apps. So ask yourself if you can get more out of them with little coaching.
Pick a course or suggest one in the comments. Remember, every paid course on Udemy comes with:
- Lifetime access.
- 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Certificate of completion.
Have you neglected learning more about the different Google products? What would you like to learn about more that will make a productive difference to your day?