CourseVerdict

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) Essential Training vs Excel Essential Training (Microsoft 365)

Same Bayesian formula, same rubric — so the difference in scores reflects the difference in the courses, not the difference in how we evaluated them.

LinkedIn Learning · Corey Koberg · Business & Marketing

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) Essential Training

3.9/ 5 · 30 opinions
20 positive7 neutral3 negative/ 30 total

LinkedIn Learning · Dennis Taylor · Business & Marketing

Excel Essential Training (Microsoft 365)

4.1/ 5 · 40 opinions
28 positive8 neutral4 negative/ 40 total

Per-criterion

Content quality4.0 / 5

Covers the full essential GA4 surface — account setup, GA4 vs. Universal Analytics, enhanced measurement, lifecycle and user reports, segments, and funnel analysis — in under two hours. Production is clean, but the pace is brisk and demonstrations occasionally move faster than beginners can follow.

Instructor4.1 / 5

Corey Koberg is a founder-level digital analytics practitioner (Cardinal Path / Merkle) with 15+ years of enterprise engagements. Reviewers call his explanations clear and well-exampled, though several flag that his on-screen pace is fast and the cursor is hard to track during demos.

Value for money3.8 / 5

Included in the LinkedIn Learning subscription (~$40/month); standalone the course is listed around $39.99. Many US learners reach it free through public libraries. For under two hours of video it is excellent value inside the subscription, thinner as a one-off purchase.

Practical frameworks3.7 / 5

Gives a usable mental model — measure → report → segment → analyse — and walks the live GA4 interface end to end. But it is conceptual more than hands-on; it shows the tool rather than drilling exercises, and stops short of GTM, custom events, and BigQuery export depth.

Real-world use3.9 / 5

GA4 is the de facto web analytics standard, so the skill transfers directly to marketing, founder, and analyst work. The honest risk is shelf life: GA4's interface changes often, and a 2023-era course ages faster than evergreen marketing fundamentals.

Content quality4.1 / 5

Clear, well-paced and current — the 2025 Microsoft 365 refresh covers PivotTables, charts, multi-sheet formulas and Microsoft Copilot inside Excel. Depth stops at "essential," so power users wanting Power Query, dynamic arrays or VBA outgrow it quickly.

Instructor4.5 / 5

Dennis Taylor has taught Excel on this platform since the Lynda.com era. Reviewers reach for the same words — calm, clear, methodical. The 4.7-star aggregate from 8,000+ LinkedIn Learning ratings reflects unusually consistent praise for delivery.

Value for money3.9 / 5

Bundled in the LinkedIn Learning subscription (~$40/month or via LinkedIn Premium). HN commenters repeatedly flag that most US public libraries offer free LinkedIn Learning access via library card — which moves this to effectively free for many readers.

Practical frameworks3.8 / 5

Coherent walkthrough of the daily Excel surface — data entry, formulas, formatting, charts, PivotTables, multi-workbook references, Copilot prompts. Stops short of the analyst-grade stack — Power Query, Power Pivot, dynamic arrays, LAMBDA — driving modern Excel work.

Real-world use4.0 / 5

Excel is one of the most universally job-applicable skills in business, and Taylor's coverage maps cleanly onto what finance, ops, marketing and admin touch daily. Ceiling — data-analyst roles still need Power Query and deeper pivots this course barely touches.

Scoring methodology applies identically to every course on the site — see the formula.