Top 22 Google Product Analyst Interview Questions + Guide in 2024

According to Google’s latest news updates, it will continue to develop its products and cloud platform in 2024 while prioritizing AI. This means that Google will increasingly rely on its product analysts to optimize its products further to benefit users around the world.

Google is known for its dynamic work culture, highly competitive salaries, emphasis on work-life harmony, and comprehensive health benefits.

If you’re looking for guidance to ace your upcoming interview or plan to apply for the role, you’ve come to the right place. We will cover the stages of the interview process, our handpicked Google Product Analyst interview questions, and strategies for answering them.

Product analysts at Google generally oversee a product’s complete journey, including its design and pre- and post-launch stages. They work in various teams, like data science or developer teams. The interview stages will assess different aspects of being an excellent product analyst, such as leadership, business acumen, and technical knowledge in statistics and SQL.

Tip: The interview process may vary slightly depending on your team and role, so review the job description carefully when preparing your interview strategy.

The product analyst interview can span 2–3 months and consist of the following stages:

Step 1: Initial Phone Call

The recruiter will ask about your interests, past projects, and skill sets related to the job role. The interviewer will also brief you about Google, its culture, the team you are applying for, and the scope of the role.

To ace this step, prepare responses to common behavioral and CV-based questions. The recruiter should send you a preparatory email for the next stage (technical screening), which will help guide your preparation. You can also ask them for resources to prepare for the next rounds.

Step 2: Technical Screening(s)

The next step includes a 45-minute call with a Google product analyst. You’ll typically be asked about past projects and some high-level technical questions. You will be assessed on the following criteria:

• Statistical knowledge
• SQL abilities
• Business acumen
• Ability to derive data-driven insights

Expect questions like: “Why did you choose [X] technique over [Y] in your past project?” and “How would you explain a 95% confidence interval to a non-technical person?”

Step 3: On-site Interviews

If you’ve made it this far, you will be invited on-site to meet your team and have up to five rounds of interviews, each 45 to 60 minutes long. Four are technical rounds, and one is a “Googliness and Leadership” round assessing your cultural fit.

Besides the criteria stated in Step 2, the interviewers will see if your skill sets and values align with Google and if you are a good match for the team and role. Cultural fit is a significant factor, as a slight skill set mismatch might mean you end up referred to a different role or team. The hiring team at Google defines Googliness as “a mashup of passion and drive that’s hard to define but easy to spot.” The company looks for “intrapreneurs,” people who have humility, curiosity, conscientiousness, and a track record of doing interesting things.

Google values data-driven decision making, user focus, and innovation at scale. Their product analysts work on improving user experience and product metrics across Google’s ecosystem.

1. “Tell me about a time when your analysis changed the direction of a product feature. What metrics drove this decision?”
2. “Describe a situation where you identified an unexpected trend in user behavior. How did you investigate it?”
3. “Share an experience where you had to explain complex analysis to product managers. What was your approach?”
4. “Tell me about a project where you improved a product’s key metrics. How did you validate success?”
5. “Describe a time when you used experimentation to test a hypothesis. How did you design the test?”

In this section, we’ll review the various interview questions that might be asked during a Google machine-learning interview.

The Google product analyst interview will test a combination of statistical and data analytics concepts, as well as product sense and business analytics. Brush up your knowledge of basic statistics and probability, predictive modeling, metrics definitions, and SQL (window functions, joins, CASE WHEN statements, etc.).

Check out this video to learn more about the seven types of product analytics questions interviewers ask.

1. Describe a time you used your values to ensure a diverse team where everyone was included.

Google espouses diversity and inclusion, and they will want to know if you can foster such an environment.

How to Answer

Addressing why you think diverse perspectives should be respected is a good idea.

Example

“I led a project with members from various cultural backgrounds. I initiated team-building exercises and encouraged open dialogue about any tension or conflict in the team. Making sure everyone was heard also contributed significantly to tailoring our product’s user interface for global markets, directly impacting its success in several regions.”

2. Why do you want to join Google?

This question will help your interviewer determine if your values and aspirations align with Google’s mission.

How to Answer

Your answer should reflect your understanding of Google’s work, culture, and the opportunities that attract you to the company. Be honest and specific about how Google’s offerings align with your career goals.

Example

“I am deeply inspired by Google’s commitment to innovation. Google’s approach to solving complex problems for its users aligns with my desire to contribute to meaningful projects that have a global impact. I see a unique opportunity to use my analytical skills to help enhance product features and make a real difference in how people access and use information.”

3. Can you tell me about a time when you had to take the lead in a challenging situation?

Google highly values leadership qualities—even in non-leadership roles—because employees are expected to take the initiative, especially in high-stakes situations.

How to Answer

Highlight how you motivated the team and any critical decisions you made. Google loves to see some “scrappiness”—that you have an entrepreneurial mindset, can work with scarce resources, and are willing to go outside your comfort zone.

Example

“In my previous role, when our team faced a critical deadline for launching a new feature, the project lead unexpectedly had to take leave. I decided to coordinate the project’s final stages. I began by reassessing our priorities and redistributing tasks based on team members’ workloads. To address morale and ensure everyone felt supported, I initiated daily check-ins as a space for the team to voice concerns and progress updates. We successfully met the deadline, and the final solution received positive feedback for its functionality and user interface.”

4. How do you resolve conflict with co-workers or external stakeholders?

The interviewer needs to know how you handle conflicts on a team, as analysts collaborate closely with other teams at Google.

How to Answer

Illustrate with a concise example and use it to highlight your initiative and emotional intelligence.

Example

“In a past project, I worked with a team member who tended to make unilateral decisions and had difficulty effectively communicating their thought process.

Realizing this affected our productivity and team dynamics, I requested a private meeting with this colleague. I tried to understand their perspective while constructively expressing the team’s concerns. During our conversation, I learned that their approach came from a deep sense of responsibility and a fear of project failure. I acknowledged their commitment and explained how collaborative decision-making could enhance project outcomes.

We agreed on a more collaborative approach, with regular briefings that clearly outlined updates. This experience taught me the value of addressing interpersonal challenges head-on but with empathy. The situation improved significantly after our discussion.”

5. Tell me about one of your past projects.

This can reveal your involvement in the projects listed on your CV. It also allows them to understand the rationale behind the decisions you’ve made.

How to Answer

Select the project you’re most confident about, as you can elaborate on it much better. You should briefly touch upon the project’s context, its objectives, and your specific role. Highlight the skills and tools you used, focusing on those relevant to the job you’re applying for. Discuss the impact of the project, quantifying the results if possible.

Resource: You can practice more behavioral questions asked in analyst interviews.

Example

“In my previous role, I led a project to enhance user engagement for our mobile application. My main responsibility was to analyze user behavior data and identify patterns that indicated drop-off points. We developed a series of predictive models to forecast user actions and implemented A/B tests to determine the most effective changes. The project resulted in a 15% increase in user retention.”

6. Given that X and Y are independent random variables with normal distributions, what is the mean and variance of the distribution of 2X−Y when the corresponding distributions are X∼N(3,4) and Y∼N(1,4)?

This question gauges your understanding of basic statistics.

How to Answer

To tackle such questions, clearly state your approach before diving into the solution.

Example

“The mean of 2X − Y would be 2∗3−1=5. The variance, since X and Y are independent, would be calculated as $2^2∗4+(−1)^2∗4=16+4=20$. So, the distribution of 2X − Y is N(5,20).”

7. Choose a Google product you frequently use and propose a new feature to enhance user experience.

This question simultaneously assesses your understanding of user needs and familiarity with Google’s products.

How to Answer

Focus on a common problem or opportunity for enhancement within a product. Share your thought process as you define the scope of the problem and explain the solution.

Example

“For Google Docs, I often collaborate across different time zones, which can make live collaboration challenging. A feature I’d propose is ‘Collaborative Highlights,’ where users can highlight text or sections they have questions about or need revisions on, even when other collaborators are offline. Each highlight could include a timestamp and a short note for context. This would streamline the review process and make it easier for collaborators to see what needs their attention at a glance.”

8. You are given two tables: employees and departments. Write a query to get the top 3 highest employee salaries by department.

This SQL question tests your understanding of a common business scenario: segmenting departmental performance for resource allocation.

How to Answer

Discuss using SQL window functions partitioned by department to rank salaries. Mention the importance of using conditional logic to filter the results.

Example “I’d use the ROW_NUMBER() window function, partitioning by the department to assign a rank to each employee. The query would include a conditional statement to ensure that only the available top salaries are displayed for departments with less than three employees. The final step would involve filtering the results to show only those employees who rank in the top three.”

9. We are considering two different layouts for the Google News homepage. How would you determine which layout leads to higher user engagement?

You will need to thoroughly understand A/B tests and ways to interpret them, as apps like Google News frequently test designs to see which ones users engage with more.

How to Answer

In addition to the details of the experiment, mention the importance of setting the right metrics for user engagement, such as click-through rates or time spent on the page.

Resource: Practice a few more A/B test interview questions.

Example

“Before beginning the experiment, I would define key engagement metrics, such as average session duration, click-through rate, and the number of articles read per session. I’d then randomly assign users to one of the two layouts to ensure unbiased results. After collecting data over a few days, I’d use t-tests to compare engagement metrics.”

10. Given a table of bank transactions with columns id, transaction_value, and created_at representing the date and time for each transaction, write a query to get the last transaction for each day.

In a real-world scenario, you might need to extract similar insights from transactional data for daily financial summaries or end-of-day reports.

How to Answer

Focus on using a window function to partition the data. Explain the function and how the ORDER BY clause helps determine the latest transaction.

Example

“To write this query, I would use a window function like ROW_NUMBER(), partitioning the data by the date portion of the created_at column and ordering by created_at in descending order within each partition. This setup will assign a row number of 1 to the last transaction of each day. Then, I would wrap this query in a subquery or use a CTE to filter out the rows where the row number is 1. The final output would be ordered by the created_at datetime to display the transactions chronologically. This approach ensures we get the last transaction for each day without missing any days.“

11. You are given two tables: Subscriptions with columns UserID, SubscriptionStart, SubscriptionEnd, and SubscriptionType and Activity with columns UserID, ActivityDate, and ActivityType. Write an SQL query to find the average number of activities per user for each subscription type, only including activities that occurred during their subscription period.

This question gauges your ability to perform complex SQL queries involving joins, date comparisons, and aggregate functions.

How to Answer

Outline a strategy that involves joining the tables on UserID, filtering activities to only those that fall within the subscription period, and then grouping the results by SubscriptionType to calculate the average number of activities per user.

Example

“I’d join the tables on UserID, as this would allow us to align each user’s activities with their respective subscription periods. Next, I’d filter these joined results to include only the records where the ActivityDate falls within the SubscriptionStart and SubscriptionEnd dates.

After filtering, the data would be grouped by SubscriptionType, and for each group, I’d calculate the average number of activities using the AVG() function.”

12. How would you measure the success of Instagram TV?

This is a common type of problem statement that you should expect in a Google product interview. It allows the interviewer to assess your strategic thinking about measuring user engagement and product growth, essential skills for a Google analyst.

How to Answer

A great way to approach these is to consider the following:

• What are the company goals concerning this product?
• What problem does this product solve?

Then, follow the framework of asking clarifying questions and stating your assumptions before diving into the solution.

Resource: This guide delves into the framework of a good case study solution and includes practice problems.

Example

“I would focus on several key metrics: average view time, number of unique viewers, engagement rate, and growth in subscribers. Average view time and unique viewers provide insights into user interest and the reach of the content, respectively. The engagement metrics would help us understand how compelling the content is, while subscriber growth indicates long-term interest and user retention. Collectively, these metrics offer a holistic view of both user engagement and content performance.”

13. Let’s say we want to launch a redesign of a landing page to improve the click-through rate. We can do this by implementing an A/B test. Given that we launch an A/B test, how would you infer if the results of the click-through rate were statistically significant or not?

Product analysts at Google need to evaluate the outcomes of A/B tests to help product teams make informed, evidence-based decisions about feature changes.

How to Answer

Mention which test you’d pick and why. Clearly state any assumptions you’d make and caveats to your approach.

Example

“I would first ensure that the sample size is sufficient to detect a meaningful difference between the control and variant pages. After running the test for a pre-determined period, I would analyze the click-through data using a z-test, given the large sample size typical for web traffic data. I would calculate the p-value from the test to determine statistical significance against a standard threshold of 0.05. If the p-value is less than 0.05, we can reject the null hypothesis, concluding that the redesign has a statistically significant impact on user behavior.”

14. Let’s say you’re building a better search engine for Google and want to see if it serves better results than the existing one in production. How would you determine which search engine performed better?

This is another product interview question that tests your business acumen—namely, how would you assess whether a new feature or model aligns with the company’s goals?

How to Answer

The purpose of this type of question is to gauge how well you engage with the problem, your business judgment, and your critical thinking. Make sure you ask the right questions and follow a structured approach.

Example

“I’d employ an A/B testing approach. KPIs would include click-through rates on search results, the relevance of the first page results as judged by human evaluators, and user satisfaction through surveys. Session duration and bounce rates on clicked links could offer deeper insights as well. By comparing these metrics between the two groups, we could statistically determine which search engine provides a more effective search experience.”

15. How would you improve Google Maps?

Google Maps is a critical Google product, and continuous improvement is necessary to maintain its market leadership and utility.

How to Answer

Focus on a specific area of improvement based on user feedback or competitive analysis. Discuss what optimizations you would suggest and how you would measure the impact of these improvements to ensure they meet user needs and business objectives.

Tip: Don’t go silent while you work—talk through your solution. If you need time to think, mention how long you’d like. When that time ends, engage with your interviewer as you work through your solution.

Example

“I would focus on enhancing real-time traffic updates to provide more accurate travel times, as this is a common grievance. We’d want to integrate more data sources, such as municipal traffic monitoring systems and crowdsourced data from users. A feature for personalization, where users can opt to receive suggestions based on their past preferences and typical routes, could significantly enhance satisfaction as well. The impact of these improvements could be measured through user engagement metrics, such as the frequency and duration of app usage, and direct user feedback.”

16. Let’s say one million Netflix users have not logged in to Netflix in the past 6 months. How would you determine the cause?

Google emphasizes user-centric design and continuous improvement of user experience. Problems like these focus on understanding why users disengage and are key to formulating strategies to prevent churn.

How to Answer

Suggest a mixed-method analysis that includes quantitative data analysis to identify patterns and qualitative research, such as surveys to understand pain points. Also, highlight the importance of segmenting the user base to identify common behaviors that might explain the disengagement.

Example

“I would segment the user data to identify any common demographic or behavioral patterns. For instance, analyzing changes in their watching habits, subscription plan types, or geographic data could yield insights. Additionally, I would recommend sending personalized surveys to these inactive users, asking them about their reasons for not using the service. This could include questions about competing services and changes in their viewing needs, in addition to their current satisfaction regarding the services. Understanding such patterns could also inform targeted retention strategies.”

17. We have a table called song_plays that tracks each time a user plays a song. Write a query to return the number of songs played on each date for each user.

Expect to be tested extensively on your SQL skills, especially in relation to product sense problems.

How to Answer

Mention the clauses you’d employ, and state the logic of your code clearly. Discuss the importance of formatting the date to ensure that plays are grouped correctly by day.

Tip: Practice writing SQL queries in Google Docs instead of an IDE to prepare for how you will work through solutions in the interviews.

Example

“The query would group entries in the song_plays table by user_id and the date part of the date_played field. This would ensure that we count each song play per day per user, even if a song is played multiple times. The COUNT() function would be used to tally the number of song plays for each group.”

18. Let’s say that Dropbox wants to change the logic of the trash folder from never permanently deleting items to automatically deleting items after 30 days. How would you look into the data and validate if this is a good idea or not?

This question tests your ability to evaluate the impact of potential product changes using data.

How to Answer

Discuss a comprehensive approach involving data analysis and user research to assess the impact of changing the trash folder policy. It’s important to analyze current user attitudes as well as storage costs before making a decision.

Tip: For every type of case study question, always address any edge cases. This shows that you pay attention to detail.

Example

“I would analyze current user behavior data to understand how users interact with the trash folder. This includes metrics like the frequency and volume of items trashed, average duration items are kept in the trash before being manually deleted or restored, and the percentage of items restored after being trashed. Conducting a user survey would provide insights into any potential resistance to automatic deletion. The next step would be to model the impact of the proposed change on user engagement and operational costs. Analyzing this data would allow us to predict how such a change might affect user trust and Dropbox’s operational efficiency.”

19. How would you explain AdSense to your grandmother?

This common data communication question evaluates how well you can engage with non-technical audiences and stakeholders.

How to Answer

Focus on the basic function of AdSense, why people use it, and how it benefits both website owners and advertisers. Use simple language without any technical jargon.

Example

“AdSense is a service from Google that helps website owners make money. It works like this: when you have a space on your website, you can let Google place advertisements there. You earn a little money every time someone visits your website and sees or clicks on these ads. It’s a way for websites to earn income from their visitors, similar to how a magazine might make money through ads between its articles. AdSense handles choosing the ads relevant to the website’s visitors.”

20. Let’s say your team runs a standard control and variant A/B test on a feature to increase conversion rates on the landing page. The PM checks the results and finds a .04 p-value. How would you assess the validity of the result?

With a p-value close to the common significance threshold, you’d need to discuss the implications of borderline results. This reflects the real-world scenarios at Google, where decisions might need to be made with some degree of uncertainty.

How to Answer

Highlight potential pitfalls like multiple testing issues or data quality that could affect the validity of the result.

Example

“The result suggests a statistically significant difference between the control and variant, assuming our significance level is set at 0.05. However, to fully assess the result’s validity, I’d first ensure the test had sufficient power, typically 80% or higher, which might require a large enough sample size to detect a meaningful difference. I’d review the experimental design to confirm it was free of biases. It’s also important to consider the effect size, which tells us how impactful the change is in practical terms. Even if the result is statistically significant, a small effect size may not be significant to the business. Lastly, if multiple comparisons were made during the analysis, I’d apply a correction like Bonferroni to adjust the significance level and reduce the risk of type I errors.”

21. In an A/B test, how can you check if the assignment to the various buckets was truly random?

Ensuring that assignment to the various buckets was truly random is crucial for the validity of the test results. If the assignment isn’t random, any observed differences in outcomes could be attributed to pre-existing differences between the groups rather than the intervention being tested.

By asking this question, the interviewer is gauging your ability to think critically about the integrity of the experimental design and your familiarity with statistical methods used to validate random assignment.

How to Answer

When answering this question, focus on explaining multiple methods to check for proper randomization in A/B tests, emphasizing the importance of ensuring that any differences between groups are not due to factors unrelated to the test. Start by mentioning general approaches like conducting t-tests to compare key metrics across groups, then tailor your methods to the specific context of the A/B test, whether it’s analyzing traffic sources, demographic distributions, or unrelated metrics. Highlight the need to consider the test’s context.

Example

“I would first consider the context of the test. For example, if we’re testing a landing page, I could compare the distribution of traffic sources between the groups to check for any biases. If the traffic from one group is primarily from one channel, and the other group from another, it could indicate an issue with randomization. In cases where traffic isn’t relevant, like testing a new feature in an app, I would analyze the user attributes—things like demographics or device type—to see if they’re evenly distributed. Additionally, I could compare unrelated metrics, such as time spent on the site, to ensure there aren’t underlying differences affecting the test results.”

22. How comfortable are you presenting your insights?

Interviewers want to know you’re confident in your communication skills and can effectively communicate complex ideas.

How to Answer

With a question like this, walk the interviewer through your process: how you prepare data presentations, strategies you use to make data accessible, and what tools you use in presentations. Also, the ability to present virtually is vitally important in today’s market. Have several recent experiences to talk about, both in-person and virtual.

Example

“I feel very comfortable presenting my insights, and it’s something I actually enjoy. I understand that clear communication is crucial for driving decisions, especially at a company like Google. I would make sure that my presentations are tailored to the audience, whether it’s a technical team or senior leadership, and I would use visuals or data storytelling to make complex insights more accessible. I also believe that being open to feedback and discussion during these presentations is key to refining ideas and driving better outcomes.”

Here are some tips to help you excel in your Google interview.

Tailor Your Resume

Understand the job description clearly and prepare your resume accordingly. The resume screening determines whether you’ll make it to the interview process, so highlight your work experience and skills in line with what the recruiter wants to see.

Study the Company and Role

Understand the specific business problems the team you’re applying to is working on.

Research Google’s recent news, updates, values, and business challenges. Understanding the company’s culture and strategic goals will allow you to present yourself better and determine whether they are a good fit for you.

Brush Up on Technical Skills

Gain proficiency in SQL and BI tools and statistics, product sense, Excel, and metric development. Practice SQL problems that include window functions, complex joins, subqueries, lead and lag functions, etc. Remember to brush up on your knowledge of statistical and probability concepts, including regression, hypothesis testing, maximum likelihood estimation, and sampling.

Working on projects that mimic real-world analytics challenges is a great way to boost your confidence. Our handpicked data analytics projects article may inspire you.

Check out the resources we’ve compiled for analysts: statistics and A/B testing interview questions and Google SQL interview questions. Also, here are our favorite books on product analytics.

If you need further guidance, you can explore our tailored learning paths on SQL, statistics and A/B testing, and data analytics.

Our top tip: Tailor your preparation according to each step of the interview process and prepare a script for case study rounds. Having a strategy for getting back on track is crucial if your answers get derailed or you spend too much time on one subtopic. Practice time management, ask clarifying questions, and double-check your solutions beforehand.

Highlight Your Soft Skills

Soft skills like collaboration, effective communication, and flexibility are paramount to succeeding in any job, especially in a dynamic work environment like Google.

Try a mock interview to test your current preparedness for the interview process and improve your communication skills. Participating in multiple mock interviews is particularly useful for case study rounds.

What is the average salary for a product analyst role at Google?

The average base salary for a product analyst at Google is $147,798, significantly higher than the average base compensation for a general product analyst role in the US, which is around $95,289.

What other companies besides Google’s product analyst role can I apply for?

You can apply to similar roles in other MAANG companies. We have interview guides for Meta, Apple, Amazon, and Netflix.

You can read more on our Company Interview Guides page for insights on other tech jobs.

Are there job postings for Google product analyst roles on Interview Query?

Visit our job portal. There, you can sort the list by team, location preference, and current skill set and apply for your desired role.

Succeeding in a Google product analyst interview requires a strong foundation in SQL, product sense, a winning interview strategy, and extensive prep work.

Understanding Google’s experimentation-driven culture and thoroughly preparing with both technical and behavioral questions will be key to success.

For other data-related roles at Google, consider exploring our guides for business analysts, engineers, scientists, and other positions in our main Google interview guide.

Best wishes in your journey to landing a role at Google!