Connecting Google Analytics 4 (GA4) with Substack can be a valuable tool for tracking and analyzing the performance of your Substack publication. By connecting GA4, you can gather data about your website, such as visitor numbers, which pages are most popular, and where they’re coming from. However, at the time of writing, there is no simple way to integrate GA4 with Substack.
Fortunately, there are several resources available online that provide step-by-step instructions for connecting GA4 with Substack. One option is to add the tracking code to your website by going to the Dashboard > Settings > Advertising analytics in Substack. If you are implementing in another website (other than Substack), this can usually be done by adding the code to the header or footer of your website. Another option is to link Substack to GA4 by creating a web stream and allowing you to create a measurement ID, which you will use to link Google Tag Manager and GA4.
Understanding GA4 and Substack
Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is the latest version of Google Analytics, and it offers a range of new features and capabilities that can help businesses and publishers better understand their audiences and improve their digital marketing strategies. Substack, on the other hand, is a popular platform for creating and publishing newsletters, and it offers a range of tools and features that can help publishers grow their subscriber base and engage with their readers.
To connect GA4 with Substack, you will need to create a measurement ID in GA4 and then add it to your Substack publication’s settings. Once you have done this, you can start tracking your publication’s traffic, user behavior, and other key metrics using GA4.
One of the key benefits of using GA4 with Substack is that it can help you gain a deeper understanding of your audience and their behavior. For example, you can use GA4 to track which pages on your publication are most popular, where your readers are coming from, and how long they are spending on your site. This information can be invaluable for optimizing your content and improving your engagement with your audience.
Another benefit of using GA4 with Substack is that it can help you track the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns. By setting up conversion tracking in GA4, you can track how many people are subscribing to your newsletter, how many are clicking on your links, and how many are engaging with your content. This information can help you refine your marketing strategies and improve your ROI.
Setting Up GA4
To connect GA4 with Substack, you need to set up a GA4 property and obtain a measurement ID. Here are the steps to follow:
- Log in to your Google Analytics account and navigate to the Admin section.
- Click on the Create Property button and select GA4.
- Fill in the required information, such as property name and time zone, and click Create.
- Once the property is created, you will be taken to the property settings page. Here, you can find your measurement ID, which is a unique identifier for your property.
- Copy the measurement ID and head over to your Substack account.
- In your Substack account, navigate to the Integrations section and click on the Google Analytics option.
- Paste the measurement ID into the Google Analytics ID field and click Save.
That’s it! Your Substack website is now connected to GA4, and you can start tracking your website’s performance. Keep in mind that it may take some time for data to start populating in your GA4 account.
It’s worth noting that GA4 has a different data model than Universal Analytics, so you may need to adjust your tracking strategy accordingly. For example, GA4 uses events and parameters instead of pageviews and custom dimensions. You can learn more about GA4’s data model and how to implement it in the GA4 documentation.
Linking GA4 to Substack
To connect GA4 with Substack, you need to locate the integration settings in Substack and enter your GA4 tracking ID. Here are the steps to follow:
Locating Substack Integration Settings
- Log in to your Substack account and go to your publication’s dashboard.
- Click on the “Settings” option in the left-hand menu.
- Scroll down to the “Advertising analytics” section and click on it.
Entering GA4 Tracking ID
- Sign in to your Google Analytics account and navigate to the “Admin” section.
- In the “Property” column, click on “Data Streams.”
- Click on the “Web” option to create a new data stream.
- Enter your website’s URL and click on “Create Stream.”
- On the next page, copy the measurement ID for the data stream.
- Go back to the Substack “Advertising analytics” section and paste the measurement ID into the “Google Analytics measurement ID” field.
- Click on “Save” to complete the process.
Once you’ve completed these steps, you should start seeing data from your Substack publication in your GA4 account. Keep in mind that it may take some time for data to start populating in your GA4 account, so don’t worry if you don’t see anything right away.
By following these steps, you’ll be able to connect GA4 with Substack and start gathering valuable data about your publication’s performance.
Verifying Connection
Once you have linked GA4 with your Substack newsletter, you need to verify that the connection is working properly. Here’s how to do it:
- Go to your Google Analytics account and select your GA4 property.
- Click on “Realtime” from the left-hand side menu.
- Open your Substack newsletter in a new tab or window and navigate to a page where you have added a tracking event.
- You should see the tracking event appear in the “Events” section of the Realtime report within a few seconds.
If you do not see the tracking event appear, it may be because:
- The tracking code was not installed correctly on your Substack newsletter
- The tracking event was not triggered on the page you visited
- There is a delay in the tracking data being processed by Google Analytics
To troubleshoot the issue, you can:
- Double-check that the tracking code is installed correctly on your Substack newsletter
- Verify that the tracking event is being triggered on the page you visited
- Wait a few minutes and refresh the Realtime report to see if the tracking event appears
Verifying the connection between GA4 and Substack is important to ensure that you are accurately tracking the performance of your newsletter. By following these steps, you can quickly and easily verify that the connection is working properly.
Interpreting GA4 Data on Substack
Once you have connected Google Analytics 4 to your Substack publication, you can access a wealth of data about your website’s performance. The following are some key metrics to consider when interpreting GA4 data on Substack:
- Sessions: This metric represents the number of visits to your website. A session is defined as a period of time during which a user is actively engaged with your website. A new session is triggered when a user leaves your website and then returns within a specified period of time (usually 30 minutes).
- Pageviews: This metric represents the number of times a page on your website has been viewed. If a user refreshes the same page multiple times, each refresh counts as a separate pageview.
- Bounce Rate: This metric represents the percentage of sessions during which a user left your website after viewing only one page. A high bounce rate can indicate that your website is not engaging users effectively.
- Average Session Duration: This metric represents the average length of time users spend on your website during a session. A high average session duration can indicate that your website is providing valuable content that users are engaging with.
- Conversion Rate: This metric represents the percentage of sessions during which a user completed a specific goal on your website, such as filling out a form or making a purchase. A high conversion rate can indicate that your website is effectively guiding users towards desired actions.
By analyzing these metrics and others available through GA4, you can gain insights into how users are interacting with your website and identify opportunities for improvement. Remember to keep in mind the goals of your website and use data to inform decisions that will help you achieve those goals.
Optimizing Substack with GA4 Insights
By connecting GA4 with your Substack publication, you can gain valuable insights into your audience’s behavior and optimize your content accordingly. Here are some ways to use GA4 insights to optimize your Substack:
- Track user behavior: GA4 allows you to track user behavior on your Substack publication, including how long they spend on each page and which pages they visit the most. Use this information to identify which topics and types of content are most popular among your audience.
- Analyze funnel conversions: GA4’s enhanced funnel analysis capabilities allow you to track how users move through your Substack publication’s conversion funnel. Use this information to identify where users are dropping off and optimize those pages to improve conversions.
- Optimize user experiences: GA4’s user-centric approach allows you to see how individual users interact with your Substack publication. Use this information to personalize their experience and improve engagement.
By leveraging GA4 insights, you can optimize your Substack publication to better meet the needs and preferences of your audience.
Potential Issues and Solutions
Connecting GA4 with Substack can be a bit tricky, and there are a few potential issues you may encounter along the way. Here are some common problems and their solutions:
Issue: No Data is Showing Up in GA4
If you’ve linked your Substack to GA4 but aren’t seeing any data, there could be a few reasons why. First, make sure that you’ve set up a web stream in GA4 and added the correct measurement ID to your Substack settings. Double-check that you’ve added the GA4 tracking code to your Substack website, as well.
If all of these settings are correct and you’re still not seeing any data, it’s possible that there simply isn’t enough traffic to your Substack yet. GA4 requires a certain amount of traffic to start showing data, so give it some time and keep an eye on your analytics.
Issue: Inaccurate Data is Showing Up in GA4
If you’re seeing data in GA4 but it doesn’t seem quite right, there are a few things you can do to troubleshoot. First, make sure that you’re filtering out any internal traffic from your Substack analytics. This will help ensure that you’re only seeing data from actual visitors.
Additionally, check that you’ve set up your GA4 events and goals correctly. If you’re not tracking the right events or goals, you may not be getting an accurate picture of your Substack’s performance.
Issue: GA4 is Showing Duplicate Data
If you’re seeing duplicate data in GA4, it’s likely that you’ve added the GA4 tracking code to your Substack website more than once. Check your website’s code to make sure that you’ve only added the tracking code once.
Issue: GA4 is Not Tracking Specific Pages or Events
If you’re having trouble tracking specific pages or events in GA4, make sure that you’ve set up the correct triggers and events in Google Tag Manager. You may need to adjust your triggers or events to ensure that they’re firing correctly.
Connecting GA4 with Substack can be a bit tricky, but with some troubleshooting and patience, you can get it up and running smoothly.
Conclusion
Connecting GA4 with Substack can give you valuable insights into your newsletter’s performance. By tracking visitor numbers, popular pages, and traffic sources, you can optimize your content to better engage your audience. While there is no simple way to integrate GA4 with Substack, there are several resources available online that can guide you through the process.
Some key takeaways from the process include setting up a web stream in GA4 and linking it to Google Tag Manager. It’s also important to ensure that your Substack URL is correctly formatted and that you have the necessary permissions to access your website’s analytics data. Once you have successfully connected GA4 with Substack, you can begin analyzing your data to make informed decisions about your newsletter’s content and marketing strategy.