If you manage a multi-author WordPress site, it’s important to identify which authors create the most popular posts. This insight can help you boost traffic and grow your website.
Over the years, we have assisted numerous users in setting up website tracking and have recommended various analytical tools. Based on our experience, Google Analytics and MonsterInsights provide an easy way to identify which authors are drawing the most visitors. You can monitor popular authors without needing to modify any code.
In this article, we will guide you through the process of enabling author tracking in WordPress.
Why Should You Enable Author Tracking in WordPress?
If you operate a multi-author blog, enabling author tracking in WordPress is essential. It allows you to collect data on the performance of each author’s posts on your site.
With this data, you can promote high-performing authors and provide additional support to those who may be struggling.
This is also an effective way to discover which authors are driving the most traffic and which articles resonate with your audience.
For example, you might have an author who excels at writing posts that attract a lot of visitors. However, these visitors may not remain on your site for long, leading to a high bounce rate, fewer page views, and reduced time spent on your website.
By analyzing this data, you can enhance your editorial process and provide more support and resources to writers who need assistance. You may discover effective ways to direct traffic from the first author’s articles to the writers you wish to promote.
Now, let’s explore how to enable author tracking on your WordPress site.
How to Set Up Author Tracking in WordPress
The simplest method to monitor the most popular authors in WordPress is by using MonsterInsights. This top-rated analytics plugin makes it easy to integrate Google Analytics without requiring any coding skills.
MonsterInsights includes a Dimensions addon that enables you to create custom dimensions in Google Analytics.
This feature allows you to track additional metrics in Google Analytics that are not included by default, such as author tracking, the most popular post types, categories, tags, and more.
Keep in mind that you will need at least the MonsterInsights Pro plan to access the custom dimensions feature. There is also a free version called MonsterInsights Lite that you can use.
For further details, check out our comprehensive review of MonsterInsights.
First, install and activate the MonsterInsights plugin. For detailed instructions, refer to our step-by-step guide on installing a WordPress plugin.
After activating the plugin, you will be greeted by the welcome screen. Click the ‘Launch the Wizard’ button to proceed.
Follow the setup wizard’s instructions to connect Google Analytics to your website. For detailed guidance, refer to our comprehensive guide on installing Google Analytics in WordPress.
Once the connection is established, Google Analytics will begin tracking all traffic to your website.
Configuring Author Custom Dimensions for Precise Tracking
With everything set up, let’s instruct Google Analytics to track authors by adding a custom dimension.
Start by navigating to the Insights » Addons page. Here, locate the ‘Dimensions’ addon and click the ‘Install’ button.
The addon will automatically install and activate.
Next, visit the Insights » Settings page and select the ‘Conversions’ tab.
Scroll down slightly, and you will find the ‘Custom Dimensions’ section.
This is where you can add a new custom dimension. Click the ‘Add New Custom Dimension’ button to continue.
Then, select the ‘Author’ dimension from the drop-down menu.
Additionally, you will need to provide the ID that will be automatically populated for you.
Make sure to save your changes to keep your settings intact.
Now that you have configured custom dimensions in MonsterInsights, the next step is to replicate this in Google Analytics.
How to Add a Custom Dimension in Google Analytics
First, navigate to your Google Analytics 4 property.
Once you are logged in, click on the ‘Configure’ tab located on the left side.
Next, select the ‘Custom definitions’ option from the displayed menu.
Then, click the ‘Create custom dimensions’ button.
A window will appear from the right side, where you will need to fill in the details for your custom dimensions.
To begin, enter a name for your dimension, and you can also include a description.
You can keep the Scope set to ‘Event’ and enter an event parameter such as ‘author_tracking.’ This event parameter will be used by Google Analytics 4 to display your dimension in the reports.
After filling in these details, remember to click the ‘Save’ button.
You have successfully set up author tracking on your WordPress site. Now, let’s move on to the exciting part of viewing the reports and discovering how your authors are performing.
How to Access Your Author Tracking Reports
Once your website has gathered traffic data, you can view your top authors directly on the WordPress dashboard.
Navigate to the Insights » Reports section and select the ‘Dimensions’ tab.
Here, you will find a list of the top authors driving the most traffic to your website.
Utilize this data to enhance your editorial process and promote content from your most successful authors. For example, you can feature their articles as popular posts to increase pageviews.
Moreover, this information will allow you to identify writers who may need assistance, enabling you to collaborate with them to boost traffic to their blog posts.
We hope this guide has helped you learn how to activate author tracking in WordPress. You might also be interested in our tutorial on how to implement GA4 site annotations and notes in WordPress, as well as the best plugins for showcasing popular posts.
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