Using Google Analytics to track subscribers is one of those ‘hidden gems’ Google provides. Goals help you determine which type of traffic (and from where) is generating the best bang for your buck.
I’ve been using Google Analytics since Google bought Urchin. Generally, goals were used to find which website was sending the best ratio for sales. However, bloggers are also able to use goals suit their needs. Bloggers are able to use the same method used for sales to find which source sends the best traffic–the traffic which subscribers.
How to setup a goal
- If you haven’t yet done so, sign up for Google Analytics and follow the directions to place the add code to your blog. If you use WordPress, you can use the plugin Ultimate Google Analytics
- Create a goal.
- Click ‘Analytics Settings’ in the upper left corner.
- In the middle, click ‘Edit’ beneath ‘Settings’.
- Under ‘Conversion Goals and Funnel’, click ‘edit’ on the right beside the goal you wish to set up.
- Set up your goal settings. Select ‘on’ to activate it as a goal. The match type should say ‘head match’. The goal URL should be a fake one, this is for later (I chose /goal-feed to easily identify it). Set a goal name, ‘Subscription’ or ‘RSS subscribe’ will work. Then set a goal value (this is how much you think a subscription is worth. Basically, if your goal value is $2 and “Site A” gives you 1 subscription out of the 100 people it sent, then Site A’s traffic is worth $0.02 per person).
- Click ‘Save changes’.
Add the goal to your subscriptions
After you created the goal, now it is time to add it to your feed links. This is where the goal URL comes in handy.
On all the links to your feed, place this within the <a> onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/goal-feed');"
(be sure to change /goal-feed to the goal URL you chose)
Finishing up
Although the goals won’t count every add (such as the livebookmark from the address bar) it will give a great idea of what traffic works best and what visitors come to your website to see.
Written: Nov 12, 2008
Tags: blogging, goals, google analytics, rss
tata
November 12, 2008 @ 10:12 am | Reply
I swear I was just looking for something like this! I’m terribly frustrated with Feedburner and was told I could track rss subscribers using GA and wondered how. Ask and ye shall receive, eh? Thanks so much!
Julius Kuhn-Regnier
November 12, 2008 @ 12:51 pm | Reply
very useful Gary! I also wondered how you can track subscription rates through Analytics.
Julius Kuhn-Regnier
November 16, 2008 @ 8:02 am | Reply
I tried it actually but it does not work now. When you click on a link now it reloads the whole page without counting that click.
Gary R. Hess
November 16, 2008 @ 4:24 pm | Reply
@Julius you must keep the link as well, you can’t just replace it. It does work if implemented correctly.
Julius Kuhn-Regnier
November 17, 2008 @ 8:05 am | Reply
I didn’t replace the entire link
I did as you said 
RSSThe problem was with onclick=”javascript:…”. I tried several different things and I found that you have to remove the javascript: in front of it to make it work correctly. Now its working great .. thanks anywayTexas Wanderer
November 19, 2008 @ 12:34 am | Reply
Interesting. I’m usually lucky to get my reports mailed to me daily haha.
Gary R. Hess
November 19, 2008 @ 1:35 am | Reply
@Julius, you are definitely right. I was thinking of href=”javascript:” when I wrote it. Nice catch!