add WordPress author tracking using Google Analytics custom dimension

google-analytics-author-tracking.php

//Google Universal Analytics
function google_analytics() { ?>
<script>
  (function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i['GoogleAnalyticsObject']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){
  (i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),
  m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)
  })(window,document,'script','//www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js','ga');
 
  ga('create', 'YOUR ANALYTICS PROPERTY ID HERE', 'auto');
  <?php if (is_singular('post') :
    $this_post = get_queried_object();
    $author_id = $this_post->post_author;
    //dimension index number must be retrieved for your GA property ?>
    ga('set', 'dimension1', '<?php echo get_the_author_meta('display_name', $author_id); ?>');
  <?php endif; ?>
  ga('send', 'pageview');
</script>    
<?php }
add_action ('wp_head', 'google_analytics');

This goes in your WordPress theme's functions.php file. Obviously you need to enter your own Google Analytics property ID, and you also need to make sure that the dimension index number matches what you setup in your Google Analytics property.

If your theme already has Google Analytics tracking code, or if you are using some sort of Google Analytics plugin that drops the GA snippet on your page, you'll have to either remove that or customize it. This snippet would add duplicate tracking code in that case, which is not what you want.

Here's an article where I walk through the process of setting this up: http://www.geekwire.com/devblog/add-wordpress-author-tracking-google-analytics-using-custom-dimensions/

dude, syntax errors abound