There’s this weird belief that Substack and Medium are enemies, like choosing one means betraying the other.

Not for me.

I treat them like two different train stations that happen to connect to the same city.

Substack is where my main house is.

Medium is the side entrance where a lot of strangers walk by.

And if strangers walk by, why not leave a door open?

Last month I finally built a workflow that makes both platforms feed each other instead of cannibalizing each other. It’s simple, scalable, and honestly a bit underrated. The synergy is wild once it clicks.

Let’s walk through it.

Step 1: One Article, Two Audiences

I never write a “Substack version” and a “Medium version.”

I write one piece.

Then I tailor it for each platform’s culture.

On Substack, I lean more human and chaotic. Personality. A bit messy but real.

On Medium, I go tighter. Cleaner. More structured. Readers there skim first, commit second.

But the core always stays the same.

It’s one spine with two outfits.

This already doubles discoverability without doubling work.

Step 2: Medium as the Discovery Engine

Medium is not my home, but it is a ridiculous discovery machine when used intentionally.

I do three things here:

1. I publish the piece into a good publication (when possible)

Not for clout.

For reach.

A publication gives the post a life I simply don’t get on my own profile.

2. I clean up the intro for Medium

Medium readers don’t wait.

So my Medium intro is usually sharper and shorter.

Same article, different rhythm.

3. I link to my Substack strategically

Never with “subscribe here!”

Never with spammy CTAs.

Instead, I drop:

a link to the original story
a link to a related Substack post
or a link to a topic hub on my custom domain

Readers who click those are the curious ones.

Those convert way better than random CTA clickers.

Medium sends me discovery, Substack catches the serious ones.

Step 3: Canonicals Do the Heavy Lifting

This part still feels like cheating.

Medium lets me set a canonical link, which basically tells Google:

“Hey, the original article lives over here. Give that one the authority.”

And since my primary home is on Substack (with a custom domain), that’s where the SEO juice flows.

So the setup looks like this:

publish on Substack
cross-post on Medium
set canonical to Substack custom domain
let Medium’s domain authority act like a content amplifier
let Google treat Substack as the source

Google gets the hint.

Medium strengthens Substack’s SEO.

Both versions can rank, but the original wins.

This alone helped two of my posts jump higher in Google last month.

Step 4: Substack as the Depth Platform

If Medium is reach, Substack is depth.

People who arrive on Substack from Medium instantly behave differently.

They stay longer.

Click more links.

I keep:

an About page
topic hubs
a “start here” guide
evergreen pieces
internal link clusters

So when a Medium reader arrives, they don’t just read one post.

They fall into a tiny rabbit hole intentionally designed for them.

Medium pulls them in.

Substack converts them.

Step 5: Analytics Tell Me Which Platform Should Lead

Sometimes a post belongs on Medium first.

Sometimes it belongs on Substack first.

I look at:

• search impressions in GSC

If a topic has search heat, I publish on Substack first (to own the canonical).

• engagement behavior in GA4

If a certain format performs better on Medium, I flip the order.

• social potential

If it’s spicy, weird, or opinion-heavy, Substack gets it first.

• niche depth

If the post is nerdy or personal, Medium gets the more polished summary version.

There’s no guesswork anymore.

It’s data-driven platform choreography.

Step 6: I Use Medium to Resurrect Old Substack Posts

This is sneaky and works way better than expected.

If an older Substack post is still valuable but not ranking (or not getting traction), I:

rewrite it lightly
publish it on Medium
set canonical to the old Substack URL
link to a fresh Substack post inside the Medium version

Medium gives the Substack original a second life.

The Substack original gains search authority.

And traffic flows in two directions.

This is how I revived three older posts that were basically dead.

Step 7: Substack Profiles and Notes Give Medium Traffic Back

This is the part most people miss.

If a Medium post suddenly performs well (GA4 makes this obvious), I sometimes mention it on Substack:

a link in Notes
a short reference inside a new post
a “read this next” suggestion at the bottom

Substack readers follow me everywhere.

Some of those become Medium followers.

Medium boosts the next post.

The next post pushes more to Substack.

The platforms become a loop instead of isolated silos.

Step 8: Let Each Platform Do What It’s Good At

Medium is amazing for:

reach
SEO boosts
testing ideas
cold audiences
making content discoverable

Substack is amazing for:

depth
relationships
repeat readers
email-based growth
long-term business

My workflow basically blends the strengths of both without doubling the workload.

It’s one idea, layered smartly across two ecosystems.

The Bottom Line

Substack and Medium aren’t rivals. They’re two parts of the same engine. Medium sends discovery, Substack turns that discovery into depth. Canonicals push authority to where I want it. Analytics steer the workflow. And everything I publish on one platform quietly strengthens the other.

That’s how both platforms ended up feeding each other instead of competing.