Google Authorship. Have you ever noticed a page of search results with a picture of the author next to some of them? Were you wishing that your picture could be next to your article? If so, you are already familiar with the benefits of Google Authorship. So what is Google Authorship exactly and how can it improve my site’s SEO?
What is Google Authorship?
Google Authorship is a service offered by Google which allows you to link your Google+ profile with any content you produce on the Internet. It is important to have a profile photo on your Google+ account in order for your image to appear next to your work in Google’s search results. Any article or page containing the appropriate tag will display in the search results with your Google+ profile image next to it, your name, an invitation to read more content you have produced and information about how many circles you are in on Google+.
How Do You Get Google Authorship?
The process can be fairly simple but may require a little coding on your website depending on how your site is built and whether you use a content management system.
Since you already have your photo on Google+, ensure the rest of your profile is complete by filling out all the information you wish to share with the world. Next, go into your Google+ profile, click on the “about” tab, and find a section called “Links.” In this section, you will have the option to add websites where your content can be found. Add the URL’s of these websites and save them in your profile. Google will automatically begin linking content containing your name in a byline to your Google+ profile in search results.
Another approach is to have an email address listed in your profile that is on the website where your content is. For example, if you write an article for bobslegalservices.com and have an email address of bob@bobslegalservices.com, listing that email in Google+ will help it to identify articles you have prepared.
This is where it gets a little tricky. Some websites automatically create the byline of the author without having to manually include it in every article. Others do not or may even obscure your authorship. You may even have to bury a line of code in your page’s metadata to alert Google of your authorship status and link to your profile. Your best option will be to speak with your web designer to determine the best way to automate this process for your site. Of course, the Friedman Group will be happy to assist you with setting up your Google Authorship.
How Can Google Authorship Improve My Site’s SEO?
Google rewards those who have set up a Google Authorship account. As a result, your articles will tend to appear higher in search results than those without Google Authorship. Also, your articles will likely bump copycat articles from the search results.
Google’s search algorithms takes notice of your profile, your personal relevance (measured by social engagement and number of connections) and any resulting chatter your article creates on social media. It may also be wise to share your article on your Google+ stream to ensure that you start the social media chatter yourself and then nudge Google+ into recognizing your authorship.
Take the time to get Google Authorship set up. You won't regret it.
