Google Authorship allows writers to establish original ownership of their content on the internet by connecting their Google profiles with this content – and provides many benefits. Google is, after-all, the key master to the web, and participating in such schemes provides many benefits for all those involved.
This ‘authorship’ means that when content is search through by a search engine, such as Google, the results (may) include a “rich snippet” of that content producer’s profile – this invariably makes that results much more visually attractive in the search results. Not only does this aid in claiming ownership of work in a world where writers are attempting to steal your online work, but it also greatly helps with SEO.
The more you do to build your authorship ranking, Google will give your posts more standing in the search results, because, well, Google likes people to utilise their tools; and they’ll reward you for it in internet brownie points. It’s common knowledge now that Google Authorship search results have a higher click through rate than other posts because Google is arguing it has more credibility. And Google likes credibility, too, which is why they now base their whole algorithm around credibility and industry-relevance.
Here are a few ways to build your Google Authorship Ranking.
1. Connect your website to Google+. If you don’t do this, you won’t get the rich snippet on your search result. Synergy people, synergy.
2. Write guest posts. Whilst you should still be writing guest posts for SEO benefits, Google has started to crack down on people who include and sometimes spam irrelevant links on their blogs. It’s inorganic – which Google are against. It’s also import to contribute guest posts on good, authoritative websites too.
3. Have a positive presence in social media. You will often hear that it’s important nowadays to have an active presence on more than one social networking site – probably from us most of the time – because it’s true. But what’s not true is that all activity is created equal. Posting irrelevant junk and forwarding recycled content isn’t very productive. It’s important that you positively contribute to relevant conversations and provide great-quality content and information which other users will find to be worthy of sharing.
Google authorship is (currently) in no way a requirement for SEO, though Google’s continual algorithm updates and “crack downs” on what they consider inorganic on the internet may lead to it having vital impact on your search visibility down the road.
