Google Confirms Author Ranking; What Does That Mean To You?

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Google Confirms Author Ranking; What Does That Mean To You?

Google’s head of web spam, Matt Cutts made it official by announcing that Google is using a form of “Author Rank”. The ranking system is used specifically within in-depth articles. This ranking system helps determine which articles are to be displayed in the in-depth article section of the search engine results.

The in-depth section has been in effect since August, 2013, giving users the ability to search for longer, more in-depth articles on the topics they need.

Matt Cutts stated previously that Google was exploring ways to modify the ranking algorithm to detect authoritative writers on specific topics and organize them in the search results by their specialties.

The rel=author tag is used to tag content that was created by a specific author. One of the key features to this system is the image and bio of the author being placed next to the written content. Having an image and a bio next to the content creates a more authoritative voice, and increases the chances for the content to receive a click-through.

When a user searches President Obama, there is a section offered specifically for in-depth articles. These articles have the author’s photo and image displayed next to the contents link and offers a longer and more in-depth look at the topic. This section is geared towards users who want real research and not just an overview on a specific topic.



The in-depth article section is really representing an entirely new search feature, so users need to concentrate on this area to keep up with the ever-changing tides of Google’s algorithms.

The New Ranking System and SEO

The new ranking system for authors seems to be the new way to do well in the search engine results. Many people are speculating that this algorithm will reach new heights very quickly, making author ranking a very specific way to market a business or brand online.

Becoming an authority on a specific topic that relates to your business or industry is an extremely effective method of marketing, and now Google is actually helping you to do just that.

Since Google is not able to easily pull data from other social networks, having a Google+ account and linking your content to that account is extremely important in this new world of SEO. Your other social networks that are tied into your Google+ account will however have an impact on your Google+ presence, so they are still vital to your success.

Google is pulling information from all sources, not just what is created with the rel=author tag, but why make Google search for you when it is so easy to stand out against the crowd?

A great advantage of this new system is that it is extremely difficult to game. The days of black hat SEO tactics are almost over, making way for smaller businesses to compete fairly against the larger businesses online.  The new system also creates a way for authors to own their content and helps to protect it against plagiarism and theft.



How to Prepare for Google’s New Author Ranking

This new ranking system is a huge step towards changing the world of SEO as you once knew it. If you ignored all the warnings that Google was planning to implement this feature and have not gotten prepared, now is the time.

Google+

Make sure you set up a Google+ account that has a completed profile, including a professional headshot. The account needs to have a small bio that shows you as an expert in your specific niche.

Connect Google Authorship

Connect Google authorship with your content. This needs to be done on both your blog and any other sites you contribute content to. Make sure that the sites you write for have a Google+ link to your profile on the author page or at the bottom of the article.

Link everything you write, even when writing for sites that will not list you as a contributor. You simply link back to the publisher in the contributor section of your Google+ author profile. This helps provide a large library of your online content, and shows readers you are serious about your topic. The readers can connect from one piece of your content to the next, so if you write for multiple sites, it helps encourage shared traffic.

Write ONLY Quality Content

Make sure that you write content that is not only top quality, but also, that people will want to read. Google is looking very closely at content published online, so make sure yours is up to the high standards set by the search engine giant. Good quality content must be informative, unique, on topic, and helpful to the reader.

People who are creating quality content that focuses on a specific topic and helps answer a question for readers are getting very good interaction and engagement with users. This is mainly due to the shift in how people actually search. In the past, keywords, or keyword phrases were used to find information, but today people are using the search engine in a more conversational way. This basically means, that someone looking for a specific answer will enter a specific question in the search engine, not just the keywords. Google, in response to apps such as Siri, has begun to implement their own strategy for creating a smoother search system for users, and that means they plan to answer every question as specifically as possible, and if you don’t, or cant, you will not be displayed in their top results, or possibly any of their results.

Allow Guest Posts from Authoritative Bloggers and Writers

If you have a blog site or other site that allows guests contribution, allow those writers to link their own Google authorship accounts to the content. The ranking system will help drive traffic to your site as those writers gain authority within the ranking system.

The stronger a ranking the writer receives, the better it is for your site. Authors will benefit from posting articles on sites that have high rankings, but sites benefit just as much by having high-ranking authors post on their site. It is a win-win situation for everyone involved.

Guest blogging has taken a hard hit from Google as a method of SEO, so be careful how you implement this tactic. Only accept guest blogs from those who are established in the niche you are promoting on your blog, and avoid any guest bloggers who do not have a bio created, or a Google author ranking established. The higher the ranking, the harder it will be to get the author to post on your low ranking site, so keep up your rankings, and you will have more opportunities for high ranking guest bloggers.

Do not be afraid to allow guest bloggers on your site, even though Google has been slamming the process. The intent of their penalties are for sites that use the bloggers as a back hat tactic, not for ones using the guest blogging in the correct way.

Create and Verify Your Brand Page

Create a brand page on your Google+ account and get it verified. Make sure you have a verified connection between your Google+ profile page and your brand page and get enough followers before applying for verification.

Monitor Stats

Log into your Google account and use the webmaster tools to monitor your stats. Search the data and content on the web that is connected to your authorship. Google labs and authorship stats are both available for you to get a quick view on your page impressions and clicks. This information is displayed for each page you are a verified author on.