How Google is Tackling Authorship on the Internet
There are several issues with ranking user-generated content through social media, because it depends on who is the original author, to what communities the author belongs and whether the author is an authority on the subject. Google is trying to tie content to real authors to avoid the problem of irrelevant search results from content farms and SEO professionals.
As the Google Authorship site explains, it works this way:
1. Sign up for Google+ and create a profile.
2. Have a profile photo with a recognizable headshot.
3. Make sure a byline containing your name appears on each page of your content (for example, “by Steven Levy”).
4. Verify that your byline name matches the name on your Google+ profile.
5. Have an email address (such as stevenlevy@wired.com) on the same domain as your content.
As you can see, the objective is to capitalize on the power of social media to enrich the content of the Web.
Why it’s Important
While Google+ may not be the social network of choice for some people, it does not lessen its importance. The fact that Google backs this social network should make you consider it in your quest to build a stronger online presence. With Google Authorship, Google is taking important steps in shaping the future of how you discover content on the Internet.
Other articles by Damian:
Grow Your Business: A Market Research Primer
How to Build a Strong Online Presence
A Social Media Guide for Finance
Harnessing the Power of Infographics
4 Twitter Tips for Small Businesses
Damian Davila is a professional marketer living in sunny Honolulu who works for Anthology Marketing Group, the largest digital marketing agency on the Hawaiian Islands. Since 2008, Damian has been writing articles on online marketing and reports on the latest SEO and startup news at his blog, idaconcpts.com. Born in Ecuador, Damian has traveled extensively and held positions in Mexico, Germany, Italy and the United States. He has an MBA from the University of Hawaii and a Master in Educational Technology degree from a joint program between the Tecnologico de Monterrey and the University of British of Columbia. Find Damian on Twitter at @idaconcpts and Google Plus
