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Google updates its search services continuously to improve search quality. In the past year, an increasingly updated Google feature is Google Author Rank, which evaluates the prestige of a web page’s author and impacts the appearance of search engine results accordingly. Google users may have already noticed that some pages in their search results have the author’s name, a thumbnail photo and the number of Google+ circles the author is in below the page’s URL. These are websites that are taking advantage of the increasingly implemented Google Author Rank, and consequently they appear more prominently in search engine results.
How to Link Your Content With Google+ Authorship
To benefit from Google Author Rank, you must link your website’s pages with your Google+ account. Obviously, this requires having an account to begin with, so if you haven’t already created one you can sign up here for free. Make sure to upload a profile picture, preferably a professional headshot, and fill in your bio, making sure to add custom links to any web sites you write for.
Also read: How to Build Your Google Author Rank
After registering, head on over to http://plus.google.com/authorship and follow the instructions, which conclude with entering your e-mail address as it appears in your site’s content. You may need to add authorship markup to your web site or blog for pages with single authors. Add this link to your web page’s content:
<a href=”[profile_url]?rel=author”>Google</a>
Replace [profile_url] with your Google profile URL, so it looks something like this:
<a href=”https://plus.google.com/109412257237874861202?rel=author”>Google</a>
Once these steps are completed, your Google+ profile is linked to your web site’s content, and you can begin benefiting from Google+ Authorship.
How to Increase Your Authorship Ranking
Increasing one’s authorship ranking is akin to advancing their web site’s ranking on Google; there is no specific strategy or end-all solution for effective results. Instead, the ranking is largely reliant on the quality of your content, and how popular it is across the internet. A professional headshot and elaborate bio will highlight your site’s appearance in search engine rankings by making it stand out. Also, the number of Google+ circles you’re in shows alongside search results where your web site shows up, so being in many Google+ circles can make your authorship come across as venerated to new visitors. But quality content and spreading awareness of this content should be your #1 strategy to increase Google authorship ranking.
Why Is Google Authorship Beneficial?
Authorship is primarily beneficial because of the greater attention it attracts to sites utilizing it in search results. For example, if one were to search for an electrical mechanic, a mechanic whose photo and Google+ profile shows up alongside the search results is more likely to attract visitors and potential clients as a result.
The ranking of one’s Google Authorship currently has a very minimal effect on search engine results, but the superficial benefits are clear. Web sites that use Google Authorship markup correctly show up more prominently in search engines, which can provide a huge boost for new and upstart businesses.
Should I Implement Google Authorship?
There are no disadvantages to implementing Google Authorship on your web site, so all webmasters should consider following the steps above. While the actual ranking of Google Authorship has an insubstantial impact on the order of search engine results, they make certain results appear more prominent due to the headshot and author name appearing alongside the specific result. Not only can Google Authorship make your site more noticeable in search engines, but it can also raise your profile as an author.