3 Reasons Why Google Authorship is Important: Part I
Let’s begin by first defining Google authorship. In short, Google Authorship is a way to connect all the content you’ve written – i.e. blog posts, procedural pages, online articles, etc. – directly to your Google+ profile. Despite what you may be thinking, you’re probably a bit more familiar with this concept than you realize. Check out the search result below.
When searching on Google, you’ve probably noticed pictures (like the one above) aside certain results. The picture included in the listing is known as an “Author Tag,” and it signifies the fact our CEO, Keith Humes, is the author of the article. Because Google uses Authorship to connect all content written by a particular person, you’d be able to view a number of other articles Keith has authored if you were to click on the picture in an actual Google results listing.
So what’s in it for you and your practice? Over the course of a three-part blog series, we’re going to share with you three reasons why Google Authorship is so important, beginning with search engine optimization.
Search Engine Optimization
The emergence of Google Authorship has triggered a speculative SEO metric dubbed “Author Rank.” There is evidence to suggest Author Rank is designed to reward people, or practices in your case, for producing quality content – and lots of it.
In theory, the more quality content you produce – i.e. content that boosts website traffic, social sharing, etc. – the more your Google rankings will rise, thanks in large part to Panda. The key now, mind you, is to also have an Author Tag established and linked to everything you produce. This way, Google can recognize that you’re the author of all this quality content (even if it’s been shared or posted on many other websites) and will, in turn, weigh your site more heavily as a quality resource for patients seeking information.
For ideas about how to strategically produce quality content to build your Author Rank, check out this recent blog post: 2 Keys to Effective Editorial Planning.
Stay tuned
Coming up next, we’ll reveal how Google Authorship can help you stand out from the competition in search results. Be sure to stay tuned.