Are YOU the rel=AUTHOR of your Website?
January 15, 2013
The internet of the future is about authenticity and original content. This is why Google wants to know if you are the real author of your website or blog.
This is written as rel="author" in the HTML code and is one of the new (beta) criteria that Google search is using for determining search results.
It could be seen as a way for Google to push its Google + social network (my old Google+ profile is shown above). Or it could be an effort by Google to screen for spammy sites on the internet.
The impact:
Since Google controls a huge percentage of search results....either you participate on the internet by their rules, or you risk poor placement in search results.
The positive side is being up to date on current and future trends in search can boost the visibility of your art or craft.
Google Webmaster Tools (now Google Search Console) provides instructions to LINK your Google + profile to the content you create on your website or blog.
Watch this video from Google.
Absorb the information and consider what Google is trying to accomplish with this approach. Keep in mind that this is the future of the internet and should be a strategic part of your internet planning.
Since the publication of this post, Google has continued to value rel=author and your Google+ profile. If you want your content to be found in search results a Google+ authorship is a must.
Below are the current search results for my name with the addition of rel="author" to my sites.
Note that my Google + profile automatically is shown on the right side of the search results.
Looking more closely at the search results (shown below) you see a small gray silhouette icon next to the entry.
The silhouette icon is next to search results for posts or entries with verified authorship. To add rel="author" to your sites you need to verify your site(s) with Google Webmaster Tools.
As stated in the video, verifying your website on Google Webmaster Tools does not impact search, but fixing mistakes on your website (that Google Webmaster Tools helps you find) will improve your website performance and improve your visibility in the future.
If you have not yet verified your website or blog with Google Webmaster Tools (now Google Search Console) this is highly recommended for improving performance and search. Did You Register Your Web Site on Google Webmaster Tools? will help you step by step. It is worth the effort. These internet skills build on one another.
The next posts will help you link your Google + profile to the content you create.