Many online writers are discussing the recent introduction by Google of a link tag attribute that allows content sites to identify their writers. The attribute is rel=“author” and links authors to their content, not only on one site, but all across the internet. The goal is to gather as much information about published online authors to determine credibility. According to Google, the concept behind this new feature is to specify whether a writer publishes a great deal of helpful content online and if so, other content created by this writer may be worth a look. Gathered information about a writer who publishes content may help a viewer decide if this content is relevant to their search engine query or of they need to continue their search and find another source.
Signals Like a Byline
Author credits are well-known in the publishing industry. Newspapers and magazines assign author bylines that identify the writer of the published content; some even supply author bio boxes that help identify the writer further enhancing reasons a viewer should read the content. Many offline content sources also publish the author’s webpage address in this bio box. This concept is currently on many websites where the content also includes a link back to the author’s website. Through use of the rel=“author” link attribute, the search engine recognizes this is a link pointing to the author’s page and not somewhere else. The author attribute (rel=”author”) is placed inside the <a href=”authorpage.com”>.
Creating an ‘Attractive’ Profile for Your Fans to See and For Google to Love
An attractive profile is more than just a way to readily share information about you and your work; it provides Google with the ability to more-effectively recognize a person as the writer of site content. Below you’ll find helpful advice regarding the creation of a rich and effective Google Plus profile. You can also check out Google’s Webmaster Tools Help for more information.
- Your personal profile with Google Plus needs to be updated using links to all of your published writing on the internet. (To include your profile links, click the profile edit function, then click on the Links field to the right on the web page adding links you desire.)
- Your profile image must be a professional, clear headshot in order to show up the search results page. Google utilizes facial recognition software to determine if your picture is a face or not. This new feature allows Google Plus to show who the author is and generate more for interest and traffic to his or her profile.
- For website visitors to easily connect to your Google Plus profile, include a “g+” button on each page.
- When publishing any blog or website showcasing content material from any one writer, a most basic approach, in order to determine writer details, is to create a link for your Profile at Google in each and every web page, such as:
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Sites Containing Multiple Authors or Blogs
When a website showcases written content from several different writers, you’ll need to separate yourself as the writer of your own work. In this case, Google’s search engines look for a link from the content page to the writer’s personal website, as well as their Google Plus profile. The content page may be virtually any item of written content from the author; an important news flash, blog post or even a piece of fiction like a short story or a poem. If the author is tagged somewhere, Google is going to pick it up the rel=“author” attribute.
When verifying authorship, Google considers two things:
1. Links coming from the actual content page to an article author web page. In the event that the pathway link proceeds to a Google Plus profile, the information can be found in search outcomes
2. A link path coming back to your Google profile. These two-way links are essential; with no reciprocal links, anybody can credit themselves for your work to or even credit you to writing something you didn’t actually write.
Create a Link for Multiple Pages Authored by the Same Writer
Any writer’s ideal content page would be able to connect with additional pages related to the same writer, like an author’s home web page or even a social media site such as Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn. In order to inform Google about these other pages describe the same writer, make use of the rel=”me” link to create a connection from each writer’s different profile pages. For example, if you were a frequent and steady writer at http://www.this.example.com, a link on the author’s page would lead to your home page at http://yourhomepage.com by using this code:
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Subsequently, your profile page at http://www.yourhomepage.com should point also to your writer’s profile at http://www.this.example.com that could read:
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Use of the rel=”me” tag as a reciprocal link informs Google that your profiles at http://www.yourhomepage.com and http://this.example.com/authors/yourname are the same writer.
This new author tag has excited online writers all over the world, but only time will tell if the new attribute is being utilized and used properly. If it is, the attribute has the potential to benefit the writers on a large scale and we’ll have a better understanding of the tag and its plans for the future.
Author: Tony Berastegui
