Google Authorship has been a hot topic for SEO’s, content creators, and digital marketers alike, but there are still some gray areas when it comes to best practice. In a blog post last week, Google cleared up some misunderstandings about this powerful microformat.
Pages with the rel=”author” tag should feature a majority of content written by one author.
Google stipulates that the page in question should feature a majority of original content written by a single author. Lists of articles, or articles written by multiple authors should not use the rel=’author’ tag. Google lists the following as ideal candidates for the rel=”author” markup.
- The page contains a single article or piece of content, written by one author.
- The URL or page consists primarily of content written by a single author.
- Using a clear byline on the page, stating the author wrote the article.
Do not use rel=”author” for mascots
Your audience may love your mascot alias, but Google asks that you only tie the rel=”author” tag to actual people. In order to keep the credibility of actual authors, it’s best that characters like the Geico gecko aren’t tied to rel=”author”.
Use the same Google+ profile for articles in different languages
If you have multiple versions of the same article for language purposes, Google says it’s okay to direct them all to the same Google+ profile, regardless of the author’s language of choice.
To credit a business rather than an individual author, use rel=”publisher”
While rel=”author” ties an individual author to their Google+ profile, the rel=”publisher” tag ties a company to the respective Google+ business page. The primary purpose of rel=”author” is to associate an author with their unique content and build a separate identity from the website. Both tags are independent of each other and can be used on the same website.
Do not use rel=”author” on product pages or property listings
Google Authorship’s intended use is to associate authors with their perspective and content. Since product pages or property listings generally aren’t perspective pieces, it is advised that you do not use the rel=”author” tag on these pages and save them for articles where the author’s opinion is being shared.
The benefits of Google’s Authorship are vast and may become even more prevalent in the future. It’s a simple process that can make a big difference, as long it is leveraged correctly. If you have any questions on how to implement Google’s Authorship markup, contact us.
Submitted by Erica Machin, Titan SEO