Lately, Google authorship has been on everyone’s minds. From an online marketing standpoint, it’s a very useful concept, and, if you’re looking to take your company or business to the next level, claiming authorship of your content online is a wise step to take.
What Is Google Authorship?
Authorship tags are, simply put, a way to link any content you write online back to your Google Plus profile. They provide a glimpse, right on the search results page (SERP), into who the author of the page is.
On the SERPs, they look a bit like this.
Why Do Lawyers, Doctors, Dentists and Caterers Need Google Authorship?
There are many ways your website — and your business! — can benefit from Google authorship!
- Google likes well developed websites. Making sure that your authorship tags are correctly set is considered “best practice” (the most optimal, accepted way to make a website.) When you set up your authorship tags correctly, Google recognizes as a sign of a website maintainer who cares, and who strives to make sure the website is up to the best standards. This is rewarded with better search rankings.
It makes your website stand out. Take a look at the SERP above. Did the result with the author’s picture to the side catch your attention first? It’s been proven that having an image to the side of your result will increase the likelihood of people clicking through to your site.
Professionals – It builds your online reputation and image. When you sell a service, you’re also selling yourself. Maintaining an online reputation is half your battle (giving great service is the other!) Making sure that everything you write has the appropriate authorship tags reduces plagiarism, as well as helps people remember you. It’s a great tool for developing an online presence.
Understanding Google Authorship
Is Google Authorship a new concept for you? Do you feel overwhelmed, and wondering where to start setting up your authorship tags? There’s nothing to worry about — at Authentic Web, we strive to always be on top of the latest SEO and social media practices. We’ll be happy to get your site setup with Google authorship tags!