Authorship Workshop


Paul Spreadbury, MEC
Who am I?
      Paul Spreadbury, SEO Account Director, MEC



• Head of SEO, Just Search
                                               @paulspread
• SEO Account Director, MEC
What is Authorship?

• Method to verify a connection between content
  and a Google + account

• Way for Google to verify links are trustworthy

• More relevant data for rankings than social

• A way of adding a human element to link building

• A way of reducing duplicate content issues
Technical Implementation

• Create a Google Plus account

• Ensure you have a profile picture with a recognizable
 headshot

• Add a by-line on your content pages
  - e.g. by Paul Spreadbury
Technical Implementation - Email Verification

                                                      Authors content page on
        Google + profile page
                                                           mecglobal.com
               email:
                                                   “by Paul Spreadbury” linked to
  paul.spreadbury@mecglobal.com
                                                  paul.spreadbury@mecglobal.com


• Check you have an email address on the same domain as the content

• Ensure the content has a by-line identifying you as the author e.g. ‘By Paul
  Spreadbury’

• Visit https://plus.google.com/authorship and submit your email address to
  Google. This will add your email to the contributor section of your Google +
  profile

• Use the structured data tool located at
  http://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/richsnippets to test it all works
Technical Implementation - Content Verification
                                         Contributor to
          Google + Profile
                                                           Blog home page
              Page




                                        rel=“author”
                                                          Author’s content
                                                               page


 Step 1 – Create a link to your Google + profile from your content page

  -<a href="https://plus.google.com/108182861589098673464? rel=“author">Paul
  Spreadbury</a>

 Sept 2 – Add a reciprocal link back from your Google + profile page

    - Edit the contributor to section
    - Add a custom link
    - Enter the website URL
How long does it take to appear in the SERPs

                        • High social following
        Power User      • Lots of people in circles
                        • Face may appear in SERPS very fast (1 week)



                        • Posts regularly
       Normal User      • Has a reasonable social presence
                        • Face may appear in a few weeks



                        • Rarely posts
        Low Level       • Very little social following
                        • Post may take months to appear




         We can make assumptions, but Google will decide!
What does authorship do?




     “Provides an ability to rank content based
 on the content owner and their online reputation”

“Makes it harder for SEOs to manipulate the system”

     “Significantly improves click through rate”
Authorship – Possible ranking factors
       As authorship also links into Google + there can be many ranking factors
                                      implemented

Possible authorship ranking factors

• Number of +1s the author content receives

• The number of Google+ circles the author has

• The authority of the sites the authors content has
 been published to

• The author’s social metrics

• Engagement level of authors Google + Page

• Average Page Rank of authors content
Or are Google simply trying to get more Google + users
Authorship and Link Building
SEO Updates - Death of low quality links

There have been clear signs of Google devaluing links


            Google Panda
    - Review of web content (Feb                  Google Penguin
           2012-onwards)                     - Over optimisation update
  - Pushing towards high quality link           (April, May, Oct 2012)
               building




         Google Disavow tool
                                                Links warning issued
   - Tool for removing low quality
                                            - Google sends over 1,000,000
     links, doing Google’s job for
                                            links warnings (19th July 2012)
       them (16th October 2012)
How could this impact?

             BLOG/CONTENT PRODUCER
             Low Quality sites have plagued the internet
             Poor articles, spun content, low quality content will be hit again

             POWER AUTHORS
             Respected authors will have a strong profile
             These authors will be highly sought after
             Agencies will need to build power author0s


             BRANDS
             No longer can they just rely on copywriters
             Writers will need a social presence


             LINK BUILDERS
             Quality content from authors will be difficult to find
             Relationships will be even more important
Engage off line to build authority online




           Engage off line to build authority online
Link Building - Tools for the Job

           SEOs need to use tools to find quality content from established authors
  Maintaining these relationships will become an even more important part of their strategy
Use Google Plus to find authors
 •   Google’s going to be looking at it, so should you




                                 Writing Experiences
   Social Popularity                  Past writing            Personal Information
Twitter, Facebook, circles     experiences, who they are   Author bio, where they work
                                      authors for
Finding and engaging with key authors

        Finding key authors              Engaging with authors


• Use tools to find authors       • Engage through social media

• Evaluate author by reviewing    • Build relationships slowly
   - People in circles
                                  • Advise them to get authorship
   - Twitter Followers             implemented if they haven’t already
  - Contributor field
  - Past content                  • Attend industry meet ups

• Look at other domains in your   • Offer to speak at conferences
 niche to find key authors
                                  • Comment on industry blogs and
• Look for high quality blogs      build visibility
Authorship for larger brands
Brands should invest in Content and People

 • Employ people passionate about      • Don’t tie an author to any old
   your sector                           content

 • Employ people with strong online    •    Invest in content that is
   profiles                                interesting

 •    Post updates to Google +         •    Allow staff the time to become an
     regularly                             authority

 •    Optimise the About Me section of •   Specialise in your topic area
     Google +
Becoming a Powerful brand
       Some large brands will find it difficult to highlight their people.
            Large brands can be opposed to giving people credit.
    However, they should use their own people to build their online profiles.
Should it be implemented as an SEO strategy

•   SEOs should start implementing author rank in their strategies now

•   Building author rank now will gain an advantage when Google change

•   Google will continue to punish low quality content and link building

•   Verifying author provides a way of punishing anonymity

• Don’t just publish posts on sites you control!
Any
Questions?

Authorship paul-spreadbury

  • 1.
  • 2.
    Who am I? Paul Spreadbury, SEO Account Director, MEC • Head of SEO, Just Search @paulspread • SEO Account Director, MEC
  • 3.
    What is Authorship? •Method to verify a connection between content and a Google + account • Way for Google to verify links are trustworthy • More relevant data for rankings than social • A way of adding a human element to link building • A way of reducing duplicate content issues
  • 4.
    Technical Implementation • Createa Google Plus account • Ensure you have a profile picture with a recognizable headshot • Add a by-line on your content pages - e.g. by Paul Spreadbury
  • 5.
    Technical Implementation -Email Verification Authors content page on Google + profile page mecglobal.com email: “by Paul Spreadbury” linked to paul.spreadbury@mecglobal.com paul.spreadbury@mecglobal.com • Check you have an email address on the same domain as the content • Ensure the content has a by-line identifying you as the author e.g. ‘By Paul Spreadbury’ • Visit https://plus.google.com/authorship and submit your email address to Google. This will add your email to the contributor section of your Google + profile • Use the structured data tool located at http://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/richsnippets to test it all works
  • 6.
    Technical Implementation -Content Verification Contributor to Google + Profile Blog home page Page rel=“author” Author’s content page Step 1 – Create a link to your Google + profile from your content page -<a href="https://plus.google.com/108182861589098673464? rel=“author">Paul Spreadbury</a> Sept 2 – Add a reciprocal link back from your Google + profile page - Edit the contributor to section - Add a custom link - Enter the website URL
  • 7.
    How long doesit take to appear in the SERPs • High social following Power User • Lots of people in circles • Face may appear in SERPS very fast (1 week) • Posts regularly Normal User • Has a reasonable social presence • Face may appear in a few weeks • Rarely posts Low Level • Very little social following • Post may take months to appear We can make assumptions, but Google will decide!
  • 8.
    What does authorshipdo? “Provides an ability to rank content based on the content owner and their online reputation” “Makes it harder for SEOs to manipulate the system” “Significantly improves click through rate”
  • 9.
    Authorship – Possibleranking factors As authorship also links into Google + there can be many ranking factors implemented Possible authorship ranking factors • Number of +1s the author content receives • The number of Google+ circles the author has • The authority of the sites the authors content has been published to • The author’s social metrics • Engagement level of authors Google + Page • Average Page Rank of authors content
  • 10.
    Or are Googlesimply trying to get more Google + users
  • 11.
  • 12.
    SEO Updates -Death of low quality links There have been clear signs of Google devaluing links Google Panda - Review of web content (Feb Google Penguin 2012-onwards) - Over optimisation update - Pushing towards high quality link (April, May, Oct 2012) building Google Disavow tool Links warning issued - Tool for removing low quality - Google sends over 1,000,000 links, doing Google’s job for links warnings (19th July 2012) them (16th October 2012)
  • 13.
    How could thisimpact? BLOG/CONTENT PRODUCER Low Quality sites have plagued the internet Poor articles, spun content, low quality content will be hit again POWER AUTHORS Respected authors will have a strong profile These authors will be highly sought after Agencies will need to build power author0s BRANDS No longer can they just rely on copywriters Writers will need a social presence LINK BUILDERS Quality content from authors will be difficult to find Relationships will be even more important
  • 14.
    Engage off lineto build authority online Engage off line to build authority online
  • 15.
    Link Building -Tools for the Job SEOs need to use tools to find quality content from established authors Maintaining these relationships will become an even more important part of their strategy
  • 16.
    Use Google Plusto find authors • Google’s going to be looking at it, so should you Writing Experiences Social Popularity Past writing Personal Information Twitter, Facebook, circles experiences, who they are Author bio, where they work authors for
  • 17.
    Finding and engagingwith key authors Finding key authors Engaging with authors • Use tools to find authors • Engage through social media • Evaluate author by reviewing • Build relationships slowly - People in circles • Advise them to get authorship - Twitter Followers implemented if they haven’t already - Contributor field - Past content • Attend industry meet ups • Look at other domains in your • Offer to speak at conferences niche to find key authors • Comment on industry blogs and • Look for high quality blogs build visibility
  • 18.
  • 19.
    Brands should investin Content and People • Employ people passionate about • Don’t tie an author to any old your sector content • Employ people with strong online • Invest in content that is profiles interesting • Post updates to Google + • Allow staff the time to become an regularly authority • Optimise the About Me section of • Specialise in your topic area Google +
  • 20.
    Becoming a Powerfulbrand Some large brands will find it difficult to highlight their people. Large brands can be opposed to giving people credit. However, they should use their own people to build their online profiles.
  • 21.
    Should it beimplemented as an SEO strategy • SEOs should start implementing author rank in their strategies now • Building author rank now will gain an advantage when Google change • Google will continue to punish low quality content and link building • Verifying author provides a way of punishing anonymity • Don’t just publish posts on sites you control!
  • 22.