The Importance Of Google Authorship SEO
Google has kept things the way they are for a long time now. Sure, there have been a bunch of updates, pandas, penguins, refreshes and all that good stuff… but nothing revolutionary has really happened… until now.
The problem is, Google and other search engines have relied on counting backlinks and using an algorithm to calculate their authority + relevance for years.
The algorithm makes a lot of sense, and it definitely provides a lot of concrete accurate results. However, there is still a lot of confusion floating around the top spots of Google for high-traffic keywords.
While looking at backlinks has been highly effective at sorting the vast array of search engine results, it has many pitfalls. First and foremost, it can easily be manipulated.
Any novice can build backlinks. Software allows you to build thousands of wiki, edu, web2.0, directory, and profile links in seconds. This is nothing new.
Over time, Google has diminished the power of mass-produced, low-quality links. Today, these tactics no longer rank pages easily. Though Google has reduced the authority of such backlinks, they haven’t been able to fully suppress the authority of high PR backlinks. This led SEOs to create high PR blog networks.
Of course, Google has spent the last two years trying to dismantle those networks. It’s an ongoing battle, and one of the few ways left is to build your own network of high PR authority backlinks.
That works… but what if Google could rank web pages by WHO published them?
What if Google could identify the authorities of niches? Wouldn’t they just rank credible people’s content? Yes, and that’s exactly what they’re beginning to do. Google doesn’t want SEOs to rank for terms like “weight loss” or “cure acne” just because they know how to build backlinks. They want real people, experts in the field, like a world-class personal trainer, to rank for “weight loss.”
Google is now starting to rank websites based on their authority in a niche and their reputation. This makes much more sense than links ever did. Over time, Google will likely ignore backlinks entirely and only rank content from trusted sources.
This is why Google Authorship is important, and its importance is immeasurable right now. Nobody knows if Google Authorship will be the future of SEO, but it makes a lot of sense. We’re already seeing changes toward this model of organizing search.
If you Google “Google Penguin,” you’ll find this result near the top. You can see the Google Authorship setup by Matt McGee, who is in over 20,000 circles. That’s a lot of circles.
His site instantly ranks for the most competitive keywords in SEO because he is a trusted source. His content gets a lot of social attention, backlinks, and he has a large Google Plus presence in the niche. There’s a correlation here, though it’s not solely about being in a lot of circles.
Google wants to see real people ranking, not anonymous SEOs who know how to manipulate algorithms. Google Authorship puts a face to every website, an identity.
How to Set Up Your Google Authorship Profile:
- Join Google Plus
- Fill Out All Details
- Upload a Picture of Yourself
- Fill Out Your “About” Page
- Add Your Website to the “Contributor To” Section
- Connect Your Other Social Profiles to Google Plus
- Connect Your Website to Your Google Plus Page
That’s all you need to do!
Once you’ve done that, your face will show up in search results, and your site will be connected to your profile. The more people who circle you, the better.
Does this mean backlinking is dead? Not at all. Link building and black-hat SEO are here to stay. What it means is that legitimate people who provide quality content will eventually dominate their competitors.
If you run an authority site that produces valuable content, it’s worth surrendering your site to Google by installing Analytics, Webmaster Tools, and telling them everything about it. Let them know you’re an authority, and they will rank your content consistently, with or without links.
In Prosperity,
David Wood
P.S. Leave me your thoughts, comments, and questions below.
Comments
Mike Thompson
This post is a great insight into how Google Authorship is changing the SEO landscape. I had no idea it could be so influential. Thanks for the detailed explanation, David!
Sarah J.
I’m not sure I completely agree with the idea that backlinks will lose importance. There’s still so much weight placed on them in current rankings. What’s your take on that?
Chris M.
Great article! I’ve just set up my Google Authorship profile, and I’m already noticing some improvements in my search visibility. Thanks for the practical tips!
Elena T.
This post really hit the mark! It’s so refreshing to see Google moving toward recognizing real authority instead of just link-building tactics. Keep up the good work, David!
Lucas M.
I find it hard to believe that backlinks will become less important anytime soon. Can you provide any evidence or examples of this shift already happening?
Ana G.
Thanks for the insightful post, David! I’m still a bit confused about setting up Google Authorship. Could you clarify if connecting all my social profiles is essential to this process?
Daniel R.
While I appreciate the idea of authorship, I feel like Google could take it too far by focusing solely on authority. What happens to smaller, quality sites that don’t have the big names behind them?
Julia P.
Hey David, great post! I loved reading this. How have you been? We should catch up sometime soon. Maybe at the next SEO event?
Matthew H.
This reminds me of a time when I was struggling to get my fitness blog ranked. It took me forever to realize that Google Authorship could make a huge difference in my niche visibility. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!
Karen V.
I recently stumbled upon a tool called “Author Rank Checker” that lets you track the impact of your Google Authorship profile on search results. It’s been a game-changer for me. Definitely worth a try!
Omar L.
I’ve learned so much from this post, especially about how important it is to focus on niche authority. I’ll definitely be making some changes to my approach. Thank you, David!
