What is Google Author Rank & What Does This Mean for SEO
Once upon a time, a well known search engine changed the SEO landscape for good.
Author rank originated from Google's 2005 "agent rank" concept, designed to evaluate content based on audience reception. Social media metrics have made these factors increasingly measurable, and an algorithm update is anticipated.
So What will Author Rank mean in the future?
The cream rises to the top!
Author rank will function as a primary signal for evaluating and ranking trusted, quality content. This approach represents a shift toward what we call "Voted content is King" – emphasising reputation and trust over traditional metrics.
Possible Author Ranking Factors
- Authority from Google Plus, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and other trusted platforms
- Aggregated page rank of author content across personal blogs and third-party sites
- Historical shares and likes of previous content
- Publishing frequency
- Google+ circles, contacts, and follower intensity
What Next?
How to Implement Author Rank On Your Website or Blog
Establish authorship by linking your Google Plus account to your website domain and author profile. Link back reciprocally from each post.
- Install +1 buttons and encourage Google Plus sharing
- Use author markup with rel="me" and rel="author" tags
- For WordPress, use author plugins to automate the process
- Verify setup using Google's Structured Data Testing Tool
How to Leverage Author Rank for Search?
Research, Engage & Build Relationships
- Identify influential writers in your industry; evaluate their social following
- Access influencer networks – talented writers attract other talented creators
- Prioritise hiring authors with strong organic social reach over traditional copywriters
- Network at industry events; create target contact lists
- Develop creative content – infographics, videos and artwork enhance visibility
- Mark up posts with Google+ profile links
For SEO Agencies:
- Identify top internal writers by specialisation and implement authorship markup
- Create dedicated author pages for staff
- Build industry relationships for each writer
- Encourage guest contributions on trusted third-party platforms
The power is now shifting to authors and their content – that there's no doubt!
Grow your pipeline with Revio.
Tell us your growth target and we'll show you exactly how we'd get there — channels, timeline and the numbers we'd hold ourselves to.