For several years, Google has been working on and tweaking the methods that would one day become what is now known as Google Author Rank. While the Author Rank feature did not truly manifest until after the release of Google+, it has been a long time coming. Whenever you do a generic search for a topic or news event, chances are that you have noticed a new format of articles displayed near the top of search results – complete with the author’s name and connection status with Google+. If you have not already signed up for Google Author Rank, you are probably missing out on valuable traffic and SEO opportunities – continue reading below to find out how to do so and what the benefits entail.

How to Sign-up

In order to activate your authorship status with Google, you will first need a Google+ account. If you already have one set up, then it is as simple as linking your content with your profile; by inserting the domains of each site you publish from and giving it permission to display, you can have all of your content aggregated even more so in Google’s search results. This leaves you not having to worry about whether all of your content is pinging to Google. There are various options for doing this, depending on whether or not you have an email address associated with the domain name in question.

Managing Aesthetics

It is vital that you use a clear, real picture in your Google+ profile in order to appear professional. While this may seem like a small detail, psychology suggests that users are more likely to click on an article if they can identify with a human face – as opposed to a generic image. This displays in the thumbnail area next to the article in Google Search, so it very well may be the first thing people notice upon loading. You will also want to include a byline that matches your Google+ name. If the byline is missing from the article, then it will not allow Google to give you the credit for the article.

Reaping Rewards

You have probably already noticed articles by authors displayed on the first page of many Google search results. With all of your articles automatically pinging to Google upon creation, you can take advantage of the same benefits. Having Google Author Rank will give you the added boost you need to be the credible source for information – particularly in niche categories with a low volume of search results. With Google SERP giving high credentials to Author Rank content, it is in many ways easier to get a higher rank for one of these articles than it might be to do so through traditional channels.

Summary

Signing up for a Google Author Rank account is not only easy but necessary in the modern search engine optimization environment. Giving your sites and blogs just one more advantage may make the difference between you being seen and someone else. Best of all, since it is integrated directly and provided by Google, you do not have to worry about penalties or optimizing – just be sure to deliver consistent, quality content.