How to Set Up Author Rank

The word of the year in terms of SEO and content is “authoritative.” With changes in the search world – including Knowledge Graph, Panda, and, indeed, user habits and preferences – it is incumbent upon websites and businesses to provide the very best quality to searchers. If not, they are simply going to go unnoticed. Google has to trust you; the searcher has to trust you. One way you can establish your authority (besides having fantastic, relevant content!) is to set up your Google Author Rank.

Google Author Rank is a key factor in increasing not only traffic but conversion rates. Set it up now by:

• If you don’t have one, set up a Google+ account. Through this, you will be able to set up Author Rank – and you’ll have access to other + goodies, like Circles.
• Go to your Google+ Profile and select Edit Profile (it is a blue tab on the top right of the screen).
• Scroll down to Contributor to. Click here and you’ll see a small window that allows you to list sites to which you contribute. These can be your website, blog, etc. Label the site or blog with its official name, and then paste the URLs into the box.
• Select who will see the Author Rank. You can choose to limit it to those within your circles or extended circles, but in a B2B situation, Public is your best option. Otherwise, what’s the point in optimising!
• Hit Save.
• If you are a contributor to multiple sites (Good for you!), go back and repeat the process for each site or blog.
• After you’ve done that, scroll up one item to Other Profiles. Here, you can add the pages that are about you. If, for instance, you have a YouTube channel, Twitter account, or Facebook page, this is the place to list them. Again, add them and Save.
• At the top of the screen, select Finish Editing. You can then View As to see how others will see the markup.
• Your next Google vanity search should reveal your Authorship markup, which will include your byline, how many Google+ Circles you are part of, a “More By Mr. X” link, and a short description for readers about you. You will also see, if you hoer to the right of your listing, that there is a double arrow. When you hover over this icon, the site to which you contribute will be displayed. This offers the searcher that much more information  – and hopefully entices him/her to click through.

There you have it. Taking just a few minutes of your time can yield great results and help you improve click-through and conversion rates. Own your content: Authorship helps it work that much harder and more effectively for you.