By now, you likely know that a lot goes into creating an airtight approach to SEO for your marketing content. Each piece needs to be readable, well-structured, informative, and in-depth. But what you may not know is that achieving top SERP rankings isn’t just about the value of the content itself. The authority value of the author behind the piece counts for a lot as well.
The importance of author SEO to Google isn’t a new concept — content authorship has always played a role in content success. However, as AI-generated content becomes more common and information seekers explore other ways to find what they’re looking for (like social media and alternative search engines), we’re seeing author SEO become increasingly important. This is especially the case for authors with demonstrated expertise on a particular topic.
Here, we’ll cover everything you need to know about author SEO to put together a success-oriented strategy that works for your brand. We’ll also include key strategies for building author credibility for SEO and best practices in author-driven content creation.
Is Authorship Important for SEO?
Yes, authorship directly contributes to SEO in several different ways. To begin with, an author credit helps search engine algorithms evaluate content for overall value and adherence to Google’s E-E-A-T standards. Audiences also form strong connections with individual authors and content creators, something Google has always taken into consideration when evaluating content for value. The higher the authority cred of the author, the bigger the boost to potential SERP rankings.
What is author SEO?
The term “author SEO” describes the practice of leveraging a particular author’s credibility, reach, and overall authority value when it comes to the content they publish. Paying proper attention to it is a critical part of building a loyal following and ensuring relevant content is as visible as possible when people search for the author’s name or actively seek out additional content they’ve written.
Some effective tasks a brand manager or business owner might want to consider in the name of author SEO include but aren’t necessarily limited to the following:
- Identifying and using relevant keywords related to the author’s work
- Creating, encouraging, or otherwise earning authority backlinks to an author’s content
- Elevating overall content quality in a variety of ways
- Partnering with professional subject matter experts who have established web presences
Authorship and its relationship to Google E-E-A-T
Authorship should be a key priority for many reasons, but one of the most critical is that it helps your brand successfully meet Google’s E-E-A-T search quality guidelines. E-E-A-T stands for:
- Experience: The overall hands-on track record a brand or content creator has when it comes to the topic at hand
- Expertise: How well the creator or team behind a piece actually knows a niche subject or other topic
- Authoritativeness: The level of authority the creator, brand, or website has accumulated over time regarding the topic
- Trustworthiness: Whether consumers and information seekers can take content from a particular creator or website at face value and trust that it’s accurate
An author, team, brand, or website that’s fully established and well known for delivering helpful, trustworthy information on a particular topic brings an incredible amount of value to the table.
Authorship and SEO: A Brief History
Google Authorship was an experimental concept from 2011 to 2014, designed to help search engine users better evaluate the legitimacy and value of the content they consume online. The concept also tied in directly to Google’s now-discontinued social network Google+.
At the time, many search results connected to an author’s name would display alongside their Google+ profile thumbnail. Authors could also further leverage their presence on Google+ to achieve higher, more robust SERP rankings for their work (including the possibility of author-focused, rich snippets) via a connected function called Author Rank. Google Authorship was on its way out by 2013, with Google+ to officially follow in 2019. Most marketers assumed that would be the end of the idea of author SEO.
However, Google still very much recognizes the credibility, expertise, and track record associated with individual authors and creators. This is especially the case when all or most of an author’s work links back to one or two centralized locations, such as a personal website or an authority column on an associate’s website.
Ready to further explore the role authorship can play in your ongoing content strategy? Unlock your brand’s potential for success with proven strategy solutions from Stellar.
Key Strategies for Enhancing Author Credibility
The more essential a particular piece of content is, the more marketers should focus on making it as trustworthy and authentic as possible. Backing up your content with facts, figures, and key statistics from authority sources is absolutely one way to do that, but it’s not the only way.
Adding author bylines that link back to dedicated author pages on your website helps to show both Google and your audience that providing high-quality content is a top priority. This practice becomes even more effective when the author in question has recognized, trackable expertise in a field. Let’s dive into a few actionable tips for boosting author credibility for author SEO purposes.
Focus on creating authority content
High-value authorship always starts with the quality of the content itself, so focus there first. Authors must be sure to observe the following best practices for consistently creating valuable, well-crafted authority content your audience will love:
- Ensure they truly know your audience, as well as their pain points and expectations. Consult and share existing brand data and recent market research to help you here.
- Craft well-written content that’s organized and readable and flows naturally from one subtopic to the next.
- Level up your content value with deep dives into relevant subtopics when it makes sense to do so. Illustrate the text with graphs, charts, infographics, and other visual aids.
- Back up information (especially facts, figures, or statistics) with trustworthy authority sources, complete with backlinks. Social proof can be another powerful way to add credibility to content.
- Add additional value by ensuring content is fine-tuned to meet the needs of the audience. Consider factors like where a target reader might be in their buyering journey to keep information relevant.
Demonstrate firsthand knowledge
When an author is also an established subject matter expert on the topic at hand, they should demonstrate that expertise in a way that complements the content.
- Firsthand knowledge and experience help personalize a piece and make it more relatable to readers.
- Backing up claims with credentials, degrees, or past work done in a field helps frame the content as authoritative and trustworthy.
- Personal stories and professional experiences are solid ways to set the content apart from everything else out there in the same niche.
Look for natural ways to work authority signals like degrees, credentials, or important experiences into the content. It should feel natural, intuitive, and relevant, as opposed to heavy-handed or forced.
Make sure the content is impeccable
Ensuring all marketing content is free of issues like spelling mistakes and grammar issues should be standard for every piece. However, error-free content execution matters most when crafting pieces designed to set an author up as a thought leader or other authority. All it takes is one really awful spelling error or a couple of cringingly awkward sentences to break a reader’s attention and lose their trust.
Be honest and authentic
Authenticity has always been critical when it comes to authority content creation, but this is especially the case these days. People want value, but they also want to know that they’re reading genuine insights, experiences, and advice from real people.
Authors must be honest and forthright in their content. When promoting products or services, the content should never oversell them or make overblown claims. It should always speak to real benefits, drawbacks, and considerations instead. Honest authors make strong, easy connections with information-seeking audiences in search of someone they can trust.
Deliver consistency
Authors become credible, trusted authorities when they consistently deliver quality and meet audience expectations. You must ensure your content is consistent throughout your content production team. Factors to consider when cultivating a consistent content experience include:
- Writing tone, style, and voice
- Publishing frequency
- Accurate information backed by authority sources when necessary
- Formatting and organization
Audiences begin to favor individual authors when they fall in love with the person’s writing style, way of conveying information, etc. When they return to that person or actively seek out more of their work, they’re looking for more of the same style, voice, and approach they’ve come to expect.
Ensure included information is up to date
Audiences turn to established authors for facts that are not only relevant but also up to date. Authors should avoid using old or outmoded information to add substance to authority content. They should always use the freshest, most relevant data and research. This shows they care about keeping up with the latest industry developments and providing your audiences with the best possible user experience.
For this reason, be sure your writers frequently refresh high-performing authority content and update it with new information, fresh insights, etc.
What Is an Author Profile for SEO?
Also sometimes called an author bio, an author profile is generally a short blurb or other introduction to the writer of a given piece. Effective author profiles that support strong SEO efforts are concise but informative, typically showcasing relevant credentials, experience, expertise, or background facts from the person’s life.
The SEO purpose of an author profile is to boost the authority quotient of the actual content, as well as support E-E-A-T-friendly optimization. Bylines frequently link out to author profiles as a way to help readers find more of the author’s material as well.
How to Optimize Author Profiles for Various Platforms
A good author bio serves a couple of different purposes. It introduces audiences to the author of a piece of content and makes their authority on the topic plain, right from the get-go — and it helps facilitate good author SEO by letting search engines know what’s most important about this particular person.
For best results, authors must keep their bios consistent across all of the different platforms they use, everything from blog to their professional profiles to their social media. As with every other aspect of building a personal or professional brand, offering audiences a consistent experience that carries over successfully from one platform to another is a must.
Also, authors must be sure to optimize their bio to suit each individual platform. Here are some suggestions and guidelines to keep in mind:
Google Scholar
Google Scholar is essential for authors who have a strong catalog of published scholarly writing to their credit. Authors should optimize their profile for maximum effectiveness by:
- Using university email (if the autthor has one) and then having the platform verify their connection to that institution
- Wisely adding keywords that tie into their area of expertise
- Using the same name they use when publishing scholarly writings
- Adding their awards, accolades, affiliations, publications, and similar details
- Making their profile informative but concise — and keeping it public
- Ensuring they update their profile regularly, frequently adding new credits, etc.
As the go-to social media platform for all things professional, LinkedIn should be part of every authority creator’s repertoire. Authors should keep their profile engaging and effective by:
- Opening their profile bio with a strong statement that helps draw readers in
- Using relevant keywords that employers, audiences, publishers, etc., are likely to use to find author profiles
- Telling a concise but comprehensive story of their professional history as an authority in their field and keeping it up to date
- Letting their personality shine through in their words
- Including visual elements in their profile where suggested and specified, such as photos and videos
Blog or website
Author bios are essential on blogs and websites, as those are likely places people will land in search of more of an author’s content. Authors can ensure their bio resonates by:
- Being thorough but concise
- Naturally incorporating relevant keywords throughout
- Being themselves, telling their story, and injecting personality into their words
- Writing in third person
- Taking care to highlight their unique selling points as an authority or industry player
Industry-specific forums
Profile quality counts for a lot if an author frequents industry-specific forums, platforms, or networking boards. A strong author profile will:
- Lead with their name and job title
- List their company name or brand statement
- Focus on highlighting staple information like educational background, achievements, and key professional accomplishments
- Be concise and use short sentences
- Add some color by including a couple of personal details about their other interests
- Provide bio information in third person
Other social media
Bio sections on additional social platforms like Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, or TikTok should take cues from the more comprehensive bios the author may have posted elsewhere. The content should:
- Be as original as possible
- Be super concise and stick to what’s important, because most platforms allow only limited space
- Use simple language that’s snappy and easy to digest
- Incorporate well-chosen keywords or hashtags where appropriate
- Close with a call to action
Case studies on successful author SEO implementations
Focusing on author SEO and exploring ways to incorporate authority authorship into your ongoing marketing strategy helps signal to search engines that your content is worth trusting and ranking. Here are some examples of how this can look in real-world terms:
Fortune 500 financial content success
The Spotlight Agency specializes in matching top brands with subject matter experts in various fields to boost authority cred, SEO, etc. It successfully connected a leading Fortune 500 life insurance provider with multiple authority content creators proficient in a variety of content forms, including podcasting, blogs, print media, and authority articles.
The result was a successful ongoing 360 learning experience that led to elevated web traffic, higher conversion rates, and a boost in readership.
Independent Pharmacy succeeds with industry experts
The Independent Pharmacy is an excellent example of a brand that’s succeeded in boosting visibility with simple author SEO tactics like adding author snippets to key on-site pieces. Leveraging authors with proven expertise and industry cred in this way helped show audiences that real, trustworthy people are behind the content there, and the benefits have since manifested in the brand’s conversion rates and traffic.
Impactful content success for TRIBBUTE
Boutique marketing agency TRIBBUTE needed an effective but approachable way to scale content production without breaking the bank. The agency had already explored multiple ways to accomplish that, including hiring through popular content production platforms like Fiverr. However, when none of those solutions were quite right, they turned to Stellar for assistance.
Stellar was able to help TRIBBUTE meet its growing need for high-quality authority content by assembling specialized teams of uniquely qualified authority writers proficient in particular niches. The result was a 25% increase in organic impressions over a month.
Measure the Impact of Author SEO
As with any ongoing attempt to boost website authority and support optimal branding efforts, tracking and measuring the impact of the author SEO strategies you decide to implement is essential. Let’s go over some key factors to keep in mind.
Tools and metrics
Knowing which metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) to track is a crucial part of evaluating any new addition to your SEO routine, including those related to author SEO. Be sure to keep a close eye on examples like the following:
- Organic search traffic, especially any originating from searches related to author names
- Changes in SERP rankings for target keywords
- Impressions (the number of times your site appeared in search results)
- Click-through rates, especially as compared to impressions
- Backlinks from other authority sites
- Social media-related metrics, such as shares and overall engagement
- On-page time, particularly as related to target pages
The right tools can help you make short work of measuring results related to your ongoing SEO and authority-building efforts as well. Popular examples include (but aren’t necessarily limited to) SEMRush, Ahrefs, Google Search Console, and Google Analytics.
Impact on SEO performance
All search engines, Google included, consider prime authority signals when deciding how to rank a particular page or website. These naturally include those related to author authority. The overall impact a successful strategy can have on your overall SEO performance include:
- Improved SERP rankings
- Higher engagement rates
- An increase in high-quality backlinks to authority content
- Improved brand trust and loyalty
- Better overall brand visibility
- Improved conversion rates
Technical details on implementing authorship
Including authorship schema markup can help you make the most of your author SEO efforts by ensuring Google crawl bots properly understand your site’s approach. Below are some tips for properly implementing it.
- Use tools and plugins to simplify the process of implementing author schema where appropriate. For example, if you’re running WordPress, Yoast supports structured data, including the ability to utilize author schema.
- Use Google’s free rich results test to confirm that the search engine is properly indexing your site’s structured data.
- Regularly review and update your author schema to stay on top of any changes Schema.org makes to its go-to vocabulary.
- Make your structured data as informative as possible by including author properties like title, affiliation, and image, in addition to basics like name.
- Include links to the author’s social media pages where appropriate to ensure maximum comprehensiveness.
And don’t forget to implement other best practices for making author bios SEO-friendly and trustworthy. Examples include writing bios in third person, being as concise as possible, and acquiring as many quality backlinks as possible.
Can Author Authority Influence the Ranking of All Types of Content?
According to Google itself, the author bylines attached to your marketing content don’t directly contribute to your SERP rankings. However, they can absolutely influence rankings by helping various types of content better meet E-E-A-T standards. This is especially the case when it comes to improving the potential credibility and trustworthiness of a particular piece of content, as well as contributing to content quality.
Author authority can also be helpful when pursuing higher rankings for nearly every type of content, including videos, podcasts, and graphics. Examples like backlinks, mentions, engagement, and click-through rates are crucial ranking factors for all major content types — and all things that can be influenced by the perceived credibility of the attached author.
Practical Advice for Enterprises and Agencies
Enterprises, agencies, and other organizations can all benefit considerably from implementing best authorship practices to boost SEO, increase conversions, and build far-reaching trust in their brands. Here are some actionable tips to keep in mind:
Use subject matter experts to deliver top-tier quality
Adding established subject matter experts to your roster of content creators can give your brand a boost by enabling you to seriously raise the bar on quality. Experts and authorities have the ability to provide audiences with deep, powerful knowledge they won’t be able to find just anywhere, and many bring readily engaged audiences of their own to the table.
Raise interest by putting high-profile authors front and center
Boost the author SEO attached to your content by shining a spotlight on your bylined content creators. Set up dedicated author bios for regular contributors, make readers aware of their authority, and encourage audiences to read additional content from creators they especially like. Directly add concise author bio blocks to particularly important pieces, like thought leadership content.
Consider implementing professional solutions
Enterprises, agencies, and other large organizations will eventually need a reliable way to scale authority content creation without breaking the bank or cutting corners in the quality department. Enlisting the aid of full-scale content creation services that can match brands with appropriate subject matter experts and authority creators is a solid solution that helps many businesses maintain author SEO success.
Advanced Tips and Troubleshooting
Of course, not every attempt to put proven author SEO techniques to work for you will go smoothly from start to finish. Here are some common issues many brands run into, as well as some user-friendly tips for overcoming them.
Not being concise enough
People know an author’s bio should tell readers everything they need to know about a creator, so the temptation to overdo things can be pretty strong. However, author profiles that aren’t concise enough won’t encourage audiences to read them or help your SEO.
Ideally speaking, a good author bio for a blog, website, or platform falls around 100 words – one short paragraph – or up to five sentences.
Poor or nonexistent keyword use
Keywords aren’t just helpful when it comes to your actual content. They’re also effective ways to optimize author bios. So, include your authority content creator profiles in your keyword research efforts. Choose your options wisely and use them sparingly.
Not using or checking author schema markup
Although you can certainly implement an effective author SEO strategy without utilizing schema markup, consider exploring it as a possibility. Structured data can help immensely when it comes to Google’s ability to truly understand your site, as well as qualify your content for SERP features like rich snippets.
If you’re handling the job yourself, be sure to test your markup using tools like Google’s Schema Markup Testing Tool or Bing Markup Validator. If not, consider hiring a developer to help you do the job properly.
Failing to explore additional resources
You don’t need to be an authority creator yourself or already have subject matter experts on staff to benefit from the power author authority can bring to the table. Cast a wider net by approaching creators you admire and proposing partnerships. You can also hire subject matter experts directly through agencies. Just be sure to choose a trusted option like Stellar to ensure optimal quality.
Leveraging Author SEO for Long-Term Success
If you’re like most people, you can likely remember multiple instances where a particular piece of content had a greater impact on you because of the authority cred its author brought to the table. Your audience feels the same way, so your brand can absolutely benefit from the proper implementation of strategies like the ones we’ve covered here.
Be sure to set yourself up for lasting success by tracking the results of your efforts and making appropriate changes accordingly. Stay ahead of the game by paying attention to factors like industry trends, algorithm changes, and important SEO developments.
Ready to step into the future with incredible author SEO assistance you can trust with your brand? Explore the power of quality content written by expert authors with Stellar’s SEO services today!
