The web is changing (again) and it’s all down to Google. We are in a state of transition from the web of websites to a web of people. This is also affecting search which is the way we navigate the web and it’s affecting SEO which is how we optimize content in order to be found.
The transition from web to people is led by Google’s increasing accumulation of data pulled from the social web and its Google+ network and the cross-referencing of relationship points of each piece of data which is the core of Google’s Semantic Search. While the mechanics are complex the effects are not. Whereas in the past we had websites rising on Google search because of the size of their content and the number of links which pointed to them, now we will see content surfacing because it is being talked about, shared and interacted with by real people. It’s a subtle change but one which changes everything, including how you market your products and services.
Introducing Author Rank. This is a game changer, believe me. The Author Rank is paving the way for SEO in the future. If you do not have an Author tag on your website or blog yet, click this short tutorial to learn how to get one! The Author tag is a technology by Google to verify an author’s content with his/her Google+ profile. This gives birth to the Author Rank. The Author Rank is being heavily incorporated into the new Google Search Algorithm and subsequent updates, allowing websites/blogs with Author tags to appear higher in the search engine rankings.
The image below shows the look-and-feel of using an Author tag on your website/blog. This author tag is basically the initial step that content marketers can utilise to actually take advantage of the Author Rank. One of the best things about Author Rank is the ability to rank a result based on the data around your circles. So, for instance, if a friend of yours has +1’d an article, it would appear higher in the search rankings (providing you are signed into your Google+ account). This is, as mentioned earlier, the idea of funnelling the right content on search engine pages through the ‘web of people’. The people, as Google believes, are the best technology to decide how good a website is. This is quite true. Our brains do actually work better in deciding between crappy vs. good content in comparison to artificially intelligent algorithms.
In short, if you haven’t yet implemented an author tag on your website/blog, please do so as quickly as possible because the Author Rank is expected to come into full effect by 2013 and SEO will be changed greatly. This might seem a bit monopolistic of Google in a bid to raise the popularity of its Google+ social network, but as far as the SEO of the future is concerned, the Author Rank is certainly a very important indicator of the seriousness of the content.
About Ali Gajani
Hi. I am Ali Gajani. I started Mr. Geek in early 2012 as a result of my growing enthusiasm and passion for technology. I love sharing my knowledge and helping out the community by creating useful, engaging and compelling content. If you want to write for Mr. Geek, just PM me on my Facebook profile.
