In the age of the internet, how do you protect your content from being stolen? Google Authorship not only protects online writers from plagiarists, but it also increases search engine authority. This version of an online copyright ensures that writers’ works will not disappear into the internet beyond, is relatively easy to set up and offers numerous benefits.
- Stand out in a search
Google Authorship links all of your work back to your Google+ profile regardless of for whom you’re writing. When a reader searches in Google for an article, yours will be more credible because it will show your photo, as well as link readers back to all of your previous works. This makes Authorized articles more attractive than the anonymous ones. - Reach more readers
Google search results will place Authorized works ahead of non-Authorized articles. Your article is more likely to be chosen if it is higher up in the search yield. - Protection from plagiarists
If someone were to copy and paste your Authorized work, Google will recognize this and take action against the plagiarist. - Beat a common name
If you have a common name, (I’m talking to you, John Smith), it can be difficult to distinguish your work from the myriad of articles from other John Smiths online. However, if your article is verified, linked to your profile and has a photo with the number of circles to which you belong, you appear more credible than the other John Smiths. - Freelance writers
If you write for many different outlets, Google Authorship will link all of your work back to your Google+ profile. You’ll have a common place where all your work will be linked.
Ownership can be tricky to sort out. If you’re hired to write something for a company, the ownership will be decided upon in your terms of employment and/or contract. - Ghostwriters
Since Google Authorship is about protection of original content to build a reputation as a writer, Google has checks and balances in place to prevent ghost writings from being posted under an Authorized account.
There is one potential roadblock. Some authors use different versions of their name to distinguish between websites (e.g. Jane D., Jane Doe, and J. Doe). In order to use Google Authorship, your name would need to be consistently formatted across outlets. Similarly, since some online publications require that all submitting authors write their names a specific way (i.e. first name only), you may need to make edits there. You can have separate author bios on each blog, but your Google+ identity needs to be consistent.
All in all, Google Authorship is worth exploring; it protects your work while expanding your reach and building your credibility. Let us know if Broadreach can help you set up Google Authorship for your work.
~Ally Hessert
