Google Authorship: Taking Your Niche a Step Further your Business

Web Marketing & E-commerce

Aug 11, 2013

733 Views

Differentiating yourself from your competition is an important strategy for any business trying to grow. For this reason, I have always recommended CPA firms identify their niche - the industry or area of accounting they serve tied to their geography - & become recognized for that niche through the Web. Liz Daniel, for example, focuses on accounting for construction firms.

The next step in the process of becoming known for your niche is to proactively seek recognition for your expertise within your own circle using social networking. This idea is not new, but Google now provides tools that increase your ability to reach potential clients.

Google Authorship helps small- to midsize business owners improve SEO, create a personal brand tied to their business, improve click-throughs, & increase lead generation from the Web.

What Is Google Authorship?

Google Authorship allows writers to claim their content and permits search engines to find more content written by the same author.

It is directly tied to your Google+ account. You may have been getting invitations from relatives and friends to join Google+. Do it. Fundamentally, Google+ is another social networking gizmo, part LinkedIn, part Facebook, and part Twitter. Although you might think you don't require another social media application to keep up with, Google+ has unique advantages. The more people you tie to your Google+ account, the stronger your brand reach will be.

A Google+ account is based on your Google profile. According to Google, the purpose of the profile is to help shape what you see when you search your own name. Google+ has lots of other great features, like simple file sharing, free "hangouts" (which are like video conferences), and more.

Firms have taken the steps to tie their Google Authorship (by their Google+ Profile) to their net site, get higher click-through rates, and gain greater exposure to more of their content.

For example, the Google search engine results page for the phrase "construction accounting firm in Miami" brings up Daniel's listing in Figure one.

You'll notice that Daniel's entry shows up first in the nonpaid search engine rank. Her photograph appears with the entry, making the content personal & ensuring she is recognized & credited for her work. The headshot draws the eye & attracts clicks, providing even greater exposure to more of her content.

The Value of a Face

You may ask: Why not put my logo in? My answer: People trust people - in the accounting industry. Accountants are trusted advisors, not faceless logos.

As an accountant, the worth you provide comes from your knowledge & experience as well as the services you offer. People need to know & trust their accountant. Your picture tied to the content on the net begins to facilitate that trust.

Google Authorship provides communications "person to person" by Google+. Search engine results often arise with a company than an individual. Using Google+ to tie your content to your identity - or your personal brand - puts a name as well as a face on your firm.

Benefits of Google Authorship

Search engine prominence: Google Authorship is powerful when people are doing non-branded searching. For example, a potential client needs help along with his or her QuickBooks accounting & searches for a local CPA. Google Authorship helps your entry stand out from the rest. Notice the picture & the listing in Figure one. This makes it simple for potential clients to receive a sense of the firm & the accountant before they even arrive at your net site. Fundamentally, you are increasing the power of the search engine results.
Higher click-through: Google Authorship is not designed to increase your search engine ranking; it is designed to increase traffic to your net site by increasing click-through rates & making them stand out from other search engine results. Again, having your face tied to the search engine results creates a sense of trust with the viewer, making them require to read your content.
Brand credibility: Demian Farnworth, in his Copyblogger post on Google Authorship, claims that "The recognition that you have a Google+ account & a headshot beside your search listing is going to separate you from the faceless content creators." By taking advantage of the Google Authorship & your profile, you are tying your personal brand to your firm. Again, it goes back to the face behind the company.

Setting It Up

Google provides basic instructions for how to set up the authorship feature, outlined below.

Join Google+.
Set up your profile. Make definite you have a profile photograph with a recognizable headshot.
Make definite a byline, containing your name, appears on each page of your content (for example, "By Hugh Duffy").
Make definite your byline name matches the name on your Google+ profile.
Confirm you have an e-mail address on the same domain as your content. This is simple if you are publishing by yourself site. If you are publishing on a third-party site, go to the Google link above for more knowledge.

Content Is Key

Google Authorship can only do a lot. Your search engine results & click-throughs don't guarantee credibility. You must have nice content that reflects what your audience needs.

With Authorship, Google can judge who that content is coming from when deciding how valuable it is. David Gould said it best: "For users, this reinforces the idea that the result is reputable: this link is not the result of robotic SEO modification, but it is from a human being who they can learn more about. Knowing that at least some minimal verification has gone on creates a trust factor with the user."

Walking an accounting business is an hard work unto itself, & promotion your practice for growth adds another level of complexity. Google Authorship, Google+, LinkedIn, walking a blog, & SEO - you may feel like calling it a day & relying entirely on personal referrals.

Yet, referrals are feasible through social media & the Net. The beauty of these efforts, Google Authorship, is credibility. Tying your profile to your net site makes a difference in search engine rating, click-throughs, & growing your reputation as an specialist in the field.

6 people like it