And Google Throws Another Wrench at SEO

[krackajackfoo]

Anyone read up on Google Patent for "Author Rank"? For those us that aren't currently using Google Plus social service, you better get heavily invested in it as they are using it for a ton of search related things.

Here's a great article on the new Author Rank and how it may affect the search landscape in the near future: http://www.blindfiveyearold.com/author-rank

[Peter P]

Wow, I was always wondering that, how is google able to calculate all those factors and data, there is billions up on billions of websites/pages and articles and links and at the same time, billions of people and machines is using google for something, is unbelievable!! What kind of super computers is able to watch so gigantic data flow all the time and this Author Rank will make it even more complicated. Sorry, little bit out of topic but is fascinating for me how this can be done.

[littleking]

Hmmmm wonder if anyone has any concrete evidence on this? G+ may be a little bit of a game changer.

Or it maybe nothing major at all. Who knows?

[krackajackfoo]

All the major SEO sources out there have already jumped on the Goog+ bandwagon - I'm fairly certain it is already making differences in things like CTR for websites that have an author photo next to a SERP listing. A few blogs I've read have confirmed that, while their rankings have not been increased by using rich snippets and Goog+, their CTRs have. And we know Google uses CTR of results as one of the metrics for determing which sites should get a ranking boost.

[AndrewThomson]

Interesting but until pages with author mark up start consitently outranking other pages I don't think we should worry too much about it.

Although I may explain why sometimes you can't get the author mark up to make your photo appear in the SERPs for love nor money.

Andrew

[AndrewThomson]

edited -sorry I added this to the wrong post - please ignore