Being a published author is any writer’s dream, but being a labelled an “author” or “publisher” no longer necessarily means you have a physical, printed book with your name on it. Instead, these terms can describe someone who has an online content presence. And just like with print books, serious authors only want your name and brand on the best writing (content) possible.
The Differences Between Online Authors and Publishers:
Google provides a markup for both authors and publishers that works very similarly to print publisher’s and print author’s. This means that you only apply authorship markup to unique content, created by an individual. This allows articles and other content to be linked to a personal Google Plus page, and helps build an author’s reputation, as well as provides quick access to content written by one author across various websites.
Publishers, on the other hand, should be linked to a company’s Google Plus page. This sort of content is going to be things like property listings, or product descriptions that no serious author will want linked to their personal Google Plus page. It can also be used for websites that have multiple authors’ who frequently change.
What Happens If You Select the Wrong Markup?
While some company’s desire to use the company itself as the author and not just the publisher, it is important to understand why this isn’t the best idea. Not only does it rob the individual author of the credit for the post, it also robs your viewers of connecting on a more personal level with different members of your content creation team. Having a content writer who has credibility is a valuable asset to any blog.
On the reverse end, when you publish as an individual this can be an issue later down the road if that individual goes to work for another company, yet is still listed as the publisher on portions of your website. Instead of intertwining your company’s reputation with that of an individual, you should instead be building your company’s brand through the use of content that links back to your company’s page.
Why Should Your Business Care About These Markups?
A major reason to claim your content under one of these markups is that if another website duplicates your content and claims authorship it will affect your SEO rankings, because Google will assume you are duplicating the content and are not the owner of the content. Because of this, it is highly important to be sure you claim ownership on your content, and not allow someone else to claim the content you have written as their own.
Ownership on the internet is a tricky business, and as the internet continues to evolve and change, it will become more and more important to cite sources and claim ownership of original content in order to create a website that is valuable and a lasting resource for internet users.