I recently read an article in Search Engine Journal: Google: Author Bylines Not A Ranking Factor, this is mainly talking about the misconception of SEOs if the author’s byline is a ranking factor or not. I wanted to also share my perspective on how I view Author Byline as not a ranking factor. In this article, I will explore everything to know about the Author’s byline and how it connects with E-E-A-T.
The History of Author Bylines
We started talking about authors byline when it was introduced in E-A-T known as E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) in 2014. Most SEOs did not take it seriously because the primary objective during this era was backlinks, backlinks and backlinks.
It was only taken seriously when Google published the second version of Search Quality Rating Guidelines in December 2022 when they added E for Experience in E-A-T as we know it as E-E-A-T.
What is E-E-A-T
E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness as mentioned earlier. It is a set of guidelines used by Search Quality Raters, Google’s official quality assurance team to evaluate the credibility and relevance of web pages and websites.
Let me briefly each letter in the E-E-A-T
- Experience: Quality content often demonstrates the creator’s first-hand experience with the subject matter.
- Expertise: Search quality raters must determine whether authors have topical expertise. Do they have the knowledge, qualifications, and credentials required to give reliable information?
- Authoritativeness: refers to your overall reputation in your industry. Especially among experts and influencers in your niche.
- Trustworthiness: this is the most important part of Google E-E-A-T SEO. Quality Raters must take the creator, content, and website into account.
In a nutshell, you can optimise your website using the following strategies: Create High-Quality Content, Provide Author Info and Transparency, Use Credible Sources, Create a Positive Brand Reputation, Monitor and Leverage User-Generated Content.
What is Author Byline
An Author Byline is a brief statement that appears at the beginning or end of an article, or blog post, providing information about the author. It typically includes the author’s name and may also include additional details such as their professional background, expertise, and affiliations.
E-E-A-T is important for pages that offer information on health, finance, or other critical topics. Author bylines play a crucial role in establishing and enhancing E-E-A-T in the following way:
- Experience (E): Including details about the author’s professional experience in the byline is crucial for demonstrating a practical understanding of the subject matter. Experience adds depth to the author’s credentials and allows readers to trust that the information provided is not just theoretical but comes from hands-on involvement in the field. Whether it’s years of practical work, specific projects, or unique insights gained through experience, this information enhances the author’s overall credibility and contributes to the E-E-A-T factors.
- Expertise (E): Including information about the author’s qualifications, education, and experience in the author byline helps demonstrate their expertise on the subject matter. This contributes to the overall credibility of the content.
- Authoritativeness (A): Author bylines can also convey the author’s authority in a specific field. Mentioning professional memberships, certifications, or achievements can signal to readers and search engines that the author is a trusted source.
- Trustworthiness (T): Transparency is essential for building trust. By providing details about the author, such as their real name, photo, and links to social profiles, the author byline helps establish a sense of accountability and critical component for establishing the E-E-A-T of a piece of content. It acts as a bridge between the author and the audience, allowing readers to understand the background and qualifications of the person providing the information. Here are some additional points on how author bylines contribute to E-E-A-T:
- Clarity and Attribution: Author bylines help readers easily identify who is responsible for the content they are consuming. Clear attribution fosters transparency, and users are more likely to trust information when they know its source. This attribution is valuable not only for readers but also for search engines aiming to evaluate the reliability of content.
- Consistency Across Platforms: When an author consistently uses the same byline across various platforms and publications, it reinforces their identity and builds a cohesive online presence. This consistency adds to the author’s credibility and reinforces their expertise, making it easier for search engines to verify their authority.
- Social Proof: Many author bylines include links to the author’s social media profiles or personal websites. This provides an opportunity for readers to further validate the author’s expertise and credibility by exploring their presence on other platforms. Positive engagement and endorsements on these platforms can serve as social proof of the author’s reliability.
- User Engagement and Feedback: Author bylines facilitate communication between authors and readers. Comments, feedback, and discussions related to the content can be directed to the author, creating an interactive and engaging environment. This interaction not only enhances the user experience but also allows authors to address questions or concerns, reinforcing their commitment to providing accurate and helpful information.
Why Author Byline is not a Ranking Factor
We first need to understand the difference between a ranking factor and ranking signal:
- The Ranking Factor is a characteristic or element that search engines consider when determining the position of a web page in the search results. These factors can encompass a wide range of on-page and off-page elements, including content quality, page speed, mobile-friendliness, backlinks, domain authority, and more. Search engines use complex algorithms to evaluate and weigh these factors to determine how relevant and valuable a page is to a particular search query.
- A Ranking Signal is a specific data point or piece of information that search engines use to assess a particular ranking factor. Ranking signals are the measurable indicators that contribute to the overall evaluation of a website’s quality and relevance.
List of Ranking Signals:
- Total Clicks
- Time spends on a page
- Search intent that matches with metadata and content
- Quality of backlinks pointing to a page
- Mentions/Citation
- Scrawling down 90% of the page
Search engines analyze these signals to make informed decisions about how to rank pages in search results.
Based on the above explanation it’s clear that Author Byline is not a ranking factor but a ranking signal that is used to determine if the content is trustworthy and written by an experienced author. Let’s also remember Google is more interested in satisfying searcher’s needs than owners of the website especially webmasters because they are not paying for Advertising space.