14 DAY TRIAL // Google is making it even easier to link content on the web to its author. A few months ago, it enabled authors to take ownership of their content, and be listed as authors in Google search results, via the authorship markup.
Now, Google is taking it one step further by enabling you to link up your Google+ profile with the stuff you write or create on the web in the most seamless way possible, by filling out your work email address on your profile.
"In June, we began highlighting content creators in search results to help searchers identify high quality, authoritative content," Doantam Phan, Software Engineer, recalled.
"Since then, content creators have been able to link to their content with the authorship markup to have their photos appear next to their content in search results and help readers find out more about the person behind the story," he explained.
Google says that the response to this option has been very good so it's making it even easier for authors to link up their profiles to their stuff.
All you need to do is visit your Google+ profile and fill in your Work email, just click Edit Profile and you'll see the field. The important part here is that you have to set the visibility of the email address to "Anyone on the web," meaning public, for this to work.
The result will be that anyone on the web will see your work email. But so will Google and it will use this info to link up to your content on the places that also provide your email address.
Google doesn't say exactly how it works, but you'll have to trust it that it does. If you've filled your profile with at least some public info, such as hometown, and have a good headshot as your avatar, Google should start displaying your profile info next to search results.
But there are no guarantees that it will do so and there's nothing you can do to 'force' Google to make the change.